Swansea University

Swansea University's Digital Technium

Overall ranking: 42nd out of 123 in the Complete University Guide for 2015.

History: Began life in 1920 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, just a short stroll from the quaint village of Mumbles.

Who's the boss? Professor Richard B. Davies, a statistician, has been vice-chancellor since 2003.

Prospectus: 01792 602 295 or request one here.

UCAS code: S93

What you need to know

Easy to get into? Not particularly- the average entry requirement is ABB-AAB or equivalent. English literature asks for BBB-BBC at A-level, while law requests AAB-BBB. The requirements for integrated foundation programmes in science and engineering are lower. The ratio of applications to places is currently 6:1.

Vital statistics: Over 16,000 students form a multicultural campus community. Renowned for civil engineering. 88% of places to go state school applicants- significantly higher than the UK average- while over a quarter come from working class households.

Added value: Has over 100 links with universities outside of the UK, giving students the opportunity to study for a degree in Catalan, for example. Programmes are supported in China, India, the USA, Zambia, Japan, Australia and Europe, with recent strengthened partnerships with institutions in Texas and Spain. Work recently started on a £250m Science and Innovation Campus, due for completion in 2015. The 65-acre Bay Campus will house 900 students from September 2015 an additional 540 from January 2016. It will also be home to the College of Engineering and the School of Management with a focus on driving applied research into industry, along with the Great Hall, which will be used for graduation ceremonies and other events. Established law school offers options in European and international law. The university launched Wales' 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. The Museum of Egyptology opened in 1998. The £20m Sports Village is 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 great surfing nearby.

Teaching: 85th out of 123 in the Complete University Guide.

Graduate prospects: 18th out of 123 with 77.3 per cent finding graduate level employment upon completing their degrees.

Any accommodation? Yes- Accommodation ranges between £3,400 to £4,500 per year. At the moment there are 2800 college beds, standard and en-suite, self-catering and part-catered at the 2 main sites, 135 at Beck House and 572 rooms in University managed houses. All accommodation on campus has areas contracted as quiet areas, restricting noise in the early hours, and in Beck House the rooms are designated for post-graduates, mature students and families.

Cheap to live there? Pretty decent. Between £65 and £75 per week in a shared house, not including bills.

Transport links: Efficient train and coach services to Cardiff, London and beyond. Cardiff International Airport is just over 30 miles from the University. There are frequent ferry crossings from Swansea to Cork in the Republic of Ireland.

Fees: Full-time home and EU undergraduates pay £9,000 per year. Welsh students are able to get a grant of up to £5,315. International students will pay between £12,000 and £15,000 per year depending on the course of study.

Bursaries: Excellence bursaries of £3,000 across two years are available to students who achieve three A grades at A-level or equivalent. Merit awards of £2,000 are given to those who achieve AAB. Financial support is offered to students from families with a low household income and there are sports scholarships too. Click here to see what you could get.

The fun stuff

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.

Price of a pint: £2.50 for a pint of lager.

Sporting reputation: Pretty good- ranked 27th in the current BUCS league, with good sporting facilities on campus.

Notable societies: Join Dead Poets if you're into your words, or let your hair down with the Beer Pong society for "beer, balls and banter". Give pole-dancing a whirl with the Pole Fitness group.

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; Professor Lyn Evans, the CERN director responsible for the ongoing Large Hadron Collider project; and Alun Wyn Jones, recent captain of the British Lions.

Alternative prospectus: Don't be shy-put any queries to current or recent students by posting in Swansea's forum on The Student Room here.