TEACHING
QUALITY
Cardiff University
27
th
NATIONAL
RANK
RANK
78%
FIRSTS
2:1s
2:1s
95.6%
COMPLETION
RATE
RATE
Key Stats
n/a
42nd=
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
32nd=
RESEARCH
QUALITY
QUALITY
9th
GRADUATE
PROSPECTS
PROSPECTS
Contact details
University Profile
Cardiff has never been anything other than the top university in Wales over all the years of publication of The Sunday Times University Guide. It is the country’s only member of the Russell Group of research-led universities and its sole representative in the top 200 of the world rankings. It is also one of the few universities in the UK to boast two Nobel Laureates on its staff and was shortlisted for our University of the Year title in 2012.
Such obvious quality is bringing its rewards with applications growing by 25% in the last two years. Cardiff was able to increase the size of its undergraduate intake by 500 students in 2013, following similar growth in the previous year. It now has some 28,000 students, including 6,000 from outside the UK. Entry requirements have been rising and more than half of all applicants achieve at least AAB grades at A-level.
A third of Cardiff’s students come from Wales, but it is the international dimension that has been the university’s main focus recently. A new Global Opportunities programme provides studying, working and volunteering options across the world to enhance the
The university has also launched a Languages for All programme, giving all students the chance to learn a language alongside their chosen degree for free. Students were already offered the Cardiff Award to boost their employment prospects by recognising the skills acquired from extracurricular activities.
An audit by the Quality Assurance Agency complimented the university on its “powerful academic vision and well-developed and effectively articulated mission to achieve excellence in teaching and research”. Student support services, including counselling facilities and the help offered to dyslexics, were among the features singled out for praise. Cardiff was the first Welsh university to be awarded the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark which recognises support for students who have been in care.
Many full-time degrees share a common first year, and the modular system makes undergraduate study flexible thereafter. Recent additions include a range of undergraduate journalism degrees (to complement its long-established and excellent postgraduate journalism programme), a BA in translation with a year abroad and a BSc or MESci in earth and environmental science.
One undergraduate in six comes from an independent school and little more than one in five has a working-class background. The projected dropout rate of 3.6% is comfortably the lowest in Wales and well below the expected level.
This is explained in part by the fact that students have a good time in Cardiff. Cardiff is a popular student city with a large student population, relatively inexpensive and with a good range of nightlife and cultural venues.
The university guarantees a residential place for those applying through the normal admissions cycle. The main residential site at Talybont boasts a “sports training village”, and there is also a newly refurbished city-centre fitness suite and a sports ground. Eight university athletes competed in this year’s Commonwealth games; Natalie Powell coming home with a gold in the under 78kg Judo and Sally Peake winning silver in the women’s pole vault.
A £3.3m redevelopment of the students’ union is ongoing, extending the nightclub, providing new outdoor social space and upgrading other facilities. A new student residence with 178 beds is close to completion at Talybont Gate, near three other residences, a sports centre and social centre. All rooms will be en-suite with modern fittings and large shared communal space.
The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise rated almost 60% of the submitted work in the top two categories, with 33 of the 34 subject areas containing some world-leading research. Journalism, media and cultural studies, English, city and regional planning, and business produced the best results.
Cardiff takes more than half of the research funding awarded in Wales. It has enabled the university to establish three major new research institutes, offering radical new approaches to neurosciences and mental health, cancer stem cells and sustainable places.
The university occupies a significant part of the civic complex around Cathays Park in Cardiff. The five healthcare schools at the Heath Park campus share a 53-acre site with the University Hospital of Wales. The £18m Cochrane Building provides teaching and learning facilities for all healthcare schools based on the Heath Park Campus. The School of Dentistry has a new Dental Education Clinic offering students some of the UK’s most modern training facilities.
In recent years, there has been major investment in new buildings and equipment, including a £30m development which will house highly advanced facilities for some of the university’s scientific teams.
A£13.5m learning and teaching centre for the Business School includes a 60-seat trading room and two large lecture theatres. The university has also bought a former railway site alongside the university to facilitate expansion over the next few years.
Library services continue to improve access to resources, increase the range of electronic resources, extend self-service provision and improve the environment for the study of rare collections. The IT working environment gives students online access to information about their studies and social life, from reading lists and timetables to social events and networking groups.
Such obvious quality is bringing its rewards with applications growing by 25% in the last two years. Cardiff was able to increase the size of its undergraduate intake by 500 students in 2013, following similar growth in the previous year. It now has some 28,000 students, including 6,000 from outside the UK. Entry requirements have been rising and more than half of all applicants achieve at least AAB grades at A-level.
A third of Cardiff’s students come from Wales, but it is the international dimension that has been the university’s main focus recently. A new Global Opportunities programme provides studying, working and volunteering options across the world to enhance the
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student experience.The university has also launched a Languages for All programme, giving all students the chance to learn a language alongside their chosen degree for free. Students were already offered the Cardiff Award to boost their employment prospects by recognising the skills acquired from extracurricular activities.
