Address: University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
Engineering, Ocean and Earth Science, Computer Science
The Hartley Institution opened in Southampton on 15 October 1862, declared open by the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, and funded by a bequest from Henry Robinson Hartley left to the Corporation of Southampton. That institution is the root of today’s University of Southampton, which became a University College in 1902 and received its royal charter as a university in 1952.
The university is organised in five faculties: Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Environmental and Life Sciences, Medicine, and Social Sciences. Its campuses include Highfield, the main site, as well as Avenue, Boldrewood, the Waterfront and University Hospital Southampton, plus a campus in Winchester, and international sites in Malaysia and Delhi.
Southampton is a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive UK universities. The university publishes its current student and staff numbers on its official website.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of Russell Group and Worldwide Universities Network. Strong partnerships with industry (e.g., Rolls-Royce, Microsoft, Lloyd’s Register) and government. National Oceanography Centre Southampton based here.
Research:
World-leading research in areas such as electronics and computer science (Web Science Institute), oceanography, audiology, aerospace engineering, and medical research.
Famous Alumnis:
Tim Berners-Lee (former staff), Chris Packham, Brian Eno, John Nettles
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
6500
Current students***:
25000
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
220000
Pros
Prestigious Russell Group university, renowned for engineering and marine science, strong research output, excellent facilities.
Cons
Highly competitive admissions, campus spread across several sites, some older buildings.
Best For
Students seeking a research-intensive education at a leading Russell Group university, particularly strong in engineering, computer science, and marine sciences.
University of Waterloo in Canada is a public university with computer science, engineering and mathematics.
University of New South Wales (Australia) lists engineering, medicine and health, and business.
Technical University of Denmark is a public university with engineering, wind energy and biotechnology.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How did the University of Southampton begin?
It began as the Hartley Institution, which opened on 15 October 1862 thanks to the bequest of Henry Robinson Hartley. Lord Palmerston declared it open.
When did it become a university?
It became a University College in 1902 and received its royal charter in 1952.
Which faculties make up Southampton?
Five: Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Environmental and Life Sciences, Medicine, and Social Sciences.
Where are the campuses?
The main one is Highfield in Southampton; others include Avenue, Boldrewood, the Waterfront and University Hospital Southampton, with Winchester also hosting a campus. International sites are in Malaysia and Delhi.
Is it part of the Russell Group?
Yes, Southampton is a member of the Russell Group.
Where are fees and entry requirements published?
On the official Southampton website, which lists entry criteria and tuition fees per programme.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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