Bucks New University

Age: 118

History: Traces origins to 1893, when School of Science and Art was set up in High Wycombe to support furniture design and manufacture. Has been an art and technology college and a further education college. Granted the right by Privy Council to award own taught degrees in 1994, and granted university status in 2007. Formerly Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College.

Address: Two campuses, one in High Wycombe, and another in Uxbridge, West London.

Ambience: High Wycombe is a market town 35 minutes from London and set in pretty, prosperous countryside. The newly-refurbished Uxbridge site is five minutes walk from the tube station, close to shopping centres and the Grand Union Canal.

Vital statistics: Around 6,000 full and part-time undergraduates plus 2,000 or so on postgraduate, professional and short courses. Business, health, sport and design are the main subject areas. Lots of mature students. Bucks has made a significant investment in campus redevelopment with the construction of state-of-the-art facilities in the centre of High Wycombe, including a learning resource and technology centre, events hall, gym, sports science laboratory, dance, drama, music and video production studios, library and meeting rooms, as well as new student accommodation ten minutes walk from the High Wycombe campus .

Added value: Big on furniture design and manufacture. Runs courses from HND to PhD. Offers one of UK's only courses in music management. Bucks also offers a student support package known as the ‘Big D£al’, which includes a non-means-tested bursary and free access to a range of events, sports and taster sessions run by the students' union.

Easy to get into? Not too bad. Art and design courses ask for 160-200 UCAS points, while most others require 200-240. Foundation degrees ask for 100-140 UCAS points.

Glittering alumni: Robin Day and Fred Scott, furniture designers, and artist Boo Ritson.

Transport links: Local buses to main campus. London within reach by train or car.

Who's the boss? Professor Ruth Farwell is vice-chancellor.

Teaching: 12thth out 116 for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 108th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 107th out of 116 in Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Centres mainly on students union. Regular club nights and a May Ball.

How green is it? Not great. It was ranked joint 103rd out of 138 universities in 2011's People and Planet Green League, an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. There are around 634 single study bedrooms in self-catering accommodation five minutes walk away from the High Wycombe campus, with rents costing between £97 and £135 per week. All students living outside a 25-mile radius of High Wycombe are guaranteed an offer of a room. All halls offer internet access either in the study bedrooms, or in the student lounge, and there is a free bus service between campuses. There is no university accommodation at the Uxbridge site, but the university works with local estate agents to help students find accommodation on the private sector.

Cheap to live there? Not particularly, but depends where you live. Averages between £80 and £90 per week.

Sports ranking: 90th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. The majority of degrees will cost £7,500 as of September 2012 if the university's proposals are accepted.

Bursaries: The 'Big D£al' bursary of up to £1,500 is available to all full-time undergrads paying full tuition fees.

Prospectus: 0800 056 5660; www.bucks.ac.uk

UCAS code: B94