Canterbury Christ Church University

Age: 49

History: Founded by the Church of England to train teachers for church schools in 1962, it expanded hugely in the late 80s to offer nursing as well as other degrees. Formerly Canterbury Christ Church College, then Canterbury Christ Church University College, it was awarded university status in 2005.

Address: Located on part of St Augustine's Abbey right by the city walls, it is overlooked by Canterbury Cathedral. Other campuses include Tunbridge Wells, Broadstairs, Medway and a partner in the University Centre Folkestone.

Ambience: Compact Canterbury campus, five minutes' walk from city centre, boasts high 60s architecture and other modern buildings, which blend with historical architecture. All Canterbury sites are within walking distance of one another. Tunbridge site, used mainly to train public sector professionals, is called Salomons. Broadstairs campus is 18 miles from Canterbury. Medway is part of the Universities at Medway partnership and the state-of-the-art facilities and building was opened in October 2004. The University Centre Folkestone is based in converted warehouses in the heart of the creative quarter.

Vital statistics: Around 18,000 students, many on teaching and healthcare BA/BSc degrees, or doing nursing and social work diplomas. University of Kent validates its PhDs.

Added value: Lots of swanky new facilities. One of the top teacher training providers in the country. Good careers advice, with lots of opportunities for developing employability skills. Very good outcomes for graduate employment, and high overall student satisfaction.

Easy to get into? Not too bad. A typical offer for a degree course is 240 UCAS from three A-levels at C grade, but they encourage mature students to apply even without formal qualifications.

Glittering alumni: Simon Meyers, TV director (The Bill, Ballykissangel, City Central); Kate Blewett, award-winning TV documentary producer and director (The Dying Rooms, Kids Behind Bars); Geraldine McCaughrean, award-winning children's author; Jon Holmes, comedian, writer and presenter (Dead Ringers, The Impressionable Jon Culshaw); Jane Carter, Creative Director of Music at BBC Worldwide; Joel Hopkins, writer-director (Jump Tomorrow, Last Chance Harvey).

Transport links: Parking is difficult in Canterbury because rush hour lasts all day. So use your feet or buses for local travel. London by train or bus is just one-and-a-half hours away. London is easy to get to by train from Broadstairs, being just one hour and 45 minutes away: from Chatham it is only 45 minutes. To reach Salomons Campus from London, you take a train to Tonbridge (about 40 minutes) and then a bus.

Who's the boss? Vice-chancellor Dr Robin Baker CMG, former vice-chancellor of Chichester University, took up his position in September 2010.

Teaching: 96th out of 116 for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 101st out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 100th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Improving. Canterbury has several nightclubs, and theme pubs abound, if you can bear them. There is an active local music scene and the students' union bar doubles as club venue, hosting two club nights a week.

How green is it? OK – came 31st out of 138 universities graded by People & Planet for their 'Green League 2011'.

Any accommodation? Yes. There's a wide range available, ranging from £78.50 per week for a standard, self-catering, room 5 minutes walk from campus to £118 for a large en-suite room. One bedroom flats cost around £165 per week.

Cheap to live there? Not particularly. Private rents go for between £70 and £90 per week in Canterbury.

Sports Ranking: 83rd in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for undergrads in 2011/2012. The university plans on charging £8,500 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: On average, the university provides more than 5,000 means-tested bursaries a year to help students finance their studies. Visit the website for more details.

Prospectus: 01227 782 900; www.canterbury.ac.uk

UCAS code: C10