Lancaster University: History, Rankings, Fees and Admissions

Lancaster University is a public institution of higher education in Lancaster, Lancashire. It was founded in 1964. The Motto of this university in English is Truth lies open to all. This university is officially known as The University of Lancaster. It is one of the several new universities established in the 1960s.

Lancaster University History

Almost 7 new Plate Glass Universities were announced including Lancaster between 1958 and 1961. On November 23, 1961, the choice of Lancaster as the site of the 4^th new university was announced. In 1964, this university was founded by royal charter.

The charter fixed that Princess Alexandra of Kent be the first chancellor. She was inaugurated in 1964. Also, the ceremony saw the giving way of different honorary degrees to dignitaries including Prime Minister Harold Wilson. In 2004, Princess Alexandra retired as Chancellor. She was the longest-serving chancellor of any British university at that time.

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She approved for the Chancellor Medal to be awarded for academic merit to the highest-performing undergraduates and postgraduates on her departure. In 1964, this university accepted its first students. Initially, there were 13 Professors, 32 Additional Members of Teaching and Research Staff, 8 Library Staff, and 14 Administrators on academic grades.

A lecture theatre and the university’s first Junior Common Room were based in Centenary Church which was an earlier Congregational church beside the old factory place of Waring and Gillow which were used to house the new students. Lonsdale and Bowland Colleges were established as the first two colleges of the university and all staff and students were owed to one of the two.

Although the first college buildings would not be completed until 1966 the first students shifted into residence and set up the first JCRs in October 1968. This university celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a succession of events during the year involving Alumni, Staff, Students, and Local Community Members.

Chancellor of Lancaster University

Name	Duration
Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy LG	1964-2004
Sir Christian Bonington CBE	2005-2014
Alan Milburn	2015-Present

Vice-Chancellors of the Lancaster University

Name	Duration
Sir Charles	1964-1980
Philip Reynolds CBE	1980-1985
Harry Hanham	1985-1995
William Ritchie OBE	1995-2002
Paul Wellings CBE	2002-2011
Mark Smith CBE	2011-2019
Andy Schofield	2020-Present

Student Enrolled at Lancaster University

In the academic year 2021-2022, this university enrolled a total of 17,770 students out of which 12,860 were Undergraduate students and 4,915 were Postgraduate students. This university had 3,323 total staff in 2021-2022.

Admission Criteria/Requirements at Lancaster University

For Graduate Admissions

Application Fees: No Application Fees

Admission Requirements:

Undergraduate Degree
GPA or Aggregate: At Least 60% from the Recognized University
English Language Proficiency Scores
TOFEL IBT: 87-94
IELTS: 6.5-7.0
Letter of Recommendation
Statement of Purpose
Resume

For Undergraduate Admissions

Application Fees: No Application Fees

Admission Requirements

High School Transcripts
GPA or Aggregate: 75% to 87%
English Language Proficiency Scores
TOFEL IBT: 87
IELTS: 6.5
Test Scores: SAT & ACT scores are not essential
Letter of Recommendation
Statement of Purpose

Tuition Fees at Lancaster University

Bachelors Tuition Fees

Student Type	Annual Tuition Fees
Domestic Students	9,250 GBP
International Students	20,930 GBP to 25,270 GBP

Master Tuition Fees

Student Type	Annual Tuition Fees
Domestic Students	4,596 GBP to 13,650 GBP
International Students	20,930 GBP to 25,700 GBP

Lancaster University Campus

Bailrigg

Bailrigg is the purpose-built campus of this university. It occupies a 360-acre site granted by Lancaster City Council. The buildings of the campus are situated on a hilltop the lower slopes of which are landscaped parkland which involves Lake Carter Duck Pond and university sports fields.

In the early 1900s, this lake was created and later named Lake Carter after Charles Carter the first Vice Chancellor of this university. Bailrigg integrates social, residential, and teaching areas in dissimilarity to several of the other campus universities.

Another main trait of the design was that there would not be a large central Students Union building but that the individual colleges would be the Centre of Social and Recreational Facilities.

The walkway runs from north to southwest and is covered for the majority of its length. Alexandra Square is the main plaza of the university. It is named after the first chancellor Princess Alexandra. It is at the center of the original campus.

