Overview

The University of Leeds (informally Leeds University, or simply Leeds) is a British Red brick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Originally named the Yorkshire College of Science and later simply the Yorkshire College, it incorporated the Leeds School of Medicine and became part of the federal Victoria University alongside Owens College (which eventually became the University of Manchester) and University College Liverpool (which became the University of Liverpool). In 1904, a royal charterwas granted to the University of Leeds by King Edward VII.

Leeds has around 33,600 students, the eighth-highest number of any university in the UK. From 2006 to present, the university has consistently been ranked second in the United Kingdom for the number of applications received, second only to the University of Manchester. Leeds had a total income of £547.3 million in 2010/11, of which £124 million was from research grants and contracts. The university has financial endowments of £42.3 million (2008–09), ranking outside the top ten British universities by financial endowment.

Established year: 1904

Location

Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. In 2011, it had an estimated population of 757,700 making it the third largest city in the United Kingdom.

Home to more than 100 nationalities, Leeds has something for everyone, from art galleries, museums, theatre and ballet, to rugby, football and cricket matches.

Leeds is one of the most popular student destinations in the UK. As a major centre of learning, Leeds has a low cost of living, affordable accommodation and lots of things to see and do.

Leeds is a great place from which to explore the rest of the UK and Europe. With York, Manchester, Liverpool and London within easy reach, students are never far away from great places to visit. Students can also explore the English countryside as Leeds is surrounded by the stunning Yorkshire Dales and three other national parks. Leeds Bradford International Airport has direct flights to over 75 destinations worldwide, as well as connections through Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. Manchester Airport is within 1.5 hours by train and has flights to over 180 destinations worldwide.

Leeds is the UK's largest centre for business, legal, and financial services outside London. As the commercial capital of Yorkshire, Leeds is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. Leeds is now a city that attracts national and global businesses, people and entrepreneurs. Many companies have their headquarters in Leeds making it a vibrant place to live, work and study.

From London by train: 3 hours and 31 minutes

Address: Woodhouse Ln, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

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Highlights/Advantages

• Leeds has been awarded 17 National Teaching Fellowships – more than any other English university.
• The University recently received the highest possible result from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).
• Leeds staffs have won prestigious national awards for quality and innovation in teaching.
• Leeds' Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) gives students instant access to a wide range of learning resources, including reading lists, past examination papers, skills guides and assessment guidelines. It also provides an interactive learning forum through a range of tools including tests, blogs, lecture notes, podcasts, surveys, wikis and discussion boards. So, as well as practical sessions, lectures and seminars, students benefit from a whole raft of supplementary and interactive learning material.

Rankings

• One of the top 100 universities in the world (QS World Rankings 2012)
  
• Part of the prestigious Russell Group, a group of the UK's top 24 research-led universities which includes Oxford and Cambridge
  
• Ranked 10th in the UK for graduate recruitment (High Fliers report on the Graduate Market in 2013)
  
• Ranked number 1 in the UK and 4th in the world for international business (FT Global masters ranking 2012)
  
• School of Civil Engineering ranked 1st in UK for Student Satisfaction (NSS 2012)
  
• School of Mechanical Engineering ranked13th in UK (The Complete University Guide 2014)
  
• School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering ranked 7th in UK (Complete University Guide 2014)
  
• School of Process, Environmental & Materials Engineering ranked 4rd in UK (The Complete University Guide 2014)
  
• 17th in the Times University Guide 2015
  
• 28th in the Guardian University Guide 2015
  
• 23rd in the Complete University Guide 2015

Accommodation

Being one of the largest universities in the UK, the University of Leeds has an impressive range of accommodation to cater for different tastes and budgets, from modern, purpose-built apartments to converted mansion houses. Many University of Leeds residences offer en-suite rooms and there are also studio apartments available.

All international undergraduate and postgraduate students arriving from outside Leeds who apply by the deadline are guaranteed University accommodation for the full first year of their course.