Reading, University of

Reading, University of

Age: 83

History: The University of Reading dates back to the late 19th century. Its origins lie in the Schools of Art and Science established in 1860 and 1870. These became part of an extension college opened in 1892 by Christ Church, Oxford. The college thrived, receiving its first treasury grant in 1901. Three years later the local Palmer family, of the famous biscuit manufacturer Huntley & Palmers, donated the London Road site. Their continued support helped to fund expansion, including the opening of Wantage Hall in 1908 and The Research Institute in Dairying in 1912. The university received a Royal Charter in 1926, the only institution to do so between the two world wars. In 1947 they purchased their main Whiteknights campus, the former country estate of the Marquis of Blandford. The merger with Bulmershe College of Higher Education in 1989 added their third campus, a 17-hectare site in Earley close to Whiteknights.

Address: Open green campus at Whiteknights - 130 hectares of parkland estate, only 2.5 km from the town centre. Smaller second campus a mile away at Bulmershe, housing 2,000 students of film, theatre, education, health and social care. Third campus at London Road.

Ambience: Cosy, sporty, self-contained. Many students live on campus. Good social life, and a leafycollection of trees and a lake.

Vital statistics: 10,786 full-time undergrads, 5,323 part-timers, 5,374 postgrads and 5,000 on non-degree courses. Famous for the Henley Business School, its agriculture, meteorology, construction and real estate courses, which have always attracted large numbers of international students.

Added value: Arts and social science undergraduates take up to three subjects for their first two terms. Excellent sports facilities with playing fields on campus and a £2m sports centre completed. A £1m refurbishment of the students' union and a new Student Services Centre opened in 2007. One of the best student clubs in the country, according to the NUS. In 2008, Reading merged with the renowned Henley Management College to form the Henley Business School at the University of Reading, a major player in the business education market, and potentially, the largest business school in Europe.

Easy to get into? Entry requirements start at 160 UCAS points and go up to 340 points, depending on the course.

Glittering alumni: Linda Bennet, founder of LK Bennett; Professor Sir Peter Crane, former director of Botanical Gardens at Kew; Elspeth Huxley, writer; James Cracknell, Olympic oarsman; Jamie Cullum, jazz musician.

Transport links: Close to London and Oxford. Excellent rail, coach and motorway connections. Paddington is 25 minutes by train.

Who's the boss? Professor Gordon Marshall. who became Vice Chancellor in January 2003. Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council until coming to Reading, Gordon Marshall was previously Official Fellow in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford. His main fields of research include social exclusion, equality of opportunity, distributive justice and the culture of economic enterprise.

Teaching: Came 25th out of 113 in the National Student Survey.

Research: Came 39th out of 113 in the Research Assessment Excercise.

Overall ranking: 35th out of 113 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Three club nights a week on campus in the £2m students' venue, plus specialist nights and some big name bands.

How green is it? Not great - came joint 56th out of 120 universities graded by People & Planet for their 'Green League 2007', an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. A room in halls will cost you around £68 per week self-catering, or £143 catered.

Cheap to live there? So so. A room in private rented accommodation is around £65 per week.

Sports ranking: Ranked 45th out of 144 in the BUCS league.

Prospectus: 0118 378 6586, student.recruitment@reading.ac.uk, http://www.reading.ac.uk/studentrecruitment/contact/sr-contact.asp

UCAS code: R12