Why choose Lincoln?

The University of Lincoln has recently been awarded gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2017, judged as delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. The University of Lincoln is ranked as a top 50 UK institution in both The Guardian University Guide 2018 and The Complete University Guide 2017, and nine out of ten of our most recent graduates were in work or further study six months after finishing their course, with two thirds in graduate level roles.

When you join us, you become part of a thriving academic community, live and learn in a safe, historic city, and have the opportunity to graduate with excellent career prospects.

Top Reasons to Choose Lincoln

University is a place to learn and it is also a place to develop life experiences and create valuable memories. It is an opportunity to discover your interests and build confidence in preparation for a successful future.

There are some great things going on at the University of Lincoln. It’s a fantastic place to live and study and as the start of your higher education academic experience it will prove challenging, exciting and transformative.

Innovative Teaching

The University of Lincoln has recently been awarded gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2017, judged as delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students.

The University of Lincoln is ranked as a top 50 UK institution in both The Guardian University Guide 2018 and The Complete University Guide 2017. The University featured in the top 10 of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2017 in the postgraduate and international categories. The University of Lincoln has also been commended by the Quality Assurance Agency for its approach to enhancing students' learning opportunities.

Chris Packham, one of our visiting professors describes the University of Lincoln as "exciting and staffed by innovative people.”

Excellent Employment Prospects

95% of our most recent graduates were in work or further study six months after graduating, and almost three quarters were in graduate level roles according to the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2014/15.

Fabulous City Centre Location

Situated next to the picturesque Brayford Pool marina in the heart of the thriving city centre, just a few minutes’ walk from the High Street, there is a wealth of shops, restaurants and accommodation close to campus. The University of Lincoln was rated in the top 10% of UK universities for centralised, convenient facilities in the Times Higher Education's Student Experience Survey 2015.

Pioneering Research

Lincoln is proud to be home to world-leading researchers who are making profound contributions to their subject areas. Research enables us to discover, disseminate and preserve knowledge. More than half of the research submitted by Lincoln to the national Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 was judged to be internationally excellent or world-leading (3* or 4*) – the highest scores possible.

Cutting-edge Facilities

We have invested more than £200 million in our campus with a further £130 million spend planned over the next ten years.
Our Brayford Pool Campus has facilities designed for the subject-specific needs of our students. Editing and recording suites, industry-standard production facilities, modern studios and well-equipped workshops are available for those studying arts-based subjects, while students in engineering and computing have access to laboratories, workshops and the latest equipment and technology. Science students have access to specialist equipment and cutting-edge laboratories at our Science and Innovation Park.

Unique Employer Links

The University of Lincoln is recognised for excellence in teaching and learning through its pioneering approach to working with industry. Our unique relationship with companies such as Siemens and the Lincolnshire Co-op demonstrate our innovative industry-engaged approach. This has been acknowledged through a Lord Stafford Award and a Times Higher Education Award.

Great Visiting Minds

Alongside our world-class academic staff, some of the finest thinkers in their fields come to Lincoln to deliver inspirational talks to our students as part of our Great Lives visiting lecturers programme. Past speakers have included John Hurt, Chris Packham, Jason Bradbury, Dallas Campbell, Abbie Hutty, John Bercow MP, Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Steve Cram, Angela Rippon, Professor Lord Robert Winston and Carl Djerassi.

Lincoln is a Great Visitor Destination

Lincoln is recognised as one of the world's great historic cities, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. With its medieval castle and one of the finest cathedrals in Europe, Lincoln is steeped in history.

Lincoln has been named as one of Britain’s 20 Best Cities in 2016 by the Telegraph. Lincoln's famous cobbled Steep Hill was also named one of the prettiest streets in Britain by the Daily Telegraph, having previously been named Britain's Best Street by the Academy of Urbanism.

Key Facts About the University of Lincoln

1. A university working with its city and across the nation

• The University has invested around £200 million in the stunning Brayford Pool Campus that has transformed a city centre brownfield site, revitalised the area and attracted investment from the retail, leisure and property sectors. We plan to invest a further £130 million in the campus over the next few years.
• The University of Lincoln is estimated to be worth more than £300 million to the local economy, doubling local economic growth rates, and creating more than 3,000 new jobs.
• The University’s award-winning business incubation centre, Sparkhouse, has supported more than 300 new and growing businesses to establish themselves in the region and create over 450 new jobs.

2. Supporting UK industry and the economy

• Lincoln is recognised for leading the way in successful partnerships with business. This was highlighted in the recent reviews into links between industry and academia by Sir Andrew Witty and Sir Tim Wilson.
• The National Centre for Food Manufacturing at the University’s Holbeach campus is a state-of-the-art training facility, sponsored and updated by the multi-billion pound food industry.
• The University delivers work-based learning for industry and the Ministry of Defence, enhancing workforce skills and saving the UK taxpayer millions of pounds.
• Lincoln opened the UK’s first purpose-built engineering school in 25 years in collaboration with Siemens plc. This pioneering approach to working with employers has been acknowledged through a series of national awards and accolades, including a Times Higher Education Award and a Lord Stafford Award.
• The University has created the new city centre Lincoln Science and Innovation Park in collaboration with Lincolnshire Co-operative as a hub for investment in science and technology sectors. The flagship Joseph Banks Laboratories opened in September 2014.
• The expertise of Lincoln academics and graduates is embedded in national and local companies through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
• Contract research and consultancy purchased from the University by businesses and the public sector over the past five years is worth almost £16 million.

