Address: Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England, United Kingdom
Medicine, Engineering, Business
A major public research university, founded in 1900 as a successor to Mason Science College (1875). A founding member of the Russell Group and Universitas 21.
The University of Birmingham received its Royal Charter in 1900 and is often described as the first English civic or red-brick university. It grew from Mason Science College, founded in 1875 by the manufacturer Josiah Mason, and from Queen’s College, a medical school dating to 1825. Joseph Chamberlain, the political leader of Birmingham, drove the creation of the university. The Edgbaston campus, designed by Aston Webb, is dominated by the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, called Old Joe, which rises about 100 metres. The university has about 37,000 students and 7,200 staff.
In the twentieth century Birmingham became a key site of wartime science. In 1940 Rudolf Peierls and Otto Frisch wrote the Frisch-Peierls memorandum, which showed that an atomic bomb was feasible with a small mass of uranium-235, an important step toward the Allied nuclear programme. In the same year John Randall and Harry Boot developed the cavity magnetron in the physics department, a device that made compact radar possible. Norman Haworth won the 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on carbohydrates and vitamin C.
Edward Elgar was appointed the first Peyton Professor of Music in 1905. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, opened in 1939, holds a collection of paintings by Botticelli, Degas and Monet and a concert hall. The Lapworth Museum of Geology and the Cadbury Research Library are other public resources. Research strengths include physics, engineering, medicine, the social sciences, sports science and the humanities, and the university is a founding member of the Russell Group.
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Tuition for home students is capped by the government at about nine and a half thousand pounds a year, while international students pay much higher fees, often between twenty-five and thirty-five thousand pounds. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English, and campuses also exist in Dubai.
The campus has its own railway station, University, on the Cross-City line, about ten minutes from New Street station. Student housing is in the villages of Selly Oak and Edgbaston.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Extensive global partnerships with universities and industry. Strong links with local NHS trusts and businesses. Member of Universitas 21 and the Russell Group.
Research:
World-leading research across a wide range of disciplines, including gravitational waves, cancer studies, Shakespeare, railway engineering, and energy storage.
Famous Alumnis:
Neville Chamberlain, Chris Tarrant, Simon Mayo, Ann Widdecombe, David Gill
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7200
Current students***:
37000
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
310000
Pros
Russell Group university, strong research reputation, large and diverse student community, extensive facilities and course options, beautiful campus.
Cons
Large university, which can feel impersonal to some; city campus can be busy, some older facilities alongside modern ones.
Best For
Students seeking a prestigious Russell Group education with a wide array of courses, strong research focus, and a vibrant campus life in a major city.
Think of University of Nottingham when chemistry, physics and life sciences is the priority: it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers agriculture as well.
University of Glasgow follows much the same lines as this institution, with chemistry, physics and life sciences as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
On content, The University of Manchester and this university are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and life sciences; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers materials as well.
A good alternative in the same country is Cardiff University, which likewise covers chemistry, physics and life sciences; it covers mathematics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 33,500 students.
University of Liverpool shares the core fields of this institution, namely chemistry, physics and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Columbia University offers an international parallel to this institution, with physics, life sciences and AI and machine learning as common ground; it covers project management and data analytics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 34,200 students.
For a study option in Singapore with a comparable spread of chemistry, physics and life sciences, Nanyang Technological University is the reference point: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers mathematics and materials as well.
On content, Nanchang University in China and this university are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and mechanical engineering; it covers food science and materials as well, and is slightly larger, at about 50,193 students against roughly 37,000 here.
Queen's University in Canada pursues a similar profile in chemistry, physics and life sciences, and it also offers graduate diploma programmes and covers data analytics as well.
University of California, Berkeley brings a the United States setting to the same core fields, chemistry, physics and life sciences, and it also offers graduate diploma programmes and covers data analytics as well.
*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
Where is the University of Birmingham?
In Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
When did it receive its charter?
In 1900, and it is often described as the first English red-brick university.
How large is it?
About 37,000 students and 7,200 staff.
What is Old Joe?
The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, which rises about 100 metres.
What was the Frisch-Peierls memorandum?
A document written in 1940 by Rudolf Peierls and Otto Frisch showing that an atomic bomb was feasible with a small mass of uranium-235.
What is the cavity magnetron?
A device developed in 1940 by John Randall and Harry Boot that made compact radar possible.
Who was the first Peyton Professor of Music?
Edward Elgar, appointed in 1905.
What is the Barber Institute?
A fine arts museum and concert hall, opened in 1939.
How do you reach the campus by train?
The University station on the Cross-City line is on the campus, about ten minutes from New Street station.
What does it cost?
Home tuition is capped at about nine and a half thousand pounds a year. International fees are much higher. Check the current tariff.
Biomedical Sensors, Engineering, Innovation, Medical, Sustainable Development
*: 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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