Sheffield, University of

University of Sheffield

Age: 106 as a university, 132 from its first incarnation as Firth College.

History: The University of Sheffield developed from three local institutions: the Sheffield School of Medicine, Firth College and the Sheffield Technical School. The School of Medicine, founded 1828, was by far the oldest. Firth College was one of a group of university colleges founded in the later 19th century. It developed out of the Cambridge University Extension Movement, a scheme designed to bring university teaching to the large towns and cities of England, most of which lacked any university provision. The Sheffield Technical School was the product of local concern about the need for better technical training of the men responsible for running the great industries of Sheffield, particularly steelmaking. In 1897, the three institutions were amalgamated by Royal Charter to form the University College of Sheffield.

Address: A mile-and-a-half west of the city centre. Campus extends over large urban setting.

Ambience: Most buildings red-brick and easy on the eye. A dramatic new campus landmark is the green copper-clad £23m Information Commons, combining library, IT and study facilities, which opened in April 2007 and is already very popular with students. Jessop West, a brand new building which opened in January 2009, is home to the school of English, department of history and the school of modern languages and linguistics and a brand new visitor centre. Despite the city's reputation for heavy industry it is surprisingly green. Sheffield is also one of the UK's safest city (according to the Home Office).

Vital statistics: Large, civic university with around 25,000 students and 5,000 members of staff. Highly rated for research – as a member of the White Rose Constortium, alongside Leeds and York Universities, Sheffiled has combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge. Member of the Russell Group.

Added value: Wide-awake students' union has a reputation for being well run. It was the winner of the Club Mirror Students' Union of the Year award for 2004 and 2007 and has been rated the best students' union in the UK in the Times Higher Education's Student Experience Survey for the past 3 years running.. Brilliant sports facilities.

Easy to get into? No. Requirements vary between courses and qualifications, but many ask for AAB at A-level.

Glittering alumni: Sir Harry Kroto and Dr Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize-winning chemists; Amy Johnson, pioneering aviator; Helen Sharman, Britain's first astronaut; Jack Rosenthal, playwright; Stephen Daldry, theatre and film director; David Blunkett, politician; Linda Smith, comedian; Eddie Izzard, actor and comedian; novelists Nicci Gerard and Joanne Harris.

Transport links: Good for trains and coaches. For getting about Sheffield, use Supertram, buses and minibuses. Bikes are hard work because of hills.

Who's the boss? Prof. Keith Burnett. became vice-chancellor of the university in 2007. Burnett most recently headed the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences at Oxford, and was awarded a CBE for services to physics in 2004.

Teaching: 26th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 17th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 26th out of 114 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Union club nights practically every night of the week. In the city there are the Crucible and Lyceum theatres, the Leadmill night club and Embrace. There are plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants.

How green is it? Bad – came joint 114th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its 'Green league 2011'.

Any accommodation? Yes, a wide range of self-catering rooms that range between £77 and £134 per week.

Cheap to live there? Fairly – private rents average around £60 per week.

Sports ranking: 23rd in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. Sheffield plans on charging the maximum tuition fee of £9,000 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: Between £250 and £1,400 per year is available to students with an annual household income of up to £35,000. There is also an Outreach Bursary of up to £400 per year for students who have studied at partner colleges.

Prospectus: 0114 222 1255; www.sheffield.ac.uk

UCAS code: S18