University of West London

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

The University of West London (UWL) is a public research university in the United Kingdom with campuses located in Ealing, Brentford, and Reading. Its history stretches back to 1860, when the Lady Byron School, later Ealing College of Higher Education, was founded. Over the decades, it underwent several transformations, mergers, and expansions. By 1991, institutions such as Ealing College of Higher Education, Thames Valley College of Higher Education, Queen Charlotte’s College of Health Care Studies, and the London College of Music merged to form the Polytechnic of West London. Two years later, under the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, it became Thames Valley University (TVU). Through the 1990s, the university further expanded by merging with several nursing and midwifery schools.In 2004, it merged with Reading College and School of Arts and Design, which had roots as Reading Technical College founded in 1947. The university retained some Reading sites after later restructuring, though its Slough campus was closed in 2010. That same year, it was decided that the institution would adopt a new identity, and in 2011, it was officially renamed the University of West London. The rebrand signaled a focus on its Ealing and Brentford campuses, with a new logo unveiled as part of this transformation.Over time, UWL has invested heavily in improving its infrastructure, including a £100 million expansion of its Ealing campus completed in 2015, which introduced new facilities such as a library, student union, and advanced teaching spaces. More recently, the university merged with Drama Studio London in 2019 and with Ruskin College, Oxford, in 2021, further broadening its academic reach.Today, UWL is made up of nine schools, including the Claude Littner Business School, the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, the School of Computing and Engineering, the London College of Music, and several others, reflecting its diverse academic portfolio and continued growth.