Park Square
Luton LU1 3JU

Tel 0800 389 6633

admissions@beds.ac.uk

www.beds.ac.uk

Sunday Times ranking 98 (104)

Teaching excellence 63.2%

Student satisfaction 74.8%

Head teacher ranking 80= (117=)

Peer ranking 115 (121)

Research quality 8.8%

A/AS-level points 202

A-levels for entry 54%

Unemployment 7.1%

Firsts and 2:1s 44.8%

Student/staff ratio 23.8:1

Dropout rate 20% (19%)

Undergraduates 6,575 (3,739)

Postgraduates 822 (915)

Teaching staff 375

Applications/places 7,445/2,059; 3.6:1 (+35.1%)

Clearing entry 10%

Bursaries 100%: £305-£800

Scholarships Various: £1,000

EU/overseas 2.6%/2.4%

Mature 40.4%

State school 100%

Lowest social classes 43%

Low-participation areas 20%

Live in 21% (100%) £67-£77

The rebranding of the University of Luton has yielded an instant dividend in a 35% rise in applications to the shiny new University of Bedfordshire. The name change coincided with the transfer of De Montfort University’s former Bedford campus – home to some of the most highly-rated teacher training and sport science courses in the UK – to the University of Luton last year. And, hey presto, the University of Bedfordshire was born.

Only two-thirds of the rise in applications can be attributed to the bigger size of the new university. Bedfordshire believes other factors contributing to its surge in popularity include the recycling of 79% of the income generated by last year’s introduction of £3,000 tuition fees into bursary and scholarship schemes.

Bedfordshire has come a long way since it finished bottom of the first Sunday Times university league table in 1998. A sharp improvement in assessments for teaching quality now gives it one of the stronger profiles among the post1992 generation of universities.

And the acquisition of the Bedford campus has given an injection of real quality. The sports courses offered at Bedford have gained top ratings and it produces a large proportion of the country’s PE teachers.

Five hundred en-suite rooms open for students this month at Bedford, which also has a new theatre and an £8m physical education and sports science centre. The Luton campus is also getting a £50m makeover.

Open days October 13; October 24 (Bedford only); February 9, 2008; March 22; April 19; July 12.

Student view Miriam Hubbard, students’ union president: USP Everyone is accepted.

Worst feature Students commute in, so it’s quiet over the weekends.

Location Transport links are great whether you want to go to London or abroad.

Social scene Activities in halls of residence are the focus this year.

Rated excellent (12) Anatomy and physiology; art and design; building; communication and media studies; drama, dance and cinematics; hospitality, leisure, recreation, sport and tourism; molecular biosciences; nursing and midwifery; organismal biosciences; pharmacology and pharmacy; psychology; teacher training.

Degree of student satisfaction: 74.8%

Law 85.7; Business 80.4; English-based studies 79.9; Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology 79.1; Education studies 78.0; Sports Science 77.8; Psychology 77.5; Communications and Information studies 75.1; Other subjects allied to Medicine 72.9; Computer Science 71.4; Art and Design 70.4; Social Work 67.7; Teacher Training 67.5; Performing Arts 66.5; Tourism, Transport, Travel and others in Business and Administrative studies 61.8

Times recommends

• Student bursary system 'penalises' the poor
• Number of part-time students doubles
• Students prefer studying to socialising, says survey