Never out of the top ten in The Times rankings, York has built a reputation in less than 50 years that places it among the top 75 universities in the world.

But the university has decided that, with little more than 12,000 students, it is too small to maintain that standing, play a leading role in the economy of the region and contribute to the national agenda for higher education.

In an audacious move for a highly selective university, York has begun to develop a second campus to accommodate a 50 per cent increase in student numbers.

The aim is for the first buildings on the Heslington East site, close to the existing campus, to be occupied by October 2009, but the development will take 10 to 15 years to complete.

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Development

The first cluster of buildings will include computer science and a new department of theatre, film and television, as well as residential accommodation and a central “hub” providing social facilities and teaching space. Eventually, there will be housing for 3,300 students, as well as more academic buildings, sports facilities and a performing arts and community complex.

Expansion into new subjects has already started, with the first law students arriving in 2007. The first undergraduates will follow in 2008 with the first intake in writing, directing and performance in theatre, film and television. The university believes that, with eight applicants for every place, other departments can grow at the same time as retaining or achieving a place in the top ten for their subject.

Access

Applications for degree courses were down by much more than average at the start of 2008, when UCAS cut the number of choices per applicant from six to five. There had also been a small decline in the previous year, when most universities had seen rising demand for places. Medicine was introduced in 2003 in partnership with Hull University. There were over 1,200 applications for 140 places at the Hull York Medical School for courses beginning in 2008.

York also runs its own nursing and midwifery programmes, which came fourth in our table for these subjects this year. No university had a better record in the teaching quality assessments. Half of the subjects assessed between 1995 and 2001 achieved perfect scores.

It has also done well in the National Student Survey, finishing in the top 20 in all three years of polling, with physics and biology doing particularly well in the 2007 results. Entrance requirements are high and the dropout rate of less than 5 per cent is among the lowest in the country. Although nearly eight out of ten undergraduates are state educated, only 17 per cent come from working-class homes.

Teaching

Every student has a supervisor responsible for their academic and personal welfare. Extra-curricular courses include language and computer literacy training, as well as courses on personal effectiveness, financial management, active citizenship and introduction to accounting. The business community is involved at every level. Undergraduates can also take the “York Award”, comprising a range of courses, work placements and voluntary activities which aim to prepare students for the world of work.

Over 600 students work as volunteer teaching assistants in local schools. Computer science, psychology and English were all rated internationally outstanding in the last Research Assessment Exercise, which placed 84 per cent of the academics in the top two of seven categories. The results placed York among the top six universities, as it is for the proportion of research funding that it attracts.

Student scene

The current campus occupies 200 acres of parkland, a mile outside the picturesque city centre. Students join one of eight colleges, which mix academic and social roles. Most departments have their headquarters in one of the colleges, but the student community is a deliberate mixture of disciplines, years and sexes. Nursing apart, only archaeology and medieval studies are located off campus, sharing a medieval building in the centre of the city.

Social life on campus is lively. There are two newspapers, television and radio stations, as well as several magazines, to keep students abreast of campus issues. Sports facilities are good, and include a 50-station fitness suite, four sports halls, and dance studio. Extensive playing fields are on campus and the River Ouse fosters a strong rowing tradition. Cultural events abound in the city, which is also famous for a high concentration of pubs. The club scene has improved, but students still head for Leeds for the top names.

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