Teesside used to describe itself as the Opportunity University, stressing its open access and customer-oriented approach.

But its latest mission statement stresses “pursuing excellence” to suggest that there will be no compromise on quality.

The formula is popular with undergraduates: the 2008 National Student Survey showed the university’s design and media students to be the most satisfied in the country. History, law and English also did well.

Teesside has long been among the leading new universities for the proportion of leavers going into graduate-level jobs or further training.

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The university also improved its grades in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, albeit with only a small proportion of its academics submitting work. Thirty per cent of the research was considered world-leading or internationally excellent, with computer science and history achieving the best results. Five research-led institutes will focus on digital innovation, health, culture, social science and technology.

Particiaption

Official performance indicators also show the university well ahead of the access benchmarks calculated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

It takes more undergraduates (over a quarter) than any UK university from areas of low participation in higher education, while almost half come from working-class homes. The projected dropout rate has improved, partly because of a European-funded programme on supporting non-traditional students, and is now well below the national average for the courses and entry qualifications.

Over 2,500 students are taking Teesside courses at local further education colleges, which are also involved in the growing range of full-time and part-time two-year Foundation degrees. The university has opened its first higher education centre attached to one of the colleges in Darlington.

The Passport scheme offers help and guidance to students considering going to university. However, the university’s best-known access initiative targets a much younger age group.

The prize-winning Meteor scheme gives primary school-children a taste of higher education, with university students acting as mentors while earning some useful extra cash and gaining experience of working in schools.

Demand

Although Middlesbrough has never been considered a fashionable student destination, the demand for places has been sustained at a time when some new universities were having recruitment problems. There was a decline in applications in 2008, the demand for places had recovered at the start of 2009, with a 7 per cent increase. Teesside is also becoming more popular with international students with the numbers from outside the EU almost doubling over the last two years.

There are now more than 21,000 undergraduates, over half of them taking part-time courses and more than a third over 21 on entry. The 9,500 health students are now by far the largest group in the university, but Teesside is strong in niche markets such as computer games design and animation, sport and exercise, forensic science and health-related courses like physiotherapy and radiography.

Development

More than £100 million has been spent in recent years on the town-centre campus. A new sport and health sciences building with dentistry training and hydrotherapy facilities is due to open in 2010. Recent developments include a £10-million centre for creative technologies, for computing, media and design students, and a £12-million Institute of Digital Innovation, which supports digital business enterprises.

Over 100 new graduate businesses have been incubated on campus since 2001 and Teesside has been awarded £5 million to help it become a leading business-facing university. Computer provision is generous, with 2,500 workstations available for student use. Specialist facilities for those studying computer games design, animation and digital media include a new digital sound and TV studio which can create special effects.

Middlesbrough has more nightlife than sceptics might imagine, and the booming student population has attracted new pubs, cafés and student-orientated shops in and around the Southfield Road area. The cost of living is another attraction: university rents are reasonable and the lively students’ union has twice won the title of students’ union of the year. Outdoor sports facilities include a £1.5-million watersports centre on the River Tees, which is shared with Durham University.

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