Craven College

Age: 117

History: The college has its roots in the original Mechanics Institute and the first Art School in Skipton which provided learning opportunities for adults.

Address: The main campus site is set amongst beautiful countryside on the edge Skipton close to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Ambience: The teaching buildings range from gothic architecture in the centre of Skipton to brand new purpose-built training rooms.

Vital statistics: Craven College is predominantly a further education college with 1,600 full-time and 5,000 part-time students. It also offers a range of courses including HNC/Ds, foundation degrees and BA honours.

Added value: The college offers a range of education opportunities for the local community. There are courses to suit school-leavers as well as adults returning to learning and training opportunities for businesses. September 2011 will see the newest education building in the area completed. It will be a three floor, 24 room, 21,000 sq. ft purpose built building and will include specialist IT equipment, two modern laboratories and facilities for child care, travel and tourism, and business and IT, as well as specialised areas for people with disabilities and learning difficulties.

Easy to get into? Quite. Foundation degrees ask for 120 UCAS points.

Glittering alumni: Justine Whitaker, Nurse of the Year; Stephanie Moon, award-winning chef.

Transport links: Subsidised train and bus links throughout academic terms. Easily accessible from Craven, Lancashire, West and North Yorkshire.

Who's the boss? Wes Johnson is acting principal.

Teaching: In October 2010 the college received an excellent Ofsted Inspection Report which graded it as a good college with outstanding features.

Foundation degrees: Animal welfare and management, equine science and husbandry, fashion and jewellery, garden design, media (moving image and audio), performance, photography, theatrical and media make-up, aviation management and operations, business, computing and networking, hospitality management, tourism management in the UK, travel operations management, venue and events management, young children's learning and development, mental health practice, construction heritage and conservation management, sports coaching and development, outdoor and adventurous activities, and environmental conservation.

Nightlife: Plenty of bars and two nightclubs, Strata and Rooder, in the town centre.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college, but student services can supply a list of local letting agents and accommodation providers.

Cheap to live there? Depends how fussy you are – local rents fall anywhere between £60 and £100 per week.

Fees: Vary by course and the validating university. Directly funded, full-time foundation degrees cost between £1,310 and £2,140 per year for 2011/2012. Part-time foundation degrees charge around £300 per module. Honours degree fees are set by the validating university, but most full-time undergrads will pay £3,375 per year for 2011 entry. Fee plans for 2012 are yet to be confirmed.

Bursaries: None offered by the college for 2011 entry.

Prospectus: 01756 708 008; www.craven-college.ac.uk

UCAS code: C88