Salford, University of

University of Salford

Age: 113, if you count from when it was born as the Royal Salford Technical Institute.

History: Opened by the Duke and Duchess of York, later George V and Queen Mary. In the fifties it became a college of advanced technology, and in 1967 a university. It merged with University College Salford in 1996.

Address: Western edge of Manchester, a mile and a half from Manchester city centre. Students will move into a new centre at the quayside MediaCityUK – the new home of the BBC – in September 2011.

Ambience: Campus university in a buzzing city, reputedly with the biggest student population in Europe. Green site in leafy Peel Park. Modern and dynamic at MediaCityUK, where students will rub shoulders with industry bigwigs from the BBC and ITV.

Vital statistics: Emphasis on the practical and applied.1 Around 19,000 students, with 4,500 undergraduates. Strong links with industry mean tailor-made courses, industrial placements and consultancy links. The university's Salford Business School was officially launched in August 2006, comprising four existing schools: accounting, economics and management science; the Information Systems Institute; leisure, hospitality and food management; the School of Management. A £10m Law School opened in 2007.

Added value: Investing £500m in buildings and facilities, over the next 15 years. With one of the largest media schools in the UK, the University of Salford is a crucial training ground for the next generation of broadcasters. The University is leasing 103,000 sq ft at the MediaCityUK development, home to five BBC departments from 2011, including sport and BBC Radio 5 Live. The university centre will allow students and academics from all areas of the university to benefit from high-tech facilities located right next to the BBC buildings. Sports rehabilitation centre treats many of the north of England's sports teams. By 2012 there’ll be a £47m new building for the School of Media, Music and Performance on campus.

Easy to get into? 180 to 340 UCAS entry points, depending on the course. Work and life experience also count for a lot.

Glittering alumni: LS Lowry, painter; Peter Kay, comedian; Andy Bond, CEO of Asda; Emma Atkins, actress; Christopher Eccleston, who took the lead role in the BBC's Doctor Who revival; Sir Ben Kingsley, actor; Norman Whiteside, footballer and podiatrist.

Transport links: Salford Crescent station is actually on campus. Buses to city centre. A free bus service will link the main campus and MediaCityUK once the new centre is open.

Who's the boss? Prof. Martin Hall, a British-born industrial archaeologist, formerly at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Teaching: 93rd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide..

Research: 56th out of 115 for research in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 97th out of 114 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Two bars, club nights, film nights and a theatre on campus. And with Manchester on your doorstep, you'll never be short of ideas for nights out.

How green is it? Much improved – came joint 37th out of 142 universities graded by People and Plant for its 'Green League 2011', after a woeful position of 122nd in 2010.

Any accommodation? Yes - rooms in university-owned halls from around £63 to £90 per week.

Cheap to live there? Very. Private rents are only £50 to £60 per week.

Sports ranking: 109th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per for full-time home undergrads starting in 2011. As of 2012, Salford will charge an average fee of £8,400 for undergraduate courses.

Bursaries: £338 for students in receipt of the full maintenance allowance, and £1,000 for the first year of study for students from the Greater Manchester area who are the first in their family to go to university and in receipt of the full maintenance allowance. There are also scholarships based on various criteria.

Prospectus: 0161 295 4545; www.salford.ac.uk

UCAS code: S03