The University of Chester is one of the UK’s oldest higher education institutions. Founded in 1839, as the first teacher training college in the UK, by a small group of prominent local figures - among them Britain's greatest 19-century Prime Minister, William Gladstone the University of Chester draws strength from a history longer than that of most other British universities. However, it is also a modern, innovative institution and it has a well-deserved reputation for the quality of its education, and for the high standard of its student care and support. There are currently around 15,000 students registered for degree study, on two main campuses, in Chester and in Warrington.
The University is situated in the North West of England, not far from the large cities of Manchester and Liverpool, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on both its Chester and Warrington campuses.
Chester itself is a small and safe city - very beautiful and with a history going back to Roman times - with a wealth of facilities, meeting, social and sporting interests. Warrington is an expanding town, rich in history and heritage. Near Chester and Warrington is the beautiful countryside of Cheshire, North Wales, the Snowdonia Mountains, and the Lake District. There are also several seaside towns within a short distance.
Academic strengths
The University is funded by the UK Government's Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), in the same way as other UK universities. As such, it is reviewed and audited on a regular basis by Government agencies. We have achieved success in external audits and reviews, including a number of 'excellent' scores in the Quality Assurance Agency's Subject Reviews.
There are seven Schools of study: Arts and Media, Humanities, Applied and Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Health and Social Care, Education and Children's Services, and Business, Enterprise and Lifelong Learning – all Schools offer undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degrees. The University has a national reputation for innovative Work Based learning, which forms an integral part of the undergraduate curriculum.
