The University of Leeds, established in 1904, is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK. Here are some more facts and figures about the University:
Academic excellence
- We are a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities.
- Our staff have been awarded 29 National Teaching Fellowships.
- We are part of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), which comprises 23 research-intensive institutions spanning six continents.
- We were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary prize, the country’s highest accolade for an academic institution, in 2009, 2011 and 2021.
- In our latest audit by the Quality Assurance Agency the University received a commendation, the highest category of praise available, for our enhancement of student learning opportunities.
Our University community
- We have more than 39,000 students including more than 36,500 full time, 2,400 part time, 28,300 undergraduates and 10,700 postgraduates.
- We have over 13,400 international students from 137 countries, including exchange students.
- We have 3,500 student volunteers who contribute to local, regional and national projects.
- We have a global network of alumni and are in regular contact with more than 312,000 alumni in more than 197 different countries.
- We have 9,200 staff from more than 100 different countries.
- We contribute £1.3 billion every year to the UK economy – students add close to £200m of international revenue into the City Region each year.
Enterprise and initiatives
- Since 1995 we have created over 110 spin-out companies. Currently, our spin-out companies employ over 1000 people with six listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
- Our Spark initiative offers business start-up support and we run an annual business plan competition with prizes of up to £3,000 for entrepreneurial students.
The campus
- Our main campus is a ten minute walk from Leeds city centre.
- We have committed more than £520m to a transformative campus development programme.
- The Edge is our state-of-the-art fitness, sport and wellbeing facility, which includes a 25m eight-lane swimming pool and one of the largest fitness suites of any UK university.
- The students' union has more than 300 clubs and societies.
- Ours was the first students' union in the UK to be awarded Excellent status by the National Union of Students (NUS) as part of its Quality Students' Unions accreditation scheme. Ours was also the first students' union in the country to receive two gold standard awards for the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative.
Partnerships
- The University is home to the Leeds International Piano Competition and is part of the groundbreaking DARE collaboration with Opera North.
- We have a unique partnership with national institution Marks & Spencer – the company’s entire archive is based on campus.
- We are part of the White Rose University Consortium; a strategic partnership between three of the UK’s leading research universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York.
- We have launched a joint school with Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU) to deliver world-class teaching and research. The SWJTU-Leeds Joint School, based in Chengdu, China, will offer a unique UK-Chinese engineering curriculum and is the first overseas school to be set up by the University of Leeds.
Performing wonders
- The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Editors and Ed Sheeran have all played at the University Refectory.
- A number of musicians have studied at the University including Alt-J, Little Boots, Corinne Bailey Rae, and members of Gang of Four, The Wedding Present, Bastille, The Mekons, Sisters of Mercy and the Kaiser Chiefs.
Last updated 4 February 2022