Swansea University

Swansea University

Age: 91

History: Began life as the University College of Swansea when it was very much geared to the needs of local industry. In September 2007, the university changed its title from University of Wales, Swansea to Swansea University.

Address: On the south coast of Wales, two miles from Swansea city centre.

Ambience: Laid-back. This is a holiday spot after all. Lovely seaside parkland site overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula and a short stroll from the quaint village of Mumbles.

Vital statistics: Around 13,800 students, with approximately 8,900 full-time undergraduates.

Added value: Has around 100 links with universities outside of the UK, giving students the opportunity to study for a degree in Catalan, for example. Established law school offers options in European and international law. The university launched Wales's first-ever accelerated graduate entry course in medicine in 2004. Specialist facilities for students with disabilities include an on-campus recording centre for the blind. Museum of Egyptology opened in 1998. The campus is also the setting of the new Wales National Pool, the principality's only 50m Olympic-sized venue. With 50 stunning beaches on its doorstep, there's also great surfing nearby.

Easy to get into? Not particularly, entry requirements range from 240 to 320 UCAS points. Some courses may base offers on grades rather than UCAS points, with English literature asking for ABB at A-level.

Glittering alumni: Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers fame; Olympic runner Daniel Canes; Olympics swimmer Liz Johnson; HTV newsreader Jonathon Hill; TV and radio presenter and journalist Jason Mohammad. Other notable alumni include Wales’ first billionaire, Terry Matthews, and Professor Lyn Evans, the CERN director responsible for the ongoing Large Hadron Collider project.

Transport links: Efficient train and coach services to Cardiff, London and beyond. Cardiff Airport is just over 30 miles from the University.

Who's the boss? Professor Richard B. Davies, a statistician.

Teaching: 67th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 47th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: 54th out of 114 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Club nights and live music in the students' union on campus and the university's venue, Sin City, in town. Swansea is legendary across Wales for its wild nightlife, with the city's main strip, Wind Street, offering many a night of debauchery to students. The mammoth Oceana nightclub opened in 2008 and is a firm favourite with students.

How green is it? Not good – came 122nd out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its 'Green League 2011', an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes – nearly 3,400 rooms in university-managed residences across three main sites. Rooms cost between £73 and £108.

Cheap to live there? Yes indeed. Just £60 per week for a room in a shared flat.

Sports ranking: 26th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. Swansea plans on charging the maximum tuition fee of £9,000 per year as of 2012 although the Welsh government has announced that it will subsidise Welsh and EU students, meaning degrees will remain at £3,375 a year for them.

Bursaries: Excellence bursaries of £3,000 across two years are available to students who achieve three A grades at A-level. There are also sports scholarships on offer.

Prospectus: 01792 602 295; www.swansea.ac.uk

UCAS code: S93