Bath, University of

University of Bath

Age: 45

History: Began life as a college of science and technology.

Address: The campus is based on Claverton Down, a hill 650ft above Bath.

Ambience: Windswept, beautiful setting above Jane Austen's spa town. The University buildings are a mixture of 1960s architecture and contemporary design. It has risen from almost nowhere to become one of the most successful universities in the UK.

Vital statistics: Almost 10,000 full-time undergrads, and around 4,500 postgrads. Excellent graduate employment record. Still concentrates on science and technology, but has also branched out into modern languages and international studies, education, management, and social, sport and medical sciences, with strong links to business, the professions, the public services, and the voluntary sector.

Added value: Fantastic for sport. Hangs firm near the top of the inter-university BUCS league. Facilities include a world-class sports training village, Olympic-sized pool and indoor shooting range, judo dojo and 132m indoor running straight opened. Active student body: 98 per cent are thought to be involved in some sort of club or society.

Easy to get into? Varies by course. The university does not work on the UCAS points system, but competition for places can be tough. For example, a BSc in economics asks for A*AA at A-level.

Glittering alumni: Justin King, CEO of Sainsbury's; Neil Holloway, vice president, Microsoft International; Steve Borthwick, former England rugby captain; DJ "Dr" Neil Fox.

Transport links: An hour and a half from London by train, and 10 minutes from Bristol. M4 is 10 miles north and Bristol airport is 21 miles away.

Who's the boss? Professor Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor. She is a psychologist who specialises in leadership and identity research projects, and is the author of more than 20 books.

Teaching: 16th out of 116 for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 18th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 10th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Quaint pubs and several clubs in town. Students' union has a club and runs a popular "Flirt" night for the energetic.

How green is it? Not bad - it came joint 31st out of 138 universities graded by People & Planet for their ‘Green League 2011’, an assessment of environmental performance. The university recently produced a five-year strategy to achieve new green targets.

Any accommodation? All first year full-time students are guaranteed a place in college-owned accommodation, which ranges from £85 to £135 per week for self-catering, or £170 to £180 for catered.

Cheap to live there? About average - private rents are around £70-£80 a week.

Sports ranking: 5th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for 2011/2012, with reduced fees for sandwich years. The university will be charging maximum fees of £9,000 per year as of September 2012.

Bursaries: A wide range of scholarship, based on academic excellence, and bursaries, based on financial need, offered by the university. See the website for details.

Prospectus: 01225 383 019; www.bath.ac.uk

UCAS code: B16