A public research university that gained university status in 1992, with roots in Nottingham Government School of Design (1843). Known for its strong links with industry, teaching quality, and high levels of student satisfaction.
Address: 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, England, United Kingdom
Art and Design, Business, Law
Domains taught:
- AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
- Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
- Public
Partnerships:
Extensive partnerships with local, national, and international businesses (e.g. Experian, Boots, Santander) for placements, projects, and research. Strong focus on employability and apprenticeships.
Research:
Applied research with impact in areas such as art and design (Bonfiglioli Innovation Hub), sustainable futures, health and wellbeing, and safe and inclusive communities. Growing research in smart materials and medical technologies.
Famous Alumnis:
Shane Meadows, Matt Berry, Nick Park (honorary), Vicky McClure (honorary)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4100
Current students***:
37000
Foreign students***:
15%
Cumulative former students***:
205000
Pros
Excellent teaching quality (TEF Gold), strong industry links and graduate employability, vibrant city location, outstanding student support, award-winning sustainability initiatives.
Cons
Lower research intensity than University of Nottingham, more focused on applied learning and vocational pathways, large student population.
Best For
Students seeking high-quality teaching, strong career prospects, and a practical approach to learning, especially in creative, business, and professional fields, in a lively city.
Most Similar Schools Locally
- Northumbria University follows much the same lines as this university, with industrial design, life sciences and data analytics as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
- Manchester Metropolitan University follows much the same lines as this university, with industrial design, manufacturing and life sciences as common ground, and it has almost the same size, at about 39,000 students, and is also a public institution.
- University of Sunderland takes a similar route through industrial design, manufacturing and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
- Birmingham City University follows much the same lines as this institution, with industrial design, manufacturing and life sciences as common ground, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers sound engineering as well.
- The comparison with University of Northampton is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on industrial design, manufacturing and life sciences, and it is smaller, enrolling about 12,500 students against roughly 37,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
- Toronto Metropolitan University (Canada) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly industrial design, manufacturing and data analytics; it also offers certificate programmes and covers aerospace as well.
- Beyond national borders, University of California, Los Angeles stands out as a comparable school for industrial design, life sciences and data analytics; it covers materials as well, and is slightly larger, at about 46,500 students against roughly 37,000 here.
- A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on industrial design, life sciences and data analytics is University of South Australia in Australia, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
- Iowa State University in the United States is the nearest foreign match on life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning; it covers agriculture as well, and has almost the same size, at about 36,000 students.
- Griffith University (Australia) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly life sciences, data analytics and software engineering; it covers finance and ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly larger, at about 44,427 students against roughly 37,000 here.
*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.
- Design for Sustainability, Innovation, Project Management, Quality Management, Sustainable Development, User-Centered Design
*: 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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