Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent University

Age: 20 as a university

History: Goes back to 1843, to Nottingham Government School of Design. Trent Polytechnic was established in 1970 and renamed as Nottingham Polytechnic in 1989. It finally acquired university status in 1992.

Address: The City site is in the throbbing heart of Nottingham; the green field Clifton campus is six miles away; animal, rural and environmental sciences are based at Brackenhurst campus, Southwell, north Nottinghamshire.

Ambience: The City site is lively mix of Victorian gothic, Art Deco and tower blocks. Heaps of recent investment as part of a major multi-million pound estate regeneration programme. Significant investments already achieved are the construction of a major new building for science and technology; refurbishment and extension of the Bonington building for art and design; construction of new student accommodation on the Brackenhurst campus; a new building for the Centre for Effective Learning in Science and the Natural Science Research Centre; and the construction of a new veterinary nursing and animal care centre. A £7.65m donation, thought to be the largest ever to a post-'92 university, was given by the John and Lucille van Geest Foundation and has been used to establish the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre. The centre will conduct an extensive research programme on several types of cancer, especially prostate and breast cancer.

Vital statistics: Big and popular university with around 24,000 students, of which 18,600 are full-time undergraduates. Around a third of courses involve a sandwich year. Installed its first chancellor - the distinguished journalist and broadcaster, Sir Michael Parkinson - in 2008.

Added value: Sporty, rising to 18th in the inter-university BUCS league. A sport and lifestyles department opened in 2005 and a relatively high proportion of students have been awarded government sports scholarships. The Clifton campus has an environmental chamber to acclimatise athletes by simulating different climate conditions. Nottingham is steeped in history, from being home to the legendary Robin Hood to the modern city's foundations as the centre of England's lace industry. Why not have a pint in England's (allegedly) oldest pub 'Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem', located in the cliffs below Nottingham Castle?

Easy to get into? Harder than it used to be. Law asks for 340 UCAS entry points, although various combined degrees start at 220 UCAS points.

Glittering alumni: Hazel Blears, Labour minister; BAFTA-nominated film director Jonathan Glazer; Paul Kaye, star of Match Point, Blackball, Two Thousand Acres of Sky; Lucy Orta, Rootstein Hopkins chair of fashion at the London College of Fashion and acclaimed visual artist; Steve Trapmore, Olympic gold medallist in rowing; Dame Laura Knight, artist; Paul Ratcliffe, Olympic silver medallist, canoeing; Alan Simpson MP.

Transport links: Good. Nottingham Station is one mile from the City site, with a direct link using the new Tram system, and a bus service transports passengers between the City and Clifton campus. And there's East Midlands Airport.

Who's the boss? Professor Neil T. Gorman, a vet who specialises in comparative immunology and oncology.

Teaching: 97th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide in 2011.

Research: 70th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise in 2011.

Overall ranking: Came 62nd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: A bar on each site, the biggest being the popular Glo Bar (City site) which turns into a club at the weekend. Loads of student nights throughout the week in the city. You'll be part of the famous 'Trent Army' in no time.

How green is it? Fantastic – came 5 out of 145 universities in People and Planet's 'Green League 2012'. Last year it topped the league.

Any accommodation? Yes. All new students who have accepted a place on a course at NTU are guaranteed an offer of university-allocated accommodation, subject to terms and conditions. Rents range from £74 to £142 per week in the city, £78 to £137 at Clifton, and £74 to £104 at the Brackenhurst campus.

Cheap to live there? Average. A room in a shared house or flat usually costs between £65 and £85 a week.

Sports ranking: 21st the BUCS league table.

Fees: Full-time UK / EU undergraduate degrees: £8,750. Foundation degrees are £6,500 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2012.

Bursaries: A means-tested bursary of up to £1,125 per year is available to 2011 entrants with a household income of up to £35,000 per year.

Prospectus: 0115 848 6868; www.ntu.ac.uk

UCAS code: N91