3. Research with real impact for people and society

• The University of Lincoln is producing world leading research across many subject areas.
• More than half (53%) of the research submitted by the University to the national Research Excellence Framework 2014 was rated as internationally excellent or world leading – the highest standards possible.
• The University’s academic staff includes more than 60 substantive professors, who support a thriving research culture and a high-quality student experience.
• The University is home to more than 40 research centres and research groups, investigating subjects ranging from Vision Engineering and Autonomous Systems to Conservation and Cultural Heritage.
• Major research projects from the University benefit society in areas as varied as new vaccine development, agri-food technology, medical imaging for cancer diagnosis, anti-terrorist surveillance, conservation of historic buildings, treatment of insomnia and children’s language development.
• A multi-disciplinary approach ensures many projects involve experts from across the University’s different Schools and Colleges. For example, the Lincoln Institute for Health brings together expertise spanning laboratory-based science to frontline medical interventions.
• The University is committed to research-engaged teaching across its curriculum, giving undergraduate students opportunities to work with postgraduates and academic staff on research projects through Lincoln’s pioneering Student as Producer initiative.

4. Very satisfied students

• Lincoln is ranked 11th in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2016. In addition, Lincoln has been ranked number one in a range of NSS subject areas including Zoology, Transport and Travel, Design, Biochemistry and Animal Science.
• The University is committed to developing enterprising graduates, with Lincoln students enjoying good graduate prospects and many going on to start their own successful businesses. Ninety five per cent of our most recent graduates were in work or further study six months after finishing their course, with almost three quarters in graduate level roles [Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2014/15, published July 2016].
• Working in partnership with the Students’ Union enables the University of Lincoln to constantly improve a great student experience

5. Commitment to academic excellence

• In its most recent Quality Assurance Agency review, the University received an excellent result and was commended for the innovative ways in which it gives its students a voice.
• Lincoln is proud to be accredited by a number of professional bodies, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, Health Professions Council, General Social Work Council, British Psychological Society, National Council for the Training of Journalists, Periodical Training Council, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Law Society, Bar Council and Institute of Biomedical Science.

6. Global engagement

• Around 100 different nationalities are represented among the University of Lincoln’s student population.
• The University has partnerships with major universities around the world and the International Study Centre is working to extend its global reach.
• The University of Lincoln supports multinational companies and organisations in their education, training, research and consultancy needs.
• The University has played a key role in local, national and international celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015, including the creation of 1215.today – a major new digital arts platform supported by Arts Council England.

7. Driving change in higher education

• The University led the pioneering Learning Landscapes project to design academic spaces of the future.
• Lincoln headed the innovative Student as Producer project, a major Higher Education Academy-funded initiative designed to investigate and promote student involvement in research right from the start of their studies.
• Lincoln's Vice-Chancellor Professor Mary Stuart is a Member of the Board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Deputy Chair of the University Alliance.

8. Strong community focus

• The University of Lincoln is a supporter of the Lincoln Book Festival, Lincolnshire Business Awards, Lincolnshire Sports Awards and the Frequency Festival of Digital Culture.
• The Brayford Campus boasts spectacular arts venues in the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, one of the largest theatres in the region, the Engine Shed live music venue and the Project Space Plus art gallery.
• The University hosts a variety of free-to-attend public lectures, including the Great Lives guest lecture series which brings internationally recognised experts to the stage to share their learning, experience and expertise. Speakers have included Sir John Hurt, Professor Lord Robert Winston, and Baroness Susan Greenfield.
• The University of Lincoln is a partner in the Lincoln Cultural and Arts Partnership, a body which brings together public and private organisations across the city to support and enhance tourism and the visitor economy.
• Siren FM, housed in industry-standard studios in the Lincoln School of Film & Media, was the UK’s first full-scale community radio station hosted by a university. It was named East Midlands Radio Station of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
• Each year, more than 1,500 Lincoln students contribute around 15,000 volunteering hours to valuable community projects in and around the city and wider Lincolnshire region. The total economic value of the volunteering hours undertaken by the University community is estimated at almost £500,000.

9. Social mobility and diversity

• The University is committed to raising aspirations among 14 to 19-year-olds, and works with schools locally and nationally to promote and assist progression to Higher Education.
• As part of the Government’s National Networks for Collaborative Outreach (NNCO) programme, the University of Lincoln leads the Lincolnshire Outreach Network, which encourages and supports more young people from local schools and colleges to access higher education.
• In 2013 Lincoln joined the Sorrell Foundation Network and the University hosts the National Art and Design Saturday Club. This free programme of events for local secondary school pupils encourages creativity by providing expert tuition in design subjects with access to the University’s industry-leading facilities
• The University supports students from less advantaged backgrounds by offering a number of bursaries and scholarships. These include the University of Lincoln Scholarship, the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Excellence Scholarship, Lincoln Graduate Scholarship and the Blackburn Bursary. Through its industry partnerships, it also offers Santander Scholarships and Siemens Engineering Bursaries.

10. Quality and success in a few short years

• The University of Lincoln was the first new city centre campus to be built in 25 years thanks to public and private subscription contributing £32 million.
• The Lincoln campus was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1996. The former University of Lincolnshire and Humberside became the University of Lincoln in 2001.
• The University now hosts around 13,000 students and 1,500 staff across campuses in Lincoln, Riseholme and Holbeach.
• The University of Lincoln’s Students’ Union won the title Students' Union of the Year at the National Union of Students (NUS) Awards 2014.
• The University’s facilities were used as a Pre-Games Training Camp by Paralympic athletes ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.