An audit by the Quality Assurance Agency complimented the university on its “powerful academic vision and well-developed and effectively articulated mission to achieve excellence in teaching and research”. Student support services, including counselling facilities and the help offered to dyslexics, were among the features singled out for praise. Cardiff was the first Welsh university to be awarded the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark which recognises support for students who have been in care.
Many full-time degrees share a common first year, and the modular system makes undergraduate study flexible thereafter. Recent additions include a range of undergraduate journalism degrees (to complement its long-established and excellent postgraduate journalism programme), a BA in translation with a year abroad and a BSc or MESci in earth and environmental science.
This is explained in part by the fact that students have a good time in Cardiff. Cardiff is a popular student city with a large student population, relatively inexpensive and with a good range of nightlife and cultural venues.
The university guarantees a residential place for those applying through the normal admissions cycle. The main residential site at Talybont boasts a “sports training village”, and there is also a newly refurbished city-centre fitness suite and a sports ground. Eight university athletes competed in this year’s Commonwealth games; Natalie Powell coming home with a gold in the under 78kg Judo and Sally Peake winning silver in the women’s pole vault.
A £3.3m redevelopment of the students’ union is ongoing, extending the nightclub, providing new outdoor social space and upgrading other facilities. A new student residence with 178 beds is close to completion at Talybont Gate, near three other residences, a sports centre and social centre. All rooms will be en-suite with modern fittings and large shared communal space.
The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise rated almost 60% of the submitted work in the top two categories, with 33 of the 34 subject areas containing some world-leading research. Journalism, media and cultural studies, English, city and regional planning, and business produced the best results.
Cardiff takes more than half of the research funding awarded in Wales. It has enabled the university to establish three major new research institutes, offering radical new approaches to neurosciences and mental health, cancer stem cells and sustainable places.
The university occupies a significant part of the civic complex around Cathays Park in Cardiff. The five healthcare schools at the Heath Park campus share a 53-acre site with the University Hospital of Wales. The £18m Cochrane Building provides teaching and learning facilities for all healthcare schools based on the Heath Park Campus. The School of Dentistry has a new Dental Education Clinic offering students some of the UK’s most modern training facilities.
In recent years, there has been major investment in new buildings and equipment, including a £30m development which will house highly advanced facilities for some of the university’s scientific teams.
A£13.5m learning and teaching centre for the Business School includes a 60-seat trading room and two large lecture theatres. The university has also bought a former railway site alongside the university to facilitate expansion over the next few years.
Library services continue to improve access to resources, increase the range of electronic resources, extend self-service provision and improve the environment for the study of rare collections. The IT working environment gives students online access to information about their studies and social life, from reading lists and timetables to social events and networking groups.
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Detailed Statistics
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
CATEGORY
SCORE
RANK
Ranking
-
27 (33=)
Student experience
83
42nd=
Research quality
21
32nd=
Ucas entry points
423
29th
Graduate prospects
81.7
9th
Firsts and 2:1s
78
22nd=
Completion rate
95.6
9th
Student-staff ratio
13:1
16th=
Services/facilities spend (£)
1,442
71st
World ranking
-
123= (136=)
VITAL STATISTICS
Undergraduates
(Full-time)
17,335
Undergraduates
(Part-time)
3,685
Postgraduates
(Full-time)
4,090
Postgraduates
(Part-time)
3,430
Applications/places
34,170/6,075
Applications/places ratio
5.6:1
STUDENT CITIES
Elliot Howells, students’ union president
We’re in the heart of the city, which means everything is within walking distance.
Landlords and substandard accommodation can be a nightmare, but we have our own letting agency and our free advice centre can check your contract.
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Cost of living
Nightlife
Transport
Culture
ACCOMMODATION
Places in accommodation
5,353
Accommodation costs
£82-£115
Catered costs
£99-£119
Accommodation contact
FEES
UK/EU fees
£9,000
Fees (international)
£13,500-£18,000
Fees (international, medical)
£17,000-£29,800
Finance website
Graduate salaries
£22,582
BURSARIES/SCHOLARSHIPS
>
Household income up to £50K, bursary of £1,000 in year 1; reduced sums in following years.
>
Scholarship of £1,500 (year 1) and £750 (years 2 and 3) to students achieving grades AAA at A-level or equivalent in selected subjects; Welsh medium and other subject scholarships available.
SPORT
Sports points/rank
1386.33, 22nd
Sport website
Student satisfaction
94.5%
87.7%
87.7%
87.1%
87.0%
86.6%
86.0%
85.7%
85.7%
85.6%
84.8%
84.4%
83.8%
83.6%
83.1%
82.7%
82.5%
82.5%
81.9%
81.7%
81.6%
81.2%
80.4%
80.0%
78.8%
78.5%
77.5%
76.9%
75.8%
74.2%
72.8%
68.5%