Lancaster University is a collegiate university in the UK city of Lancaster and a member of the N8 Research Partnership: an association of the eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England.

The university dates back to 1947 when a public meeting in Lancaster supported the proposal for a university college to be founded in the city, although it was 1964 before its first students were admitted. Its original site was in St Leonard’s Gate in the middle of the city. Today, the campus occupies a picturesque, 360-acre parkland site three miles from the city centre.

Lancaster is one of just a few universities within the UK to have a collegiate system. It is home to nine colleges overall, eight for undergraduate students and one for postgraduates.

The campus has the feel of a small town with banks, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, a pre-school centre and health services.

Students can also enjoy the campus’s own theatre and art gallery, home to an international art collection that includes Japanese and Chinese art, antiquities, and works by 20th century British and European artists, including Miró and Ernst.

The university is located close to mountains and the sea. The Lake District National Park and the Forest of Bowland, areas of outstanding natural beauty, are both within close proximity.

Lancaster has a strong reputation globally. Its international partnerships with higher education institutions include Sunway University College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the GD Goenka World Institute in India, COMSATS in Pakistan, and the Brazil-based Federal University of Lavras.

Lancaster is consistently voted one of the best-value universities for students and its student halls often win awards too.