University of Nottingham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of Nottingham

Coat of arms of the University of Nottingham
Motto	Latin: Sapientia urbs conditur
Motto in English	A city is built on wisdom
Type	Public
Established	1798 – As an Adult Education School 1881 – University College Nottingham 1948 – Received royal charter
Endowment	£72.5 million (2023)
Budget	£811.2 million (2022/23)
Chancellor	Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey
Vice-Chancellor	Shearer West
Visitor	Penny Mordaunt (as Lord President of the Council ex officio)
Academic staff	3,540 Nottingham based (2021/22)
Students	37,260 Nottingham based (2021/22) 47,532 worldwide (2019/20)
Undergraduates	28,690 (2021/22)
Postgraduates	8,570 (2021/22)
Location	Nottingham , England 52°56′20″N 1°11′49″W / 52.939°N 1.197°W / 52.939; -1.197
Students' Union	University of Nottingham Students' Union
Colours	Nottingham Blue
Affiliations	ACU AMBAs EQUIS EUA Midlands Innovation Russell Group Sutton 30 Universitas 21 Universities UK Virgo Consortium

The University of Nottingham is a large public university in Nottingham, England. It started as University College Nottingham in 1881. It became a full university with a special royal charter in 1948.

The university has a main campus called University Park. It also has Jubilee Campus and a teaching hospital in Nottingham. There are other smaller sites nearby. Outside the UK, the university has campuses in Semenyih, Malaysia and Ningbo, China.

Nottingham has five main groups of subjects, called faculties. These faculties have over 50 schools and departments. More than 46,000 students and 7,000 staff work across its campuses. In 2022–23, the university earned over £811 million. A big part of this came from money for research projects.

People who studied at Nottingham have won important awards. These include a Nobel Prize and a Fields Medal. The university is part of many important groups. These include the Russell Group and Universitas 21.

University History

How the University Started

The University of Nottingham began a long time ago. It started with an adult education school in 1798. Later, in 1873, the University of Cambridge offered special lectures there.

The university officially began as University College Nottingham in 1881. It helped students get ready for exams from the University of London.

In 1875, a secret donor gave £10,000. This money helped make the adult education and lectures permanent. The city of Nottingham agreed to build and run a college for this purpose.

The first stone for the college was laid in 1877. Former Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone did this. The college's new building opened in 1881. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany officially opened it.

In 1881, there were four professors. They taught Literature, Physics, Chemistry, and Natural Science. More subjects were added quickly. These included Engineering, Classics, French, and Education.

Growing the University

The university college grew a lot in the 1920s. It moved from the city centre to a large campus. This new campus was called University Park. It was finished in 1928.

The move was paid for by donations and public money. Jesse Boot (later Lord Trent) gave 35 acres (14 ha) of land in 1921. He wanted to create a top learning place for everyone.

Boot said that part of the new site should be for the college. The rest should be a park for the city's people. The lake and park were finished by the end of the 1920s. The old college building is now part of Nottingham Trent University.

University College Nottingham first used the Trent Building. This is a large white building with a clock tower. King George V officially opened it on 10 July 1928.

During this time, famous people visited Nottingham. These included Albert Einstein, H. G. Wells, and Mahatma Gandhi. Einstein's blackboard from his visit is still in the Physics department.

The college did not change much between the two World Wars. A department for Slavonic Languages opened in 1933. Other subjects like Electrical Engineering became separate departments. But further growth was stopped by World War II in 1939.

Becoming a University

University College Nottingham students got their degrees from the University of London. But in 1943, the university got its own royal charter. This meant it could give out its own degrees. In 1948, it officially became the University of Nottingham.

In the 1940s, an agricultural college joined the university. It became the School of Agriculture. In 1956, the Portland Building was finished. In 1970, the university opened the UK's first new medical school of the 20th century.

In 1999, Jubilee Campus opened. It was built on the old Raleigh Bicycle Company site. It is about one mile from University Park. Nottingham then started to open campuses overseas. Campuses in Malaysia and China opened in 1999 and 2004. In 2005, the King's Meadow Campus opened near University Park.

The university has used different logos. It started with its coat of arms. Later, it used a simpler logo with a picture of Nottingham Castle. In 2001, the university changed its logo to the one it uses now.

