Glyndwr University

Age: 124

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 main sites near Wrexham. Plas Coch, next to the town's race course, holds most of the university's courses, while the North Wales School of Art and Design is based in Regent's Street in the town centre.It is also developing facilities in Northop, Flintshire, on the site of 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 8,000. 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. The recently compelted £5m Centre for the Creative Industries will be used for the first time by students in 2011, and includesstate-of-the-art TV and radio studios, 3D workshops, design studios, IT suites, Apple training suites and post-production audio and visual facilities. It will also become the new home to BBC Wales in Wrexham. The £2m Centre for the Child, Family Society will also be ready for use by 2011 entrants.

Easy to get into? 100 to 140 UCAS points are required for a foundation degree and 200 plus 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: 77th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 106th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 105tht out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Good for live music. Feeder, Bloc Party, The View, Super Furry Animals and Sugababes have all played in Wrexham. 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 good – it failed to get a grade in People and Planet's 'Green League 2011', coming 134th out of 138 universities ranked for their environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. It costs between £69 and £87 per week to live on campus, and there is other accommodation available a short walk away for between £87 and £130 per week.

Cheap to live there? Yes, indeed. Between £50 and £65 per week for a room in a shared house.

Sports ranking: Came 134th in BUCS league.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in September 2011. Fees for 2012 are yet to be announced.

Bursaries: A means-tested bursary of up to £500 per year is available to eligible full-time undergraduate students. Gifted athletes may be eligible for a sports bursary, a scholarship of £1,000 per year is available to qualifying care-leavers.

Prospectus: 01978 293 439; www.glyndwr.ac.uk

UCAS code: G53.