Located in the North East of England three hours by direct train from London, Durham is a World Top 100 University (QS World Rankings 2019) and consistently ranked 5th in the UK (The Times and the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018)

A university with modern values but long traditions, Durham has been forward-looking since its establishment in 1832 and is the third oldest university in England. Durham was one of the first universities to admit women on an equal footing to men (1890), to establish medical training (1834) and the first to award Civil and Mining Engineering degrees to meet regional and national needs during the industrial revolution (1838).

Durham University offers over 200 undergraduate courses, and over 130 postgraduate taught and research programmes. The university has an international student body, with 30% of its students originating from outside of the UK, and representing over 150 different nationalities.

Durham has a reputation for academic excellence, as well as two top-ranked subjects (English & Music), Durham ranks in the top 10 for 31 out of 33 subjects offered (Complete University Guide 2019). Durham University has been awarded gold, the highest possible accolade in the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF). This comes as the University continues to strive to deliver world-class teaching, with significant investment in new facilities and innovative teaching practices. Durham has 9 Research Institutes and many more Research Centers focussing on areas of national and international importance.

Durham University is ranked in the top 10 in the UK for universities most targeted by leading recruiters in 2016/17 (High Fliers – Graduate Market 2018).
 

Facilities

Durham University is a collegiate university made up of 16 college communities, which form the center of our student’s residential and social life whilst studying at the university. The expectation is that all first-year students will live in college accommodation, and their college will be the place where they socialise and meet students and staff from all levels, disciplines and nationalities. Being part of a college means that Durham students get the benefits of a large, international university whilst living in a smaller, friendly scholarly community. As well as comfortable accommodation and a range of on-site facilities, colleges offer a high level of personal support and a full programme of student-led events and extra-curricular activities.

At Durham University there is a huge emphasis on extra-curricular activities with over 200 clubs and societies available to students. 

Durham University is home to a wealth of performing talent, with colleges and student societies presenting a wonderful range of comedy, drama and music, both old and new. Durham Student Theatre group incorporates many different production companies including DULOG, Durham Shakespeare Company, Castle Theatre Company, as well as several companies based at the individual colleges, offering a lively programme, showcasing performing talent and developing backstage skills. 

Durham’s musical life is so diverse and comprehensive that it is hard to escape. Ranging from orchestras, bands and choruses, to gospel choirs, gamelan ensembles, African drumming, and chamber choirs, there is something here catering for every musical taste.

Team Durham is the home of Durham Sport, and Durham University is proud to be the UK’s number 1 team sport university. Durham University supports an ever-growing number of high performing athletes and has teams that are amongst the most successful in the country. Performance teams in Basketball, Cricket, Fencing, Hockey, Lacrosse, Netball, Rowing, Rugby Union (Men's), Tennis and Volleyball are all supported by full-time coaching structures. The university’s philosophy at Durham is to provide opportunities in sport to allow exceptional people to do exceptional things. Durham’s College Sport program is larger than any other intra-mural competition offered in Britain and there is an opportunity for male and female students to participate in 15 sports, in over 380 different teams, on a weekly basis. 
 

 

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

The information on this page has been submitted by the higher education institution itself. If you want to know more, get in touch and one of our student advisors will answer all your questions!

Across the Pond is this university’s official representative for selected countries around the world which, depending on where you are from, means we can help you apply to its courses as well as with gathering all the documents needed to submit an application. We can normally offer a speedier route to help you since the institution is hugely popular and receives enquiries from all around the world on a daily basis. We also have close ties with the university’s international facing staff and as such can explain your grades, your academic background and the educational system in your home country. Our partner universities appreciate that students who apply through Across the Pond get the help they need, not only in terms of submitting the application and supporting documents, but also with everything leading up to arrival in the UK, such as student accommodation, visa and funding information as well as preparing for departure to the UK.

