Swansea Metropolitan University (formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education)

Swansea Metropolitan University (formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education)

Age: 158, from its first incarnation.

History: Its roots lie in a college of technology, a college of art, and a college of education set up in the 19th century. All three colleges came together in 1976 and, in 1992, it became Swansea Institute of Higher Education. Became part of the University of Wales in 2004 and changed its name to Swansea Metropolitan University in 2008.

Address: Two main campuses in Swansea: Mount Pleasant and Townhill.

Ambience: Mount Pleasant is two minutes' walk from the city centre and houses the Cadogan Centre and Dylan Thomas's old grammar school, as well as 44 study bedrooms. Townhill, two miles from the centre, with picturesque views over Swansea Bay, is home to the students' union and bar and has recently been refurbished to accommodate the £3m Swansea School of Education, which is one of the largest providers of teacher education in Wales. Dynevor, a new £12.5m art and design building across the road from the Mount Pleasant Campus, opened in 2005.

Vital statistics: Nearly 6,000 full and part-time students. Offers over 200 courses, including HNDs, degrees, postgraduate and professional qualifications.

Added value: Launched the world’s first motorsport engineering degree in 1998. International reputation for architectural stained glass. Organisers of the world renowned SAND (Swansea Animation Days) event, which welcomes the world’s elite in 3D computer animation and computer games development to Swansea each year.

Easy to get into? Courses ask for between 120 and 240 UCAS points, but mature students with experience are encouraged to apply. Close links with local colleges too.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.

Transport links: Good for trains and coaches. Cardiff International Airport is 50 minutes away. University bus between the Mount Pleasant and Townhill campuses.

Who's the boss? Professor David Warner CBE, vice-chancellor.

Teaching: Scored 77 per cent for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey.

Research: Aspects of research in Engineering, Education and Art and Design were deemed of ‘international excellent’, and in some cases ‘world leading’, in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

Nightlife: A bar and theatre at Townhill. A couple of annual balls. Swansea city centre and its famous Wind Street, have a wild reputation for nights out.

How green is it? Not good – came 94th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its 'Green League 2011', a drop of 72 places from 2010's table.

Any accommodation? Yes, and rooms in halls start at just £59 per week.

Cheap to live there? Very. In the private sector a room costs around £55 to £60 per week.

Sports ranking: 129th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. The university plans on charging £8,500 for most courses as of 2012, although Welsh and EU students will be subsidised by the Welsh government meaning their degrees will only cost them £3,375 per year.

Bursaries: None offered in 2011. Details of scholarship and bursary provision as of 2012 are being finalised.

Prospectus: 01792 481 097; www.smu.ac.uk

UCAS code: S96