Staffordshire University

Staffordshire University

Age: 39

History: North Staffordshire Polytechnic was formed with the merger of Stoke-on-Trent College of Art and the North Staffordshire College of Technology in Stoke, and the Staffordshire College of Technology in Stafford, later absorbing a teacher training facility in Madeley, before changing its name to Staffordshire Polytechnic and then eventually Staffordshire University.

Address: Two main campuses, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. There is also a satellite site at Lichfield and a base at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital.

Ambience: Stoke is the biggest campus, housing law, business, sciences, art and design, sport health and exercise, and computing. Engineering and technology, business, health (nursing), and computing are studied at the yellow and red brick Stafford campus, on a green-field site on the outskirts of the county town, which boasts a £5m Octagon computer centre with high-tech facilities. The Lichfield campus is the administrative base for Foundation Degree Forward and the site where students can further their entrepreneurial dreams in a cluster of enterprise units.

Vital statistics: Big, with around 16,000 students, of whom around 9,000 are full-time undergraduates. Around 40 per cent are over the age of 21. Good sports facilities with sports centres on the Stoke and Stafford campuses, including a fitness suite, a dance and aerobics studio, a sports hall, and all-weather outdoor football and tennis courts.

Added value: Diverse range of media courses and also courses in music technology and sports technology, aimed at those who want to go into sound recording or become sports coaches. Other popular courses include forensic science, business management, computing science, film technology, graphics design, law, computer games design, and sports studies. New fast-track (two-year) degrees available in accounting and finance, business management, English literature, geography, law, and motorsport technology (nine-month foundation degree).

Easy to get into? Standard entry requirements are between 200 and 300 UCAS points, but there's some flexibility. Aims to take a national lead in offering learning opportunities to all who can benefit, at a range of levels and in a variety of modes to suit individual needs. Under the PASS scheme, all school leavers in Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire guaranteed a place so long as they meet minimum requirements.

Glittering alumni: Jim Davies, former Prodigy and Pitchshifter guitarist; Michael Dent, multi-millionaire owner of Spectra International.

Transport links: Stoke site is literally a minute's walk from Stoke train station. Good road and train links, in the centre of the UK.

Who's the boss? Professor Michael Gunn, former dean of Nottingham Law School pro vice-chancellor at Derby University.

Teaching: 56th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide. .

Research: 109th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: 99th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Four nightclubs/venues run by students union, hosting big name bands as well as cabaret and comedy nights. Student hangout The Ember Lounge was named best new late bar in the Midlands by a national survey.

How green is it? Improving vastly – came 40th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its 'Green League 2011', after being placed 104th last year.

Any accommodation? Yes. Over 650 rooms available to students at the Stafford Campus and around 560 at the Stoke Campus, 34 of which are twin rooms. Rents for single rooms range between £62 and £100 per week.

Cheap to live there? Quite. Private rents average around £60 to £70 per week across both sites.

Sports ranking: 83rd in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time home undergrads starting in 2011. Staffordshire plans on charging between £7,490 and £8,490 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: Up to £1,000 per year is available in 2011 to first degree students with an annual household income of less than £30,810. The university will be taking part in the National Scholarship Programme in 2012.

Prospectus: 01782 292752; www.staffs.ac.uk

UCAS code: S72