TEACHING
QUALITY
University of Northampton
56
th
NATIONAL
RANK
RANK
61.1%
FIRSTS
2:1s
2:1s
84.1%
COMPLETION
RATE
RATE
Key Stats
n/a
13th=
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
108th=
RESEARCH
QUALITY
QUALITY
83rd=
GRADUATE
PROSPECTS
PROSPECTS
Contact details
ADDRESS
Park Campus,
Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL View on map >
Telephone
Email
Website
Open days
September 27; October 18; November 8 and 29
University Profile
Northampton shot up 40 places in our league table last year – the biggest improvement by any university – and they’ve held on to those gains in 2014, even managing a further three-place rise.
Their ascent of our table is underpinned by a strong showing in the National Student Survey in which this year the university ranks 13= in Britain under our analysis of the student satisfaction scores.
Every student has the opportunity to work in a social enterprise as part of their course to develop new entrepreneurial skills that make them more employable.This may involvea work placement, volunteering or building sustainable social and economic partnerships which would, in turn, be supported by the university.
The Ashoka global network of social entrepreneurs named Northampton as the first “Changemaker Campus” in the UK in 2013, and the university aims to be number one in the UK for social enterprise by next year.
Podiatry, occupational therapy and events management degree programmes are already developing new social enterprises allowing students to earn money while they work and learn.
The modern university originated in an amalgamation of the town’s colleges of education, nursing, technology and art. It has a particular focus on training for public services in the region, with students combining their studies with work placements in the community.
The police and criminal justice studies Foundation degree, for example, is delivered for Northamptonshire Police Authority and has been designed to prepare students for a career in policing or the criminal justice system.
The university’s league table successes are yet to lead to big increases in applications and enrolments – both were up by a modest amount in 2013. Overall student numbers have topped 14,000, more than 1,000 of them coming from outside the EU.
Business is the university’s most popular area, but teacher training and health subjects are not far behind – the university is the region’s largest provider of teachers and healthcare professionals.
Northampton takes its mission to widen participation in higher education seriously: almost all the undergraduates attended state schools or colleges and just under four in ten come from working class homes. At just over 12%, the projected dropout rateis lower than the national average for the university’s courses and entry qualifications.
The university was close to the bottom of the ranking for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, although there was some world-leading research in four of the ten subject areas. There are now 11 research centres, focusing on everything from contemporary fiction to anomalous psychological processes and transitional economics in China.
Northampton is in the throes of gaining planning permission for a new Waterside Campus on the banks of the River Nene, which would be close to the new planned halls of residence and within an enterprise zone. If planning permission is granted, the campus would open sometime between 2018 and 2020.
Of the two existing sites,Park Campus is on the edge of Northampton, while the smaller Avenue Campus occupies a more central position. They are linked by a regular and free weekday bus service and ‘Boris bike’ hubs will be installed from September 2015.
Park Campus is set in 80 acres of open green parkland, with accommodation, a sports hall, students’ union centre and nightclub. Two of the main buildings have been refurbished and expanded as part of an £80m programme of improvements. The Business School, which benefited from a £1.7m extension in 2011, is also on the campus.
Avenue Campus, the centre for art, design, science and technology, and the performing arts, hosts frequent theatre performances and exhibitions in its own art gallery. A £13m investment saw the conversion of an adjacent Grade II listed former school into a technology and research centre with NVision and a 3D immersive technology and visualisation facility.
Another university-backed development is the iCon building in Daventry, which provides a base for a range of innovative, green businesses. The university also sponsors a University Technical College on the nearby Silverstone motor racing circuit.
This investment programme means just six universities have spent more on services and facilities per student than Northampton in the past year - £2,439 – according to the official figures used to compile our league table
There are more than 2,000 residential places, including a choice of mixed and single-sex halls. The latest development added 475 rooms in the centre of Northampton in 2013.
Sports enthusiasts are well catered for, with rugby union, football, first-class cricket and Silverstone on the doorstep. The university has added a £100,000 gym to its sports facilities, which include a sports hall and outdoor pitches on the Park Campus.
The town has a number of student-oriented bars, but the two campuses’ union bars remain the hub of the social scene.
Their ascent of our table is underpinned by a strong showing in the National Student Survey in which this year the university ranks 13= in Britain under our analysis of the student satisfaction scores.
Every student has the opportunity to work in a social enterprise as part of their course to develop new entrepreneurial skills that make them more employable.This may involvea work placement, volunteering or building sustainable social and economic partnerships which would, in turn, be supported by the university.
The Ashoka global network of social entrepreneurs named Northampton as the first “Changemaker Campus” in the UK in 2013, and the university aims to be number one in the UK for social enterprise by next year.