University Campuses

Campuses in the UK

University Park Campus

University Park Campus is the main campus. It is west of Nottingham city centre. It covers 330-acre (1.3 km²). The campus has a lake and a clock-tower. It also has lots of green parkland. University Park has won many awards for its buildings and gardens. It has been called the greenest campus in the UK.

At the south entrance, in Highfields Park, is the Lakeside Arts Centre. This is where the university holds public art shows. The D.H. Lawrence Pavilion has a theatre and art galleries. It shows the university's old writings and art by local artists. Other places nearby include the Djanogly Art Gallery and Recital Hall.

Jubilee Campus

Jubilee Campus was designed by Sir Michael Hopkins. Queen Elizabeth II opened it in 1999. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from University Park.

This campus has the Schools of Education and Computer Science. It also has The Nottingham University Business School. The National College for School Leadership is also here. More money was spent on Jubilee Campus in 2004. A second building for the Business School opened.

The campus buildings are very good for the environment. They have won many awards. These include the Millennium Marque Award for Environmental Excellence.

Jubilee Campus won an Energy Globe Award in 2005. The campus is known for its modern and unique buildings. One is Aspire. This 60-metre tall art structure is the tallest freestanding structure in the UK.

The university plans to spend £200 million on new buildings. These will be designed by Ken Shuttleworth. Some people do not like the architecture of Jubilee Campus. Some new buildings have been called among the worst designs in Britain.

A fire in September 2014 destroyed a building being built. It was rebuilt and opened in 2017.

Other UK Campuses

The City Hospital Campus has staff and students who study health. They focus on breathing problems, stroke, cancer, and public health. This campus grew in 2009. It now has a new public health institute.

Sutton Bonington Campus has the School of Biosciences. It also has the new School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. It is about 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Nottingham. The campus has old manor buildings and its own gardens and lakes. The University Farm is also at Sutton Bonington Campus.

King's Meadow Campus opened in 2005. It is on the old Central Independent Television Studios site. It mostly holds administrative offices. But it also has the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections. A TV studio is still there. It is rented out for film and TV work.

Castle Meadow Campus is a 3.75-hectare site. It is below Nottingham Castle. The university bought it in 2021. The buildings will be updated. The campus plans to open from 2023.

International Campuses

Nottingham has opened campuses in other countries. This is part of its plan to grow. The first international campus opened in 1999. It is in Semenyih, Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur.

In 2004, a campus opened in Ningbo, China. The Malaysia campus was the first British university campus in Malaysia. It won awards for this. In September 2005, the Malaysia campus moved to a new, specially built site.

The £40 million Ningbo campus was finished in 2005. John Prescott, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister, opened it in 2006. Like the Malaysia Campus, Ningbo Campus looks like University Park in the UK. It has a lake and its own Trent Building. It also has China's first zero-carbon building.

In 2012, the university started a new project. It joined with the East China University of Science and Technology. This is called the Shanghai Nottingham Advanced Academy (SNAA). It offers joint courses in Shanghai. Students can also study in Nottingham.

How the University is Organized

Subjects and Departments

The university has many schools and departments. They are grouped into five main faculties: Arts, Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences, Science, and Social Science. Each faculty has different subjects.

University Leadership

The main leader of the university is the Chancellor. This person is chosen by the University Court. The main academic and administrative leader is the Vice-Chancellor. Other leaders help the Vice-Chancellor.

The University Council is the main governing body. It has 35 members. Most of them are not academics. The Senate handles academic matters. It has senior academics and student representatives. The largest meeting group is the University Court. The Chancellor leads this group.

Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey, is the current Chancellor. She took over after Sir Andrew Witty retired. Sir Andrew Witty started in 2013. He took over from Yang Fujia.

The current Registrar is Paul Greatrix.

Vice-Chancellors of the University

Here are the people who have been Vice-Chancellor:

• 1948–1965: Bertrand Hallward
• 1965–1970: Frederick Dainton
• 1971–1975: John Butterfield
• 1976–1988: Basil Weedon
• 1988–2008: Sir Colin Campbell
• 2008–2017: Sir David Greenaway
• 2017–present: Shearer West

Academic Life

Research and Discoveries

Nottingham is a university that focuses on research. Two academics linked to the university won Nobel Prizes in 2003. Clive Granger won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Sir Peter Mansfield won the Nobel Prize for Medicine. This was for his work on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Nottingham is still a strong centre for MRI research.

