Lancaster University

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Lancaster University, officially known as The University of Lancaster, is a collegiate public research university located in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. Established in 1964 by royal charter, it was one of several new universities founded in the UK during the 1960s. Initially based in St Leonard's Gate in Lancaster’s city centre, the university began relocating in 1967 to a newly constructed 300-acre campus at Bailrigg, situated about 4 km south of the city. The campus is structured around a central walkway known as the Spine, which leads to Alexandra Square, named after the university’s first chancellor, Princess Alexandra. As a residential collegiate university, Lancaster consists of eight undergraduate colleges named after historic Lancashire locations. Each college has its own accommodation, common rooms, staff, and bars, though they operate with limited autonomy. The university consistently ranks among the top fifteen in all three major UK national university league tables and has earned a Gold rating in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework in both 2017 and 2023. In the 2023/24 academic year, Lancaster had an income of £401.7 million, with £48.5 million coming from research grants and contracts, and an expenditure of £290.7 million. It is a member of the N8 Group, a coalition of northern research-intensive universities. Princess Alexandra served as chancellor from 1964 to 2004, making her one of the UK’s longest-serving university chancellors. Upon her retirement, she introduced the Chancellor’s Medal, awarded annually to high-achieving students. The university welcomed its first students in October 1964 and initially operated from repurposed buildings in Lancaster and Morecambe before moving to its current campus. Early academic activity took place in various city buildings, including churches and old factory spaces. Bowland and Lonsdale were the first colleges established, with students moving into the new campus residences by 1968.