Coleg Llandrillo Cymru

Age: 44

History: Once a small catering college, then a technical college and now the largest college in North Wales following a merger with Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor last year.

Address: Ten campuses across Conwy, Denbighshire and Gwynedd. The main campus is in Rhos-on-Sea, and there is a large site in Rhyl including the Rhyl Sixth. Further sites are in Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Denbigh, Dolgellau, Glynllifon, Llanrwst and Pwllheli. The college also has a specialist business training centre in St. Asaph.

Ambience: Rural beauty. On the North Wales coast, near to the Snowdonia National Park. Excellent for outdoor sports of all kinds, even surfing. Good range of services including a conference centre, restaurant, cafe, travel shop, learning centre, library, hair and beauty studios, sports centre, international office and student welfare office.

Vital statistics: Over 23,000 students, including FE and HE. The college offers more than 3,000 full and part-time courses, from A-levels, BTECs, Modern Apprenticeships and NVQs, to HNCs, HNDs, foundation degrees, degrees and postgraduate studies.

Added value: A host of awards, including seven Beacon Awards, Chartermark Quality Award and the Wales Quality Award for Learning. The only college in Wales with Network of Excellence status in catering and hospitality and one of only three UK centres to hold Centre of Excellence status for Autotronics. In 2000 the college was named Best Hotel School of Europe. University level qualifications are validated by the University of Wales, Glyndwr University and Bangor University.

Easy to get into? Quite, but ranges between courses and qualifications. Foundation and honours degrees ask for a minimum of 120 UCAS points. Industrial experience is needed on some courses and a foundation degree (or equivalent) is needed to be considered for some honours degrees.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.

Transport links: The college has excellent transport links along the North Wales coast.

Who's the boss? Mr. Huw Evans, OBE.

Teaching: 'Outstanding', according to the most recent Ofsted inspection. It gained the highest possible grades for all seven elements of the inspection process. This year two members of college staff won Tutor of the Year awards.

Foundation degrees: Include: accounting and finance; management and business; retail management; applied computing; civil engineering; construction; art and design; electrical engineering; social care management; library and information management; digital media and television production; police studies; public and social policy; renewable energy technology; sports coaching and exercise science.

Nightlife: There is no nightlife on campus. But there is fun to be had in the nearby towns of Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and the city of Bangor.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? Yes indeed. Shared flats can be found for as little as £55 per week.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergratuate degrees for 2012/2013. Although fees will go up in 2012, the Welsh Assembly will pay a subsidy to Welsh students to ensure they will continue paying only £3,375.

Bursaries: Full-time undergrads living in Wales could be eligible for a non-means tested scholarship of up to £1,000 in their first year, and for a bursary in their second and third years. Students should contact the college's advice and guidance staff for details.

Prospectus: 01492 542 338/9; www.llandrillo.ac.uk

UCAS code: L53