University of Leicester

University of Leicester Overview

The University of Leicester is in the East Midlands and currently has almost 17,000 students enrolled, of which 1,500 of whom are international from over 80 different countries. The University of Leicester is one of the UK’s fastest growing universities and is currently undergoing a £300 million campus redevelopment programme. The University of Leicester was voted University of the Year by the Times in 2008, and recently finished runner up in the same category in 2014.

Leicester is well known for the strength of it its research, with its Archaeology department recently discovered the remains of Richard III, pushing it into the international spotlight. The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosts Europe’s largest university-based space research facility and the School of Museum Studies remains one of the top research departments in the country, containing the highest ranking research in Museum Studies in the UK.

University of Leicester Rankings

• 34th in the Times University Guide 2018
• 63rd in the Guardian University Guide 2019
• 159th in the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2018
• 238th in the QS World University Rankings 2018

Leicester is known as a leading research-led university and was named University of the Year 2008 by the Times Higher Education and finished runner up in 2014. Following impressive results in the 2008 Research Excellence Framework, Leicester again stood out in the 2014 edition, and 75% of submitted research was judged to be internationally excellent.

University of Leicester Location

Leicester, with a population of more than 300,000, is a commercial and cosmopolitan city in the heart of England. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, Leicester lies just one hour from London via train and is within easy reach of many other major towns and places of interest - including Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and both Oxford and Cambridge.

All teaching buildings are within a few minutes’ walk of each other on the University of Leicester’s compact campus. Leicester train station is within walking distance of the campus, while supermarkets, a cinema complex, local shops, bars and restaurants are all nearby. East Midlands Airport is the closest airport and serves 28 different countries.

The University of Leicester's buildings represent over a century of architectural styles which reflect our history and growth. The first University building, the Fielding Johnson, dates from 1837 and is a fine example of late Georgian architecture. Many of the more recent buildings have won architectural awards for design excellence.