Glyndwr University

Glyndwr University

Age: 121 years

History: Glyndwr University was formed in July 2008, continuing a rich 121-year history of higher education in North East Wales. The origins of the university can be traced back to 1887, when miners pooled together their Whisky money – a tax on beer and spirits – to form the Wrexham School of Science and Arts. Higher-level education followed in 1892 and, in 1975, three colleges merged to form the North-east Wales Institute of Higher Education (Newi). Newi was granted taught-degree awarding powers and a full university title in July 2008, creating Glyndwr University.

Address: Two campuses, one in Wrexham and one in Flintshire. The Wrexham campus is made up of three sites: Plas Coch, the North-east Wales School of Art and Design and the Glyndwr University Management Centre. The University’s Flintshire campus is located in 91 hectares of landscaped gardens at the Welsh College of Horticulture.

Ambience: Wrexham, close to the border between England and Wales, is surrounded by gorgeous countryside, while the town has developed immensely over the past few years. There is a retail and leisure park, including a multi-screen cinema, next to the main campus, and the usual spread of restaurants, clubs and pubs.

Vital statistics: Students number more than 6,300; and there is a high proportion of mature students and students from the local area, as well as international students.

Added value: There is a strong vocational emphasis where course subjects are concerned: teacher training, nursing, social work, engineering, computing, business and sports science, for example. Work placements are common and many courses lead to exemptions from professional bodies.

Easy to get into? 100 Ucas points are required for a foundation degree and 200 for an honours degree, although those with experience and commitment rather than formal qualifications are encouraged to apply.

Glittering alumni: John Elfed Jones, former chairman of Welsh Water; Karen Sinclair AM, member of the Welsh Assembly; and Trevor Jones, managing director of Pilkington Optronics.

Transport links: With decent road links and easy motorway access, a car helps. There are direct trains to London – one every four hours, on average – and it’s a 40-minute trip by train to Manchester or Liverpool. There is also a direct route to Cardiff, which takes two hours and 20 minutes.

Who's the boss? Professor Michael Scott, a Shakespearean scholar. A distinguished literary author, he edited the influential Text and Performance series, encouraging the birth of a new approach to the study of Shakespeare in the UK, United States, Australia and elsewhere.

Teaching: 49th out of 113 for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2008.

Research: 104th out of 113 in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 100th out of 113 in the Independent's Complete University Guide 2010.

Nightlife: Good for live music. Feeder, Bloc Party, The View, Super Furry Animals and Sugababes have all played in Wrexham recently. There are also regular events on campus and student nights at local nightclubs, while everyone dresses up for the Summer Ball.

How green is it? Not very – 119th out of 131, a fail in the People and Planet 2009 Green League.

Any accommodation? Yes. It costs between £58 and £79 per week to live on campus.

Cheap to live there? Yes, indeed. The cost of living on campus is one of the lowest in the UK. It's £58 per week for a room in a shared flat and many students live locally.

Prospectus: 01978 293439; www.glyndwr.ac.uk

Sports Ranking: Poor; 140th out of 144 in the BUCS league table.

UCAS code: G53.