The university has helped with other big scientific advances. Frederick Kipping discovered silicone polymers here. Plant scientists at Nottingham made major steps in growing plants in labs. They also created the first genetically changed tomatoes. Other inventions include cochlear implants for deaf children. They also helped create the "brace-for-impact" position used in aircraft.

In 2015, a group called Assemble won the Turner Prize. Joseph Halligan, an architecture tutor at Nottingham, is a member of this group. The university also has a very powerful supercomputer.

In 2014, over 80% of research at Nottingham was called "world-leading." This means it was very important and excellent. The university ranks high for the amount of money it gets for research. In 2015–2016, it got over £40 million for research projects.

The university is home to the Leverhume Centre for Research on Globalisation and Economic Policy (GEP). This centre studies how countries connect through trade and economics.

Becoming a Student

UCAS Admission Statistics 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Applications 56,890 57,570 55,375 54,170 53,800 Accepted 7,655 8,425 8,710 8,595 8,310 Applications/Accepted Ratio 7.4 6.8 6.4 6.3 6.5 Offer Rate (%) 71.1 67.7 71.9 75.2 74.2 Average Entry Tariff N/A N/A 154 152 147

HESA Student Body Composition (2022)

Domicile and Ethnicity	Total
British White	54%	54
British Ethnic Minorities	23%	23
International EU	3%	3
International Non-EU	20%	20
Undergraduate Widening Participation Indicators
Female	54%	54
Private School	20%	20
Low Participation Areas	8%	8

Nottingham is one of the UK's largest universities. It has students from over 130 countries. In 2022, about 20% of its undergraduate students came from private schools.

In 2022, Nottingham offered places to 67.7% of its undergraduate applicants. This means it is quite selective. In 2015, the university received 7.3 applications for every place. This made it one of the most competitive universities.

University Rankings

Rankings

National rankings
Complete (2021)	30
Guardian (2021)	59
Times / Sunday Times (2021)	32
Global rankings
ARWU (2020)	101–150
CWTS Leiden (2020)	137
QS (2021)	108
THE (2021)	130=
British Government assessment
Teaching Excellence Framework	Gold

The University of Nottingham has won several awards. It was named "University of the Year" in 2006. In 2008, it was the "Entrepreneurial University of the Year." In 2016–17, it was named 'University of the Year' for getting graduates jobs.

The Fulbright Commission calls Nottingham "one of the UK's oldest, largest, and most prestigious universities." In 2019, it was ranked 126th among universities worldwide.

In 2021, Nottingham was ranked joint 25th for the quality of its research. It was 7th for its research power. The 2024 QS University Ranking placed Nottingham 100th globally. It was 17th in the UK.

Nottingham is ranked 2nd in the UK for alumni who are CEOs. These are leaders of the 500 largest companies. In 2015, it was 78th globally for graduate employment. In 2019, it was Europe's 87th 'Most Innovative University.'

Subject Rankings

2025 UK Complete University Guide: Subject League Tables

• #4 for Veterinary Medicine

• #6 for Chemical Engineering

• #7 for Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
• #7 for Education
• #7 for Pharmacology and Pharmacy
• #8 for Architecture
• #8 for Nursing and Midwifery
• #10 for Law
• #11 for Sports Science
• #11 for Theology and Religious Studies
• #12 for Economics
• #12 for Sociology

2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings: By Subject

• #8 in the UK and #45 worldwide for Law
• #9 in the UK and #75 worldwide for Business & Economics
• #9 in the UK and #68 worldwide for Education
• #10 in the UK and #98 worldwide for Engineering
• #12 in the UK and #77 worldwide for Clinical & Health
• #14 in the UK and #95 worldwide for Psychology

Student Life

Students' Union Activities

The University of Nottingham Students' Union helps students with many activities. It has over 190 student groups. Another 76 sports clubs are part of the Sports Committee.

Nottingham students compete yearly in the Varsity Series. These are sports events against Nottingham Trent University.

The student newspaper is called Impact. It is published regularly during term time. The Students' Union also has its own radio station, University Radio Nottingham. Students perform plays at The New Theatre.

The Students' Union also runs a sound and lighting company. It is called TEC PA & Lighting. They provide services for events like graduations and balls.

The Students' Union also helps the local community. Over 4500 students volunteer each year. They help in local schools and community groups.

