History, Affiliations and Rankings
The University of Central Lancashire as 'Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge was founded in 1828. They changed their name to the 'Harris Institute' after receiving a large contribution from the Trustees of Edmund Robert Harris, and then to Lancashire Polytechnic in 1984. After the government granted polytechnic degree-awarding powers in 1992, Lancashire Polytechnic became the 'University of Central Lancashire.' The university is officially recognized/chartered by the Privy Council. The university has unique collaborations with University Alliance and Universities. According to the QS World Rankings 2022, the university is placed between #801 - 1000 and also as per Times Higher Education, it is ranked #801 - 1000 in the year 2022.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
UCLan's main campus is in Preston with top-notch teaching, research, recreation and other facilities. In addition to its main campus, the university has satellite campuses in Cumbria, Cyprus, and Burnley. The University of Central Lancashire has several academic schools and offers over 400 undergraduate and over 200 postgraduate programs. Some of the top faculties include arts, engineering, applied and biomedical sciences, business and management, psychology, social science, community service, design and fashion, medicine and nursing, language and global studies, journalism, media studies, and sports.
Accomplishments and Alumni
UCLan took home awards for Best International Collaboration of the Year, Excellence and Innovation in the Arts, and Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University Collaboration, which are often regarded as the Oscars of the higher education sector. It has been recognized in a total of five categories in the 2018 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, which is a new high. According to the Centre for World University Rankings 2019, it is in the top 6% of universities worldwide. TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Silver was also given to the university in 2017. UCL also has a comprehensive list of alumni who are world leaders and recipients of prestigious awards. It includes Mandeep Kaur Gill (English Actress), Ranvir Singh (Journalist), Andy Goldsworthy (Sculptor), Lee Mavers (English Musician), Paul Nuttall (Former Member of the European Parliament) among others.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
UCLan is a diverse community of around 30,000 students from over 100 countries, with 58% of female students and 48% of male students. The university alumni excel academically and are extremely employable. Over 69 per cent of their students get a First or 2:1, and 95.5 per cent of the graduates find work or continue their education within six months after graduation as per the Higher Education Statistics Agency 2018. Some of the top employers of university graduates are Amazon, United Utilities, AO, Microsoft and BBC.