The University
The University
Loughborough is a great place to study, boasting internationally acclaimed research and outstanding teaching quality. These attributes helped us to secure the prestigious Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-2009 and the highly coveted Times Higher ‘Best Student Experience’ award for the third year running.
Celebrating our Centenary year in 2009 Loughborough University was originally founded as a Technical Institute in 1909, and granted its Royal Charter in 1966.
The University has a long tradition of teaching and research that is highly relevant to industry, business and the professions. Loughborough has always been at the forefront of engineering and technology, with strengths in many other areas including: sport and sports technology; art and design; business studies; the sciences; social sciences and the humanities. The University consists of:
- 23 academic departments
- 16,000 students (including 4,000 postgraduates)
- over 40 research institutes and centres
- five interdisciplinary research schools
- over 130 taught postgraduate programmes
- many research degrees
Our long-established partnerships with industry, Government and the professions are the envy of other institutions because of their scope and the benefits they bring to our core activities: teaching and learning; research and technology transfer. These partnerships also contribute to the outstanding employment prospects of our graduates.
Excellence in teaching
In 2009 Loughborough was awarded The Times Higher ‘outstanding leadership and management team’ award
Loughborough has had consistently high scores for teaching quality in all the Government’s External Subject Reviews and national league tables.
Since the introduction of the National Student Survey in 2005, Loughborough has always been placed amongst the top 5 universities in the UK and has exceptional academic, guidance and welfare systems to support students from different backgrounds.
The Guardian and The Sunday Times recently placed us 10th and 11th respectively in their University guides, and we are consistently ranked among the top universities for graduate employment. We do exceptionally well in employer surveys because we produce graduates that business and industry want.
Renowned research
Our recent success in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise confirmed our standing as one of the country’s top 20 universities for research. Every one of our departments was found to be undertaking research that is internationally recognised and The Times Higher magazine named Loughborough as one of three rising stars among research-intensive universities. Testament to the quality of research carried out at the University is the award of six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes – an achievement bettered by no other university.
In terms of facilities the campus is well placed to serve the needs of students, including a purpose-built teaching facility for postgraduate students, and a wellresourced library and information technology network. There are numerous cafés, bars, restaurants, banks, shops, theatres and a health centre, optician, dentist and nursery.
In addition to the wide range of clubs and societies offered by our Students’ Union, the University provides plenty of arts and creative activities to enjoy on campus including photography, painting, drawing, music and drama. We also have our own thriving choir, orchestra and concert band.
Number one for sport
A significant capital investment in world-class sports facilities at Loughborough has created a unique facility and support services infrastructure for: our students and staff; the English Institute of Sport and elite athletes; many sports governing bodies based on campus; and our local and regional community.
Loughborough University now boasts one of the highest concentrations of top class sports training facilities found anywhere in the world. This means that whether you’re an elite athlete, a student looking for the best sports environment, a recreational trainer, or group looking to host an event, you’ll find state-of-the-art facilities for the widest choice of sports – all easily accessible and located on one campus.
Unrivalled links with employers
The University has an international reputation for its partnerships with companies of all sizes in both the commercial sector and many new high-tech industries.
Our long-established partnerships help generate an exceptionally high level of industrial funding, and help support teaching, research and consultancy activities that meet the needs of industry and commerce.
Companies sited on campus include the Henry Ford College which covers management and retail training of Ford employees, the University’s Rolls-Royce Fuel Cells research facility, the BAE Systems’ Systems Engineering Innovation Centre, over 30 spin-out companies nurtured by the University and up to 40 companies housed in our Innovation Centre.
Loughborough postgraduates are highly successful in finding work or further study. Recent data on our UK/EU students showed that:
- 96% of research graduates were in employment and/or studying
- 92% of taught postgraduates were in employment and/or studying
- the majority of employed postgraduates were working in their area of study
- our graduate employers represent leading organisations