The Union has a large student-run charity group called "Karnival." In 2012, it raised £1.61 million. Karnival also ran "RAG raids" to raise money in other cities. In 2014, one raid raised over £66,000 for the Poppy Appeal. However, these raids were stopped in 2017 due to safety concerns.

Student Homes

The University of Nottingham has many student homes on its campuses. These homes are often named after places in the East Midlands. They are also named after important people linked to the university.

Sports Facilities

The David Ross Sports Village is a large sports centre. It has many different sports facilities. It opened in October 2016.

Notable People

• 

  D.H. Lawrence, a famous writer.

• 

  Peter Mansfield, a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 2003.

• 

  Sir Ian Kershaw, a historian and expert on Adolf Hitler.

• 

  Sir Martyn Poliakoff, a chemistry professor known for The Periodic Table of Videos.

• 

  Sir Clive Granger, an economist who won the Nobel Prize in 2003.

Many famous people have studied or worked at the University of Nottingham.

Nobel Prize or Fields Medal winners:

• Sir Clive Granger – Nobel Prize in Economics.
• Sir Peter Mansfield – Nobel Prize in Medicine for MRI work.
• Andre Geim – Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
• Caucher Birkar – Fields Medal-winning mathematician.

Academics:

• Sir Arthur Elijah Trueman – geologist.
• Milton Wainwright – microbiologist.
• Sir Keith O'Nions – former head of Imperial College London.
• Jeremy Lawrance – professor of Spanish studies.
• Ivy Pinchbeck – historian of women's economic and social life.
• Helen Willetts – meteorologist.
• Sir Martyn Poliakoff – chemistry professor and star of Periodic Table of Videos.
• Stewart Adams – helped create ibuprofen.
• Sir Ian Kershaw – historian.
• Sophie Harker – award-winning engineer.
• Monica Partridge – first woman professor at Nottingham in 1967.
• Morley Muse - founder of iSTEM.

Arts and Media:

• Emma Barnett – journalist and BBC presenter.
• Andrew Grima – British jewellery designer.
• Graham Dury – cartoonist.
• Haydn Gwynne – actress.
• D.H. Lawrence – writer.
• John Peel – writer.
• Ruth Wilson – actress.
• Theo James – actor.
• Clive Tyldesley – football commentator.

Business Leaders:

• David Ross – co-founder of The Carphone Warehouse.
• Jonathan Browning – former president of Volkswagen Group of America.
• Steve Holliday – former CEO of National Grid plc.
• Tim Martin – founder of J D Wetherspoon.
• Simon Nixon – billionaire businessman.
• John Rishton – former CEO of Rolls-Royce plc.
• Richard Scudamore – CEO of the Premier League.
• Sir Andrew Witty – former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.
• John Timpson – Chairman of Timpson.
• Tan Sir Francis Yeoh – Managing Director of YTL Corp Berhad Group.
• Ruth Yeoh – Executive Director of YTL Singapore.
• Peter Rice – President of 21st Century Fox.

Politics and Public Service:

• Tedros Adhanom – Director General of the World Health Organization.
• Jonathan Van-Tam – Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.
• Wei Shen Lim – helped create the CURB-65 pneumonia assessment.
• Najib Razak – former Prime Minister of Malaysia.
• Sir John Sawers – former head of MI6.
• Paul Dibb – Australian strategist.
• Judith Gough - ambassador.
• Theresa Tam – Canada's Chief Public Health Officer.
• Azlan Shah of Perak – 9th King of Malaysia.
• Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan – 10th King of Malaysia.
• Jeremy Browne – former government minister.
• Anthony Joseph Lloyd – former Mayor of Greater Manchester.
• Mazen Sinokrot – Minister of Economy, Palestinian Territories.
• Michael Dugher – former politician.
• Ahmad Tavakkoli – Iranian politician.
• Divya Maderna – Indian politician.
• Mikhail Svetov – Russian politician.
• Dennis Tan – Member of Parliament in Singapore.

Legal Professionals:

• Sir John Cyril Smith – criminal lawyer.
• Sir Nigel Sweeney – High Court judge.
• Punch Coomaraswamy – Supreme Court Judge (Singapore) and Ambassador.

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Nottingham para niños

• Academic dress of the University of Nottingham
• Armorial of UK universities
• China Policy Institute
• Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies
• International Trade Awards (2007)
• List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
• List of universities in the UK
• The George Green Institute for Electromagnetics Research