Birmingham: Solihull College

Birmingham: Solihull College

Age: 57

History: Founded in 1954. It began offering higher education courses in 1987.

Address: Five minutes' walk from the centre of Solihull, which is seven miles from the centre of Birmingham. The main campus is at Blossomfield Road, with the Woodlands site based in Smith's Wood, north Solihull. A dedicated construction centre is located at Griffin Park, north of Solihull, and offers courses around the local area.

Ambience: A £30 million redevelopment scheme has transformed the Blossomfield Campus. The project has increased HE provision in art, graphics, animal care, sport, photography, hair and beauty, IT and computing. The purpose-built £13m Woodlands site is the flagship campus for engineering.

Vital statistics: 329 students on HE courses. Many of these are accredited by universities such as Coventry, Oxford Brookes and Birmingham City.

Added value: On-site facilities include a new sports complex and fitness centre, hair and beauty therapy salon, and dedicated HE centre of excellence at Blossomfield. The IT centre, which the college believes is one of the best-equipped in the region, has been used to train some of the largest companies in the West Midlands.

Easy to get into? Requirements vary by course, with many requiring previous study in a given area. Most foundation degrees require one pass at A-level.

Glittering alumni: First class fine art graduate Amir Khan, has been hailed one of the ‘UK’s future greats’ by The Salon gallery.

Transport links: Ten minutes' walk from Solihull train station. Good road links and bus routes serving Birmingham and beyond.

Who's the boss? Principal Brenda Sheils.

Teaching: Art and design programmes got the thumbs up during a recent QAA review. Many students get first or second class degrees.

Foundation degrees: Business, management and communications; business information technology; business information systems; early years; support for learning.

Honours degrees: BA Fine Art and BA Business and management via final year top-up.

Nightlife: The college is about a mile from Solihull's Touchwood Shopping centre, which has a cinema, restaurants, bars and nightclubs as well as shops. The students' union also sorts out discounts with some entertainment venues.

Any accommodation? Yes - 120 self-catering rooms are available at the Blossomfield campus, all with en suite bathrooms. Rent is £80 per week.

Cheap to live there? Not bad, rents range from £60 to £80 per week for a room in a shared house.

Fees: £2,300 per year for honours degree students for 2011/2012 or £2,000 if accredited by Oxford Brookes. Fees will go up to £5,450 per year for students starting in 2012.

Bursaries: The college offers a bursary of up to £500.

Prospectus: 0121 678 7000; www.solihull.ac.uk

UCAS code: S26