Leeds Metropolitan University

Age: 187

History: First appeared in 1824 as the Leeds Mechanics Institute, becoming Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature in 1897, and afterwards the Leeds College of Technology. Another early component was the Leeds College of Art (founded in 1846) which was to become one of the leading schools of art in the country, nurturing the talents of internationally renowned artists including Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. A year earlier in 1845, Leeds College of Commerce was founded. The Yorkshire Training School of Cookery was founded in 1874. These four colleges were brought together in the late 1960s and became known as the Central Colleges of Art, Commerce, Housecraft and Technology: they were to form Leeds Polytechnic in 1970. This joined forces with Carnegie College and the City of Leeds Training College to form Leeds Met in 1992.

Address: The university has campuses in the Civic Quarter of Leeds and in Headingley. A number of milestone buildings have been developed in the city centre, including the recently opened Rose Bowl, home of Leeds Business School, behind Leeds Civic Hall. This distinctive addition to the skyline features a glass-fronted, reflective complex housing seven lecture theatres with additional teaching and learning spaces. Other Civic Quarter buildings include Cloth Hall Court, The Old School Board, Old Broadcasting House, Northern Terrace, Hepworth House and Electric Press in Millennium Square. Nearby Headingley Carnegie Stadium acts as a mini campus and acts as a base for teaching rooms and sports coaching educational facilities within the university's Carnegie Stand, and is also home to a new development, The Carnegie Pavilion, which will combine media and hospitality facilities for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and teaching space for the university.

Ambience: Students have fun in this hectic, party city. Headingley Campus nestles in 100 acres of woodland and is home to the famed Carnegie sports centre. The Civic Quarter campus has been given a new lease of life with The Rose Bowl and Broadcasting Place, the new flagship buildings to replace concrete tower blocks, and is also home to the state-of-the-art Leslie Silver library, containing 2,300 study spaces.

Vital statistics: Around 28,000 students; including over 13,500 full-time undergraduates. In addition, Leeds Met has 24 partner colleges across the north of England which make up the 'Regional University Network' (RUN). Over 330,000 students are linked with Leeds Met in a commonwealth of institutions, stretching beyond Yorkshire from Nottinghamshire to Tyneside, and even Northern Ireland.

Added value: The university is known for its broad range of pioneering partnerships, which encompass the worlds of sport, business, education and the arts. Its Carnegie sports facilities are among the best in the country and the university is home to the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence.

Easy to get into? Courses ask for between 120 and 300 UCAS points.

Glittering alumni: Sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth; artist Charlotte Harris (winner of the 2003 National Portrait Gallery BP Portrait Award); Jeremy Dyson, creator of The League of Gentlemen; Marc Almond, musician with Soft Cell; Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs); author Jack Higgins; Peter Cattaneo, director of The Full Monty. Sporting stars include Brendan Foster, Austin Healy, and Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail around the world in both directions.

Transport links: Leeds is at the crossroads of the M1 and M62. The train to London takes two hours. Budget flights with Ryanair, Jet 2 and BMI leave from nearby Leeds Bradford Airport.

Who's the boss? Vice-chancellor Professor Susan Price.

Teaching: 102nd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 80th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 96th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Leeds was named the 'UK's favourite city' by the Traveller magazine in 2009, partly thanks to its excellent nightlife. The city centre alone has more than 90 restaurants and cafés, 21 major hotels, four renowned theatres, and over 180 pubs and bars. The university also has a vibrant reputation as a live music venue.

How green is it? Very good – came joint 8th out of 138 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2011'.

Any accommodation? Yes – guaranteed place in halls for all first year undergraduate students who have accepted a place. Various options priced between £85 and £145 per week.

Cheap to live there? Not bad. Private rentals are available from around £65 per week which the university can assist in arranging.

Sports Ranking: 3rd in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 for full-time home undergrads starting in 2011. The university plans on charging £8,500 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: For students enrolling in 2011, a bursary scheme, which offers £500 in the first year of study, £800 in the second and £1,000 in the third, is available. Visit the website for details.

Prospectus: 0113 812 3113; www.leedsmet.ac.uk

UCAS code: L27