South-West Campus

In 1998, this university began expansion onto the lower slopes of Bailrigg with the expansion of new buildings for Graduate College which is now part of South-West Campus. Development continued with the construction of InfoLab 21 and Alexandra Park which now houses Lonsdale College, Cartmel College, and En Suite rooms of Pendle College. The expansion of InfoLab 21 met objections with the building as a Dalek factory.

Lancaster University Ranking

In 2023, this university is ranked as 301-400 by Academic Rankings of the World Universities. It is ranked as #122 by QS World University Rankings and #155^th by Times Higher Education in the year 2024. Also, it is ranked 14^th by Times or Sunday Times in 2024.

Degree Programs Offered at Lancaster University

Bachelors Programs

Accounting and Finance
Advertising and Marketing
Architecture
Biochemistry
Biology
Business Analytics
Business Management
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Design
Economics
Fine Art
History

Master Programs

Biological Science
Computer Science
Engineering
Chemistry
Architecture
Creative Writing with English Literary Studies
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Data Science
Developmental Psychology
Accounting & Financial Management
Business Analytics
Economics

Lancaster University Organizations and Administration

Colleges

This university has 9 colleges. Most of the colleges have about 800 or 900 members and all on-campus housing. Locate with college blocks or individual flats being to one college or another every year according to demand.

In 1992, before the founding of the 9^th college, a Graduate College, the 8 colleges housed both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. Seven of the eight Undergraduate Colleges are named after regions of the traditional county of Lancashire

Name	Foundation	Students (2015/2016)
Bowland College	1964	1,230
Cartmel College	1968	1,080
The County College	1967	1,530
Furness College	1966	1,010
Fylde College	1968	1,040
Graduate College	1992	3,610
Grizedale College	1975	1,160
Lonsdale College	1964	1,420
Pendle College	1974	1,160

Academic Departments

This university is distributed among 4 faculties. Each of the faculty is led by a Dean and by a Head of Department.

Arts and Social Sciences Faculty

Department of Educational Research
Department of English Literature & Creative Writing
Department of History
Department of Languages & Cultures
Department of Sociology
Department of Politics, Philosophy & Religion
Department of Linguistics & English Language
Lancaster University Law School

Faculty of Health and Medicine

Division of Health Research
Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences
Lancaster Medical School

Faculty of Science and Technology

School of Computing and Communications
Department of Chemistry
Department of Engineering
Lancaster Environmental Center
Department of Psychology
Natural Sciences
Department of Physics
Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Lancaster University Management School

Accounting & Finance
Centre for Education, Training & Development
Department of Economics
Department of Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Innovation
Department of Leadership & Management
Department of Management Science
Department of Marketing
Department of Organization, Work & Technology

Lancaster University Research

In the year 2021-2022, this university’s income was almost £48.1 million. It was ranked as #18^th out of 128^th United Kingdom Universities in the Research Excellence Framework in 2014. This university announced a partnership with the UK’s biggest Arms Company and 4 other North Western universities to work on the Gamma Programs which aims to develop Autonomous systems in 2014.

Autonomous Systems replace humans in tasks that are Mundane, Dangerous, and Dirty or detailed and particular across sectors including Aerospace, Nuclear, Automotive, and Petrochemicals.

Lancaster University Library

In 1964, in the South-West corner sits the library designed by Tom Mellor and Partners. The first phase was opened in September 1966 and the second in July 1968. The third one was opened in January 1971. In 1977, the library was comprehensive and underwent a phased renovation in 2014 which was finished in 2016.

The Library Extension Project was done which introduced further student study space and Living Walls, Exhibition, Research Space, and Digital Studio in 2021, In 1998, The Ruskin – Library, Museum, and Research Centre opened next to the library.

Lancaster University Affiliations

N8 Research Partnership (N8 Group)
Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
Associate to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Association of MBAs (AMBA)
North West Universities Association (NWUA)
European Universities Association (EUA)
EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)
Universities UK

Contact Us

Address

Bailrigg, LA1 4YW Lancaster, United Kingdom

Phone No

+44 1524 65201

Official Website

www.lancaster.ac.uk

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the GPA requirement at this university?

The minimum GPA required at this university is 3.0 out of 4.0.

What is the acceptance rate of the University of Lancaster?

The Acceptance rate at this university is between 18.69%.

What is the gender distribution ratio at this university?

The gender ratio at this university from male to female consists of 58%: 42%.

What are the core values at this university?

Diversity of Thought
Belief
Background

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