Address: Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, England, United Kingdom
Law, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities
Founded by Royal Charter on 4 January 1965 as the University of Kent at Canterbury, this is one of the English universities created in the wave of expansion that followed the 1963 Robbins Report, often grouped as the plate glass universities. The first of its colleges, Eliot College, was named after the poet T. S. Eliot, who died on the day the university was formally established.
The main campus lies above the city of Canterbury in south-east England. A second campus is at Medway, and the university also runs a continuing education centre at Tonbridge and European centres in Brussels and Paris. The collegiate design of the early decades has since given way to academic schools, among them Kent Law School, Kent Business School and the School of Computing, together with a range of research institutes.
Kent describes itself as a university with regional, national and global reach, and it works with partners across Kent and Medway on regional projects. In a collaboration with the University of Greenwich it forms part of the London and South East University Group, a structure announced as bringing the two institutions closer together while Kent continues to operate under its own name.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
European focus with centres in Brussels, Paris, Athens, Rome. Partnerships for research and student exchange. Strong links with creative industries and heritage sector.
Research:
Research strengths in social sciences, humanities, law (critical legal studies), biosciences, and cyber security (Institute of Cyber Security for Society). Known for critical thinking and international perspective.
Famous Alumnis:
Kazuo Ishiguro, Alan Davies, Paul Telfer, Ellie Goulding, Orlando Bloom (attended summer school)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3100
Current students***:
20500
Foreign students***:
25%
Cumulative former students***:
155000
Pros
European outlook, strong in humanities and social sciences, attractive campus setting, good for law and criminology.
Cons
Main campus is outside Canterbury city centre, research rankings vary by field.
Best For
Students interested in humanities, social sciences, or law, with a European or international perspective, often valuing critical approaches to study.
University of Essex is another 1960s plate glass university, with social sciences and human rights among its strengths.
University of Sussex, near Brighton, shares the 1960s origins and a bias towards social sciences and development studies.
University of York offers arts and humanities, social sciences and sciences on a campus-style model close to Kent's.
University of East Anglia, in Norwich, is a public university of the same era with creative writing and environmental sciences.
Lancaster University combines business and the sciences with the same 1960s campus tradition.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Roskilde University (Denmark) stresses interdisciplinary studies and social sciences, echoing Kent's cross-subject approach.
Flinders University (Australia) offers business, government and law alongside education, much like Kent's law and business schools.
University of Turku (Finland) is a multi-faculty public university covering humanities, education, medicine, science, law and social sciences.
Masaryk University (Czech Republic) spans law, medicine, science, arts and education in a broad public university.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany) combines theology, social sciences and law and economics in a comprehensive public university.
*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
When was the University of Kent established?
Its Royal Charter was signed and sealed on 4 January 1965. It was one of the plate glass universities set up after the Robbins Report.
What is the connection between Kent and T. S. Eliot?
Eliot College, the first and oldest of the university's colleges, carries the poet's name. Eliot died on the same day the university was formally founded.
Where are its campuses?
The principal campus is in Canterbury, with a second at Medway. Kent also maintains a continuing education centre in Tonbridge and European centres in Brussels and Paris.
Does Kent still have colleges?
Colleges were part of the original design, but teaching is now organised in schools such as Kent Law School and Kent Business School.
What is the London and South East University Group?
It is a partnership between Kent and the University of Greenwich. Kent continues to use its own name within the group.
How can applicants find course and fee information?
Each school publishes degree pages with entry requirements and tuition fees. Applicants should check the university's official site for the year they plan to start.
*: 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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