Oxford Brookes University

Age: 19

History: Founded in 1865 as a school of Art, it became Oxford Polytechnic in 1970, before gaining university status in 1992. Named after local philanthropist John Henry Brookes

Address: Three campuses: Headington, Harcourt Hill and Wheatley.

Ambience: Suburban. Headington Campus includes Gipsy Lane site - home of the former Tech, on 11 acres of glass and concrete and not as bad as it sounds - and Headington Hill Hall, a Victorian wedding-cake affair housing the students' union, art, publishing and music. HHH has a view onto the dreaming spires. Harcourt Hill overlooks Oxford from its leafy western suburbs, while Wheatley students are in village five miles to the east of the city.

Vital statistics: One of the most highly-rated of the new universities. Around 17,400 students, with 10,500 full-time undergrads. Pleasant campus. Good parties, and plenty of social mix. Divides its academic year into two semesters rather than three terms. Added value: Links with industry, e.g. automotive engineering degree run with the region's motor-racing industry. Free 24-hour e-mail and internet access for all. Well-equipped sports centre at Headington. Big ambitions in six sports: rowing, basketball, climbing, cricket, hockey and rugby.

Easy to get into? Varies. Most courses don't set requirements in UCAS points, with offers generally ranging betwwen BCC and AAB at A-level. Brookes also offers a good range of foundation courses.

Glittering alumni: The late Lord Nuffield, founder of Morris Motors; world rowing champions Steve Williams and Alex Partridge; rugby star Andy Gomersall.

Transport links: Coaches to London stop outside the Headington campus (every 10 minutes at peak times). Coaches also to Heathrow and Gatwick. Train station a bit of a walk - two miles away. Brookes Bus links all campuses, halls of residence and the city centre. Use your bike, but beware of Headington Hill.

Who's the boss? Vice-chancellor Professor Janet Beer.

Teaching: Came 38th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: Came 66th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Excercise.

Overall ranking: 46th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: The students' union runs one of the biggest entertainment venues in Oxford. Five bars across all campuses, with two big clubnights a week and a variety of smaller student-led events. The 02 Academy hosts high-calibre live music events. Cheap 'night owl' bus travel available to London (service runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights; there's a stop outside the Headington campus).

How green is it? Good - came 30th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2011', an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. Rooms for almost all first-year students. Prices range between £93 and £137 per week, depending on facilities.

Cheap to live there? Not really. Private rents are between £80 and £100 per week.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time home undergrads starting in 2011. The university intends to charge the maximum tuition fee of £9,000 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: Between £300 and £1,800 per year is available to UK undergrads with a residual income of up to £29,999 in 2011. In 2012, Brookes hopes to offer fee waivers of up to £2,500 for students from low income families.

Prospectus: 01865 484 848; www.brookes.ac.uk

UCAS code: O66