Podiatry, occupational therapy and events management degree programmes are already developing new social enterprises allowing students to earn money while they work and learn.
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Although it was awarded university status only in 2005, Northampton can trace its history back to the 13th century. Henry III dissolved the original institution, allegedly because his bishops thought it posed a threat to Oxford.The police and criminal justice studies Foundation degree, for example, is delivered for Northamptonshire Police Authority and has been designed to prepare students for a career in policing or the criminal justice system.
The university’s league table successes are yet to lead to big increases in applications and enrolments – both were up by a modest amount in 2013. Overall student numbers have topped 14,000, more than 1,000 of them coming from outside the EU.
Business is the university’s most popular area, but teacher training and health subjects are not far behind – the university is the region’s largest provider of teachers and healthcare professionals.
Northampton takes its mission to widen participation in higher education seriously: almost all the undergraduates attended state schools or colleges and just under four in ten come from working class homes. At just over 12%, the projected dropout rateis lower than the national average for the university’s courses and entry qualifications.
The university was close to the bottom of the ranking for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, although there was some world-leading research in four of the ten subject areas. There are now 11 research centres, focusing on everything from contemporary fiction to anomalous psychological processes and transitional economics in China.
Northampton is in the throes of gaining planning permission for a new Waterside Campus on the banks of the River Nene, which would be close to the new planned halls of residence and within an enterprise zone. If planning permission is granted, the campus would open sometime between 2018 and 2020.
Of the two existing sites,Park Campus is on the edge of Northampton, while the smaller Avenue Campus occupies a more central position. They are linked by a regular and free weekday bus service and ‘Boris bike’ hubs will be installed from September 2015.
Park Campus is set in 80 acres of open green parkland, with accommodation, a sports hall, students’ union centre and nightclub. Two of the main buildings have been refurbished and expanded as part of an £80m programme of improvements. The Business School, which benefited from a £1.7m extension in 2011, is also on the campus.
Avenue Campus, the centre for art, design, science and technology, and the performing arts, hosts frequent theatre performances and exhibitions in its own art gallery. A £13m investment saw the conversion of an adjacent Grade II listed former school into a technology and research centre with NVision and a 3D immersive technology and visualisation facility.
Another university-backed development is the iCon building in Daventry, which provides a base for a range of innovative, green businesses. The university also sponsors a University Technical College on the nearby Silverstone motor racing circuit.
This investment programme means just six universities have spent more on services and facilities per student than Northampton in the past year - £2,439 – according to the official figures used to compile our league table
There are more than 2,000 residential places, including a choice of mixed and single-sex halls. The latest development added 475 rooms in the centre of Northampton in 2013.
Sports enthusiasts are well catered for, with rugby union, football, first-class cricket and Silverstone on the doorstep. The university has added a £100,000 gym to its sports facilities, which include a sports hall and outdoor pitches on the Park Campus.
The town has a number of student-oriented bars, but the two campuses’ union bars remain the hub of the social scene.
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Detailed Statistics
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
CATEGORY
SCORE
RANK
Ranking
-
56 (59)
Student experience
85.3
13th=
Research quality
1.3
108th=
Ucas entry points
280
109th=
Graduate prospects
60.2
83rd=
Firsts and 2:1s
61.1
91st=
Completion rate
84.1
77th
Student-staff ratio
19.8:1
89th=
Services/facilities spend (£)
2,439
7th
VITAL STATISTICS
Undergraduates
(Full-time)
9,085
Undergraduates
(Part-time)
2,505
Postgraduates
(Full-time)
765
Postgraduates
(Part-time)
1,685
Applications/places
17,185/3,190
Applications/places ratio
5.4:1
STUDENT CITIES
Victor Agboola, students’ union president
A green campus with lots of squirrels, badgers and rabbits running about.
We’re not in the town centre but free buses will get you there.
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Cost of living
Nightlife
Transport
Culture
ACCOMMODATION
Places in accommodation
2,156
Accommodation costs
£60-£123
Accommodation contact
FEES
UK/EU fees
£9,000
Fees (placement year)
£825
Fees (international)
£10,500-£11,500
Finance website
Graduate salaries
£18,272
BURSARIES/SCHOLARSHIPS
>
Household income below £25K, a bursary of £500 bursary a year.
>
Enhanced access and retention support.
SPORT
Sports points/rank
270, 78th
Sport website
Student satisfaction
93.9%
91.0%
89.5%
89.1%
89.1%
88.6%
88.4%
87.1%
86.3%
85.8%
85.6%
85.3%
85.1%
84.9%
83.8%
83.4%
80.2%
79.2%