Cardiff University

Age: 128

History: Cardiff University dates from the establishment of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in 1883. In 2004, Cardiff University and the University Wales College of Medicine merged to form a single institution, thereby putting the institution into the Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities.

Address: The Cathays Park Campus is situated in the heart of Cardiff city centre. The nearby Heath Park Campus is located near the University Hospital of Wales and is home to the academic schools offering healthcare-related subjects.

Ambience: From its outstanding central location amidst the parks, Portland-stone buildings and tree-lined avenues, Cardiff draws students and staff from all over the world.

Vital statistics: The biggest university in Wales and one of the biggest universities in the UK, with a students' union to match. There are almost 29,000 students, with over 21,000 undergraduates and just under 7,600 postgrads.

Added value: The university was one of the first in the country to have its own student employment agency, which now employs 700 students a year. Cardiff School of Optometry and Vision Sciences has moved into a new £21m purpose-built headquarters, which provides teaching and research facilities comparable with the best in the UK. The Michael Griffiths Resource Centre, a £3m teaching resource centre for the school of medicine, opened in 2008.

Easy to get into? No. Last year it received seven times more applicants than it had places and came 25th out of 116 for entry requirements with new students having an average of 406 UCAS points.

Glittering alumni: Neil and Glenys Kinnock, former Labour leader and his wife; Sian Phillips, actress; Sian Lloyd, weather presenter; Huw Edwards, BBC news presenter.

Transport links: Good for road and rail. London is two hours by train, Manchester three hours, Bristol 45 minutes. Cardiff also benefits from an international airport.

Who's the boss? Dr David Grant CBE, former director of technology at GEC.

Teaching: 64th out of 116 for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide.

Research: Being part of the Russell Group, Cardiff prides itself on its research. It came 21st out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 37th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: The students' union has seven bars, a 1,600-capacity nightclub and 3,000-capacity concert venue.

How green is it? Not good at all - it was ranked 130th out of 138 universities in the People and Planet's Green League 2011, after failing to score an award.

Any accommodation? Yes, all undergraduates who enter through the normal admissions cycle are guaranteed a place in university halls for their first year, with more than 5,000 places available this year in 14 residences. Catered halls and houses cost start at £3,613 for the year; self-catered starts at £2,631.

Cheap to live there? Yes. The cost of living for a student in Cardiff is generally lower than elsewhere in the UK. A privately rented student house is a bargain, costing around £50 per week.

Sports Ranking: A respectable 11th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in September 2011. The university is proposing to charge the maximum fee of £9,000 per year as of September 2012.

Bursaries: The university offers a range of scholarships and bursaries based on both income and academic excellence. For more details, see their website.

Prospectus: 029 2087 4839; www.cardiff.ac.uk

UCAS code: C15