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Student population: ca. 19,300

Number of international students: ca. 5,300

City population: ca. 48,000

Location: Durham, North East England, 10 minutes by train from Newcastle, 2 hours from Edinburgh and 3 hours from London

Closest airports: Newcastle International Airport

Date of establishment: 1832

Areas of expertise:

  • Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience
  • Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies
  • Durham Energy Institute
  • Institute of Computational Cosmology
  • Wolfson Institute for Health and Wellbeing

Durham has 9 Research Institutes and many more Research Centres. 

Notable alumni:

  • Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Richard Adams, founder of fair trade organization Traidcraft
  • Paul Hawkins, inventor of the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking system
  • Sir Nick Scheele, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Company
  • David Sproxton, co-founder of Aardman Animations who produce Wallace & Gromit
  • Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project
  • James Todd, CFO at Unilever Africa
  • Neil Hunt, Chief Product Officer at Netflix
  • Gordon Lord, Head of Elite Coach Development at England & Wales Cricket Board
  • Mark Waller, Chief Marketing Officer at National Football League
Juan Pablo
MBA, Durham University

My desire to study in the United Kingdom began in my childhood, promoted partially by having received my primary education in a British-oriented Chilean school. Once I finished my undergraduate studies and had accumulated a few years of work… Read more

Jorge
Geology, Durham University

My name is Jorge, and I am a PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences, which is among the top 50 programs in the QS World University Rankings by Subject this year: Earth & Marine Sciences. I have always believed that the area of energy… Read more

Sathish
Psychology, Durham University

While I was nearing the end of my bachelors degree, I was telling my roommate about starting my masters in Psychology in the UK. He told me about the wonderful service called Across the Pond. This service would be able to help me apply to… Read more

Alejandro
Biology, Durham University

After having a wondering experience during my master’s at University of Nottingham, I decided to pursue a PhD in Biological Sciences at the Department of Biosciences, Durham University.

I chose Durham because I really liked the… Read more

Sara
Criminology, Durham University

Across the Pond was highly recommended to me by a friend, and it was an incredibly useful resource throughout my application process. Coming from an American high school, my college counselors didn't have a lot of experience with the UK… Read more

Noah
Durham University

My experience studying in the UK has been life changing, and Across The Pond was a huge help in making it happen. From applications to visas and all of the rest they made my experience run so smoothly - I can't imagine applying without… Read more

Laura
Anthropology, Medicine, Durham University

When deciding to pursue a master's degree in the UK I was really excited for my year-long adventure, but very stressed about the path it would take to get there. Browsing the Internet, I stumbled upon Across the Pond and their services… Read more

Krystal
Culture, Management, Durham University

Even though I have been to the UK many times and stayed for a few months at a time living in the UK was a completely different experience. Making friends and getting settled was easy at Durham, everyone was friendly and helpful and the… Read more

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Student Accommodation in the UK

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Where do you live when studying abroad? Do universities in the UK offer student housing? How much does student accommodation cost?

Visa for European Students who want to study in the UK

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Do you want to study in the UK and are wondering if you need a visa?

Digital meeting with a Student Advisor

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Book an online session with an advisor with Across the Pond to learn more about studying in the UK! 

Send me more information!

We would be happy to answer all your questions about studying in the UK!

❗️Please note that our university partnerships vary from region to region. Once we are in touch and know where you are from, we can indicate the options available in your country.

Which country are you from?

We noticed you chose Norway.

There is a dedicated website for Norwegian students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.

We noticed you chose Canada.

There is a dedicated website for Canadian students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.

We noticed you chose the United States.

We would love to be able to help all students in all circumstances but unfortunately US federal rules prohibit third party involvement for candidates anticipating making use of federal funding.

We noticed you chose Mexico.

There is a dedicated website for Mexican students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.

We noticed you chose Colombia.

There is a dedicated website for Colombian students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.

We noticed you chose Sweden.

There is a dedicated website for Swedish students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.

We noticed you chose Chile.

There is a dedicated website for Chilean students where you can find specific information and make an enquiry.