London South Bank University

London South Bank University

Age: 119

History: Borough merged with four further education colleges in 1970 to form South Bank Poly in 1892 (named after the South Bank complex). It kept the name when it became a university in 1992. Now renamed and rebranded as London South Bank University.

Address: Three locations: Southwark, main campus, around the Elephant and Castle, SE1; Havering (Essex); and Whipp's Cross (east London), as well as several hospitals for specialist nursing training.

Ambience: London sites are deeply urban. This is concrete rather than ivory towers. Elephant and Castle consists of two huge roundabouts and thundering traffic surrounded by some grim buildings, although it is set to undergo a £1.5bn regeneration. The university has recently invested big-time in student residences as well as creating the Perry library and a £6m learning resources centre and the new Keyworth building. New student and enterprise centres are on the way.

Vital statistics: Over 25,000 students, with an equal split between full and part-time learners. Lots of mature students, with over 60 per cent being over 25 at the start of their course.

Added value: Short walk to the trendy South Bank and West End. Good sports facilities and recently won a BUSA award for the most improved university for sport. The university has a strong record on employability, as the number one modern university in the UK for graduate starting salaries, and twelfth overall.

Easy to get into? Yes. Access courses enable people without A-levels to get a foot on the higher education ladder. Welcomes mature students and further study. Normal entry requirements are 160-240 UCAS points, depending on the course.

Glittering alumni: Sarah Mullally, former chief nursing officer; Greg Searle, Olympic gold medal rower; Simone Callender, Commonwealth gold medallist in judo; Phil Spencer, TV presenter and property developer; David Camp, CEO of Stanhope plc; Shahid Malik MP; Mike Jatania, CEO of the Lornamead Group.

Transport links: Central, so it's good for Tubes, trains and buses. Five-minute walk to Waterloo station.

Who's the boss? Martin Earwicker has been the vice-chancellor since April 2009.

Teaching: 88th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 62nd out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

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

Nightlife: Several local tavern pubs and the Isobar does a warm-up night for the Ministry of Sound, which is just around the corner.

How green is it? Not bad – joint 28th out of 138 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2011'.

Any accommodation? Yes. The university has over 1,400 study rooms across four residences, with rents ranging from £99 to £122 per week. Almost all students who request accommodation (and apply on time) are offered places in halls.

Cheap to live there? No – it's London. Private rents are very high, upwards of £100 per week.

Sports Ranking: 86th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time home undergrads. South Bank plans on charging £8,450 per year for full-time degrees as of 2012.

Bursaries: A means-tested bursary worth up to £2,550 over three years is avilable to students from low-income families.

Prospectus: 020 7815 7815; www.lsbu.ac.uk

UCAS code: L75