Chester, University of

University of Chester

Age: 172, six as a university

History: Established by the Church of England in 1839 as a teacher training college. Founding fathers included future prime minister W. E. Gladstone. In 2002, University College Chester took over the staff, students and campus of the higher education faculty of Warrington Collegiate Institute. Awarded taught degree awarding powers in 2004 and became a university in 2005.

Address: The 32-acre Chester campus is ten minutes walk from the centre of Chester and 25 miles from Liverpool. The 35-acre Warrington campus is a short bus ride away from Warrington town centre. There are also nursing sites in Birkenhead, Chester, Crewe and Warrington.

Ambience: The Chester campus has a mix of Victorian and modern buildings, including a Victorian Gothic style 19th century chapel. The Warrington campus is home to the North West Media Centre. Both campuses have strong community atmospheres.

Vital statistics: Approximately 15,700 full and part-time students. Nearly three quarters of the students are female and around one third come from within 30 miles of the university.

Added value: Investment and expansion is the order of the day. A £5m development at Chester has created a health and social care building, a students' union building and an additional site for arts and media at the former Kingsway High School. At Warrington, the latest phases of a £12m development have resulted in a refurbished students' union building, business centre and library. The university has a good reputation for sport and has excellent indoor and outdoor facilities.

Easy to get into? Degree courses ask for 240-300 UCAS entry points. Performing arts courses may involve auditions. Those from non-traditional backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.

Glittering alumni: Jim Bowen, Bullseye presenter; Rob Wotton, Sky Sports; 'Comedy' Dave Vitty, radio broadcaster; James Moore, professional rugby union player; Duffy, singer; Dave Brailsford, performance director, British Cycling.

Transport links: Good motorway connections to Manchester, Liverpool and North Wales; as well as bus and train links.

Who's the boss? Professor Tim Wheeler, an expert in applied psychology.

Teaching: 59th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 103rd out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: 80th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: The students' union bars are the hub of social life on both campuses; otherwise, Chester and Warrington have their share of bars and nightclubs.

How green is it? Came joint 48th out of 133 universities graded by People & Planet for their 'Green League 2010'.

Any accommodation? Yes. Self-catered, semi-catered and full-board available at Chester, and self and semi-catered available at Warrington. Prices range accordingly, with self-catering rents at Chester starting at around £50 per week, and £60 per week in Warrington.

Cheap to live there? About average - local rents average £70 per week.

Sports Ranking: 85th in the BUCS league table.

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

Bursaries: The university offers a £500 bursary to full-time home undergrads and scholarships in music and sports. Visit the website for more details.

Prospectus: 01244 511 000; www.chester.ac.uk

UCAS code: C55