Myerscough College

Myerscough College

Age: 118

History: The college dates back to the 19th century (founded in 1894) with various sites accumulated on the way. Myerscough has been based at the current main site near Preston since 1969.

Address: Spread over six campuses in 600 hectares of open, green surroundings, in the north west of England. If it's fresh air you're after, the surrounding countryside (beside the Lake District, just up the M6) offers unlimited outdoorsy opportunities. ON top of that, it's still within easy reach of decent shopping and nightlife in nearby Preston, Lancaster and Blackpool.

Ambience: A friendly, laid back campus atmosphere within soothing pastures green. The rural location makes Myerscough the perfect place to study land-based and sports related courses.

Vital statistics: There are around 6,000 students, of whom around 700 are higher education students. Courses specialise in land-based and sports subjects, which include motorsports, golf, landscape, horticulture, animals, agriculture, equine and much more. The college is a member of the ELITE (English Land-based Institute of Training and Education) consortium of colleges.

Added value: Excellent links with universities in the USA, which offers students the opportunity to study there through an exchange programme. Many courses include work placements with the option to study abroad, and students have undertaken paid work placements around the world including Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, and Europe. The campus has also been recently improved: a new HE centre exclusive to degree students; a specialist library; halls of residence and a computer centre have all sprung up. There's even an International Equine Arena, a National Centre for Arboriculture, a commercial plant centre, a modern sports centre, a Turf Technology Unit, and several motorsports workshops.

Easy to get into? Usually a minimum of 80 UCAS points to get onto a foundation degree course; 220 points or more to get onto a BA/BSc course.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.

Transport links: The main site is just off the A6 Preston to Lancaster road, and Junction 32 on the M6. Buses are provided by the college. Trains run from Preston.

Who's the boss? Ann Turner FCMA is the chief executive and principal. She got the job after a seven-year stint as the college's finance director.

Teaching: In its 2010 inspection, Ofsted rated the college's overall effectiveness as 'satisfactory'. Provisions in horticulture, agriculture and floristry, and foundations for learning for life were both rated as 'good', but animal care and equine provision was said to be 'inadequate'.

Foundation Degrees: Over 30 on offer, including: commercial floral design; cricket coaching; equine management; football coaching; wastes management; horticulture; heavy plant machinery management and logistics.

Nightlife: The campus bar (the Stumble Inn) is open every night of the week and hosts regular themed events. There are two balls, at Christmas and during the summer. Nights out are organised in Preston, Blackpool and Lancaster. As the college is a partner college of the University of Central Lancashire, you can use their students' union too.

Any accommodation? Yes. Halls of residence are available for more than 650 students. A single self-catered en-suite room will cost £89 per week, and a single catered en-suite costs £137 per week.

Cheap to live there? It can be. In the local area last year it cost between £55 and £80 per week for a room in a shared flat.

Fees: Foundation degrees are £7,500, and honours degrees are £9,000 per year starting in 2012.

Bursaries: Some bursaries and scholarships may be available from the University of Central Lancashire or through the National Scholarship Programme.

Prospectus: 01995 642 211 / www.myerscough.ac.uk

UCAS code: M99