Welcome to our University of Bath guide. If you want to learn more about this university which is one of the top University’s in the UK, from nights out to official uni information, then this is the place to look.

Whether you coming to the end of your A-Levels or you are an adult who wants to further your education, you might have considered Bath as a good choice. However, before you decide if it is the University for you, you want to be sure you understand the university and its home city well.

Overview of the University of Bath

The University of Bath aims to be an outstanding hub of learning for both local and international students. Providing a welcoming community and stellar student accommodation, the university is as much of a social space as it is a study space.

Producing a constant stream of well-educated graduates, the internationally excellent university is one of the more notable choices within the UK. The university grounds offer outstanding preparation options for committed students, from research facilities to a range of cultural activities.

Over the past decade or two, the university has pushed the overall performance of its students even higher, soaring to greater heights in the world university rankings. Gradual improvements in teaching and research quality have made a distinct difference, with both international and domestic students feeling the benefits.

History of Bath University

Established in 1856 as the Bristol Trade School and later the Merchant Venturer’s College, the now re-named University of Bath gradually grew into a larger and larger college. After joining with the bath School of Pharmacy in 1929, the college’s size began to snowball, eventually expanding into a full-sized university thanks to a recommendation from the Committee on Higher Education.

Build specifically to form a student centre of activity, with buildings all close and connected, the university received its royal charter in 1966 as the Bath University of Technology. In 1971, the University of Bath was officially founded and has continued to grow and improve itself ever since. In 2004, the university partnered with the universities of Surrey, Southampton and Bristol. New buildings and facilities have been opened ever since, expanding the campus and reacting to the evolving needs of modern-day students.

What is the address of the University of Bath?

The official address of the University of Bath is:

Claverton Down
Bath
BA2 7AY

Map of the University of Bath

Here is a map of Bath University:

How to get to the University of Bath

The university is positioned conveniently for travel. However, depending on where you are travelling from, the route may seem more complicated than it really is.

  • By train – there are constant train services from Bristol, London and South Wales.
  • By road – the university can be reached easily through the A4 and A36, both of which run through the city and are very close to the university grounds.
  • By air – it is easy to take a bus directly to the university from Bristol International Airport, something that is often used by newly-arrived international students. Heathrow airport is also an option.
  • By bus – the bus routes tend to pass through the city centre and close to the university grounds, making it easy to reach from anywhere in the local community.
  • On foot – the University is accessible on foot from the city centre.

What are the top courses at Bath University?

The University offers a range of undergraduate courses and various other study types, fully available to both domestic and international students. While famous for marketing and architecture teaching and research, the university campus can accommodate many different subjects to a high standard of teaching quality.

The university is divided into four faculties: Engineering and Design, Management, Science, and Humanities and Social sciences. This makes it easy to distinguish humanities and social sciences courses and spaces from engineering and design ones but still allows Engineering and Design students and Humanities and Social Science students (and staff) to support one another.

These courses produce a constant supply of highly sought-after graduates, ensuring that any subject can help push a student towards a new career path or greater success in their current field. The University of Bath’s top courses include:

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business and Management
  • Architecture
  • Biosciences
  • