About the university

It is one of the oldest English higher education establishments of any kind, pre-dating all but Oxford, Cambridge, London and Durham, and its original buildings in the Roman city of Chester were the first in the country to be purpose-built for the professional training of teachers. The Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral donated land on Parkgate Road for this endeavour. In 1842, Gladstone opened the College's original buildings for its first intake of 10 male student teachers on the Parkgate Road site, just outside the City Walls, that the University still occupies today, after the College moved from its initial, temporary base in Bridge Street.

The University of Chester now has 1,880 staff and some 19,850 students, drawn from the United Kingdom, Europe and further afield, particularly the United States, India, China, Nigeria, Turkey, Uganda, Pakistan, Ghana, Bangladesh, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. MPhil and PhD qualifications are an established and growing area of activity, with the University gaining the powers to award its own research degrees in 2007. The emphasis is very much on research that has practical benefits both economically and culturally, and the University provides consultancy support across a variety of areas of expertise. The University of Chester is extremely proud of its graduate employability rate, with 96% of our UK undergraduate students in employment or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE 2016-17).* The University’s dedicated Careers and Employability service puts your personal development and future employability first. They provide a variety of employability-enhancing experiences, from advice and guidance services, to events and initiatives, all aimed at helping you take the next steps towards your future goals.

*Destination of Leavers from Higher Education, whatuni

Ranking

• 69th in the Times University Guide 2021
• 81st in the Guardian University Guide 2021

Chester are ranked in the top 15 for Student Experience by both the Times Higher Education Survey.