Goldsmiths, University of London

Age: 120

History: The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths set up its Technical and Recreative Institute in 1891 to provide educational opportunities for the people of New Cross. The University of London acquired the institute and re-established it as Goldsmiths College in 1904.

Address: New Cross, Lewisham, south-east London, 15 minutes from central London by train.

Ambience: Creative and cool; a vibrant urban area with great transport links to central London; A lively place in one of the grittier parts of London.

Vital statistics: Part of the University of London, Goldsmiths has traditionally excelled in art and teacher-training. Today it's also known for good drama, music, visual arts, sociology and media. It has around 5,800 undergrads, 3,400 postgrads and over 1,500 staff.

Added value: Library, IT and language resources have been brought together in a state-of-the-art building which won a RIBA award. The new Ben Pimlott Building, named after the late warden, houses art studios and psychology and digital media labs. Its Alsop-designed façade (and accompanying sculptural ‘scribble’) has become a new landmark in the area. Six former students have gone on to win the Turner Prize.

Easy to get into? Not particularly. Different courses ask for between BCC and AAB at A-level (or equivalent) while most art and design subjects require a portfolio. However, applicants without formal qualifications will be considered.

Glittering alumni: Contemporary artists, including Sam Taylor-Wood, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst, plus leading creative figures such as Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, Graham Coxon and Alex James. Also Julian Clary, Tessa Jowell and Mary Quant.

Transport links: Very close to central London – 15 minutes by train, bus or DLR.

Who's the boss? Mr Pat Loughrey took up post as warden of Goldsmiths in April 2010.

Teaching: 86th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 33rd out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 58th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: The student bar has an excellent atmosphere, a late license several nights each week. It is great value for money and friendly place to meet people. The students’ union hosts a varied selection of events too, including regular quizzes, gigs and film nights, as well as the fabulous weekly Club Sandwich night, a Goldsmiths institution! There are four student balls per year.

How green is it? Not great – came joint 73rd out of 138 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2011'.

Any accommodation? You bet. Most students pay between £94 and £212 per week at Goldsmiths' halls of residence. However, a small number of studio flats are available at the privately-owned McMillan Student Village in Greenwich for betwwen £170 and £212 per week.

Cheap to live there? This part of London's not actually all that expensive, but it's still upwards of £80 per week for a room in a shared flat.

Sports Ranking: 131st in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. The university is proposing to charge the maximum fee of £9,000 from 2012.

Bursaries: Students in receipt of a full maintenance allowance and with a household income of less than £40,000 are eligible for a bursary of £1,000 per year from the college. There are also scholarships for students from Lewisham, those who achieved three As at A-level, and new computing students.

Prospectus: 020 7078 5300; www.goldsmiths.ac.uk

UCAS code: G56