University of Plymouth

Facing the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of South West England, Plymouth is ‘Britain’s Ocean City’ – a place with a pioneering history of international exploration, discovery and adventure that forms a vital part of the University’s DNA. First established more than 160 years ago as the Plymouth School of Navigation, the University of Plymouth has a proud track record of helping its students find their way in an increasingly complex world, including developing the essential skills, resilience and real-world experience they will need throughout their future careers. In 2023, Plymouth was one of fewer than 20 UK universities to achieve a triple Gold – the highest possible accolade – in the Teaching Excellence Framework. That followed success in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, where 78% of the University’s research was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent, with nine subject areas seeing 100% of their submission rated in the highest categories for impact. The University was the second in the UK to be verified carbon neutral and continues to invest in a sustainable future through upgrades to its estate. A three-time winner of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education – most recently in respect of its pioneering research on microplastic pollution in the ocean – Plymouth consistently ranks among the world’s leading universities in relation to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. With more than 18,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, plus a further 7,000 studying at partner institutions in the UK and around the world, and almost 200,000 alumni pursuing their chosen careers internationally, the University of Plymouth has a growing global presence.