Overview

The University of Sussex was founded in 1961 and is located in Brighton on the south coast of England. There are currently around 18,000 students enrolled from over 120 countries and the University consistently performs well in the International Student Barometer, offering funded work placements as part of its student support and degree programmes. It is the only UK university located in a National Park.

The University of Sussex is ranked the 160th best university in the world by Times Higher Education, and has a number of subjects ranked in the global top 100, including business and economics, social sciences, psychology and law.

In the National Student Survey, 82% of Sussex students confirmed they are happy with their experience, whilst Brighton was ranked the happiest city in England for students, with 93% of University of Sussex and University of Brighton students surveyed saying they’re ‘very happy’ with their education and city life. There are a wide variety of scholarships available at Sussex for students of all background, and a full list can be found here.

Research is a core strength of Sussex, with Nobel Prize winners and fellows of the Royal Society and British Academy among its staff. The University has just finished a major £100 million redevelopment of the main campus, adding more facilities to fit the growing student population. Recent investment has further strengthened Sussex’s research profile, including the opening of institutes for the study of consciousness science, corruption and Middle East studies. Sussex is ranked 4th in the UK for research influence.

Services for International Students

New international students receive a handbook with useful pre-departure advice, as well as a free pickup service from London Heathrow Airport and a programme of events at the beginning of the year. Pre-sessional courses of up to ten weeks are available for students who have yet to meet the English language requirements for entry.

Academic support from the International and Study Abroad Office is free for degree course students and includes note taking, academic writing, referencing and general and intensive English courses.

Ranking

• 44th in the Times University Guide 2021
• 59th in the Guardian University Guide 2021
• 246th in QS World University Rankings 2021
• 160th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021

Following the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, 75% of Sussex research activity was ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. History, English, Geography and Psychology submissions all performed well.

Sussex is ranked highly in league tables across the world and was awarded Silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework. The University was praised for the very high proportion of Sussex students from all backgrounds who complete their course and go on to highly-skilled employment or further study. Students at Sussex are also very happy, with the University scoring 82% satisfaction following the last National Student Survey.

Following the 2019 THE World Rankings, Sussex achieved the following subject rankings:

• 60th in the World for Business and Economics
• 54th in the World for Social Sciences
• 89th in the World for Psychology
• 86th in the World for Law

Accommodation

The University of Sussex guarantees university-owned accommodation for all international students during their first year of study. There are currently 5,500 room’s available, most of which are on campus with some student houses available in Brighton.

All accommodation is self-catered, most are en suite and shared rooms are available. Off campus accommodation has a regular bus service to and from the campus, and the Student Union can also help students find private rented accommodation.

Location

Described by Lonely Planet as 'One of England's Gems', Brighton is lively and cosmopolitan with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. One of the UK’s most popular seaside towns, it is known as ‘London by the Sea’ for its strong nightlife and social scene. An historic association with the arts means that Brighton has plentiful galleries, theatres and cinemas, as well as more restaurants per resident than anywhere outside London. Each year the city hosts the Brighton festival (England’s largest arts festival), which brings together film, theatre, dance, comedy, literature, music, street performances and art.

The University is also within easy reach of London and major international airports at Gatwick and Heathrow.

Alumni

• Ian McEwan (Author)
• Frankie Boyle (Comedian)
• Rebeca Grynspan (Former Under-Secretary General of the UN)
• Ian Cullimore (Computer Scientist)
• A. C. Grayling (Philosopher)