University of Kent

The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a semi-collegiate public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1965 and is recognised as a Beloff’s plate glass university. The University was granted its Royal Charter on 4 January 1965 and the following year Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was formally installed as the first Chancellor.

The university has its main campus north of Canterbury situated within 300 acres (120 hectares) of parkland, housing over 6,000 students, as well as a campus in Medway in Kent and European postgraduate centres in Brussels, Athens, Rome and Paris. The University is international, with students from 158 different nationalities and 41% of its academic and research staff being from outside the United Kingdom.

As of 2024, the University of Kent is ranked within the top 56 universities in the UK by the Guardian,  and top 51 in the Complete University Guide, and has consistently scored 90% or higher for overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey. In 2024, over 25,000 students applied to the University through UCAS and over 4000 accepted an offer. Almost three-quarters of the work submitted for the 2014 research assessments by the University was judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent. It is a member of the Santander Network of European universities encouraging social and economic development.

A university in the city of Canterbury was first considered in 1947, when an anticipated growth in student numbers led several residents to seek the creation of a new university, including Kent. However, the plans never came to fruition. A decade later both population growth and greater demand for university places led to a re-consideration. In 1959 the Education Committee of Kent County Council explored the creation of a new university, formally accepting the proposal unanimously on 24 February 1960. Two months later the Education Committee agreed to seek a site at or near Canterbury, given the historical associations of the city, subject to the support of Canterbury City Council.

By 1962 a site was found at Beverley Farm, straddling the then boundary between the City of Canterbury and the administrative county of Kent. The university’s original name, chosen in 1962, was the University of Kent at Canterbury, reflecting the fact that the campus straddled the boundary between the county borough of Canterbury and Kent County Council. At the time it was the normal practice for universities to be named after the town or city whose boundaries they were in, with both “University of Kent” and “University of Canterbury” initially proposed. The name adopted reflected the support of both the city and county authorities; as well as the existence of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, which officially opposed the use of a name too similar to its own. The abbreviation “UKC” became a popular abbreviation for the university.

Kent is a research-led university with 24 schools and 40 specialist research centres spanning the sciences, technology, medical studies, the social sciences, arts and humanities. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), which assesses the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, Kent is ranked 38th by GPA and 32nd for research power (the grade point average score of a university, multiplied by the full-time equivalent number of researchers submitted). In the 2014 REF, the University of Kent was ranked 40th out of 128 participating institutions in a ‘grade point average’ league table in The Times Higher Education Supplement (falling from 31st in 2008), 30th in terms of ‘Research Power’ (rising from 40th in 2008), and 19th in terms of ‘Research Intensity’ (rising from 49th in 2008). The university had a total research income of £17.7 million in the 2021-22 academic year.

TEF Rating

TEF Gold is awarded to institutions that consistently deliver outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for their students.

Courses Available

• Accounting, Business, Management and Marketing
• Architecture, Building, Planning and Design
• Biology and Biomedical Sciences
• Computer Science and Information Technology
• Engineering
• Foreign Studies (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Law and Legal Studies
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Natural Sciences
• Recreation, Sports and Fitness Studies
• Theology
• Visual and Performing Arts

How to Apply?

Accepts UCAS

For International Students

£ 4,260

Average Tuition Fee
(For International Students)

Types of Scholarships Available

Scholarships