University of Gloucestershire

About University of Gloucestershire

The University of Gloucestershire is a regulated English higher-education provider whose legal and administrative base is in Cheltenham. It is incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee and operates as an exempt charity, so private-nonprofit is the closest normalized institutional category. Its governing Council is responsible for the university’s educational character and mission, while the Office for Students oversees its regulatory and charity-law obligations. Teaching is distributed across Park and Francis Close Hall campuses in Cheltenham and Oxstalls and City campuses in Gloucester. This structure is central to the student experience: subjects, specialist facilities and nearby housing options vary by campus. City Campus officially opened in 2026, adding a city-centre base for education, psychological sciences and social work. Park includes creative and computing provision, Francis Close Hall covers subjects such as humanities and sciences, and Oxstalls combines business, law, sport, health and related fields. The institution confers awards in its own name. Its 2026/27 academic regulations cover bachelor’s and master’s qualifications, PhDs and professional doctorates, confirming that this is a degree-granting university rather than a college, department or teaching centre. Prospective students should use the course finder to confirm the exact campus, mode, start date and professional requirements for their intended program.

For September 2026 entry, applications to full-time undergraduate degrees are made through UCAS. The university’s published equal-consideration deadline was 14 January 2026 at 6 p.m., but it states that later applications may be considered where places remain and that Clearing opened on 2 July. Applications to many part-time degrees are submitted directly through the relevant course page. Requirements are course-specific and may use A levels, BTEC qualifications, other recognized credentials or a UCAS Tariff total. The university’s general guidance says applicants to an honours degree should normally hold at least two A levels or equivalent, or a foundation degree, together with GCSE English at grade 4/C. Some courses additionally require GCSE mathematics or science, an interview, audition, portfolio, occupational checks or other evidence. Applicants should rely on the individual course page because the general threshold does not replace program requirements. International candidates must check both the course requirements and the university’s country-specific guidance. The application process may require academic records, English-language evidence, a passport, references, a statement of purpose and, for many research programs, a proposal. Undergraduate international applications use UCAS or an authorized agent, while eligible postgraduate applications can be submitted directly. The university’s published international deadlines for September 2026 have passed or are imminent as of 20 August 2026, so late applicants must obtain confirmation from Admissions rather than assume a place or visa timeline remains available.

The university’s course finder separates undergraduate degrees, taught postgraduate degrees, postgraduate research degrees, integrated foundation years, higher and degree apprenticeships, professional courses and short courses. Its subject portfolio spans more than 20 areas, including accounting and finance, architecture and the built environment, art, biosciences, business, computing and cybersecurity, criminology and forensics, design, education, humanities, health, sport and social sciences. Availability and award type must be checked on the individual course page because not every subject is offered at every level or campus. Academic provision is closely tied to campus. Park is the creative and computing campus; Francis Close Hall supports humanities, architecture, illustration and sciences; Oxstalls hosts business, accounting, law, marketing, sport, health and social care; and City Campus serves education, psychological sciences and social work. This organization can provide subject-specific facilities, but students combining activities across sites should examine travel times before enrolling. Research students join subject communities and work with supervision teams offering subject and methodological expertise. The university states that most research degrees have October and February intakes and may be studied full-time or part-time; international students studying in the UK under a student visa must study full-time. Its 2026/27 regulations explicitly recognize bachelor’s, master’s, PhD and professional-doctorate awards. Applicants should confirm course-specific accreditation, placements, assessment methods and intake dates rather than assuming that university-wide arrangements apply to every program.

Key Highlights

• Independent degree-granting provider regulated by the Office for Students
• Nonprofit legal structure as a company limited by guarantee and exempt charity
• Four campuses distributed between Cheltenham and Gloucester
• City Campus in central Gloucester officially opened in 2026

Student Life & Environment

Student life is spread across two neighbouring cities rather than concentrated on one campus. The university advertises clubs and societies, sport and fitness, chaplaincy activities, equity and inclusion resources, volunteering and support for students who commute from home. Students should check where their course is taught because social facilities, travel patterns and nearby housing differ between the Cheltenham and Gloucester sites. University and partner-managed halls are available on or near the campuses, including accommodation associated with Park and Oxstalls and off-site options such as Pittville Student Village, Blackfriars and Upper Quay. The halls pages publish room-specific 2026/27 rents and state that residences follow the Universities UK accommodation code. Private housing and university-approved lodging are additional possibilities. Libraries and study spaces are campus-based. Oxstalls Library, for example, provides books, journals, computers and term-time 24-hour study space. Students at the central Gloucester campus can also access the public library located in the same development. Because the campuses are separated, prospective students should compare their likely timetable with housing, late-evening transport and society locations before choosing accommodation.

Location & Surroundings

The university operates in Cheltenham and Gloucester in southwest England. Park and Francis Close Hall are in Cheltenham, while Oxstalls and City Campus are in Gloucester. Francis Close Hall is about a six-minute walk from Cheltenham town centre, and Park is about an eleven-minute walk away. Gloucester’s City Campus is approximately three minutes on foot from the city’s transport hub and six minutes from its railway station. The two Gloucester campuses are roughly a 25-minute walk apart. Travel between Gloucester and Cheltenham campuses is substantially longer, and the university advises using bus, bicycle or car rather than walking. Stagecoach services connect local destinations, while secure cycle storage is available at several university sites. This two-city arrangement offers access to Cheltenham’s town centre and Gloucester’s historic central area, docks and Quays, but it requires practical planning. Students should identify their teaching campus before selecting housing and should budget for inter-campus travel if their academic or extracurricular commitments cross the two cities.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition is determined by fee status, study level, course and mode. The university publishes separate 2026/27 lists for home and international undergraduate study, home and international taught postgraduate study, and postgraduate research. Applicants should use the amount on their specific course page or the applicable fee list rather than infer a single university-wide price. The 2026/27 tuition policy applies from 1 August 2026 through 31 July 2027 and explains payment liability, instalment arrangements, additional course charges, bursaries and the treatment of accommodation fees. Housing is an additional charge. The halls directory lists 2026/27 rents by residence and room type, allowing students to compare options near their teaching campus. Food, transport between sites, study materials and any course-specific costs should be budgeted separately. Eligibility for UK government loans depends on personal circumstances and fee status; international students should also review the university’s current scholarships and deposit or payment conditions. Career support includes career coaching, interview preparation, help locating placements, temporary paid work through Unitemps and access to professional mentoring and volunteering. The university reports that 94% of its 2023/24 leavers were in work or further study in the Graduate Outcomes Survey published in 2026. It also advertises continued graduate coaching and a conditional support-and-internship promise, but students should read the eligibility terms instead of treating the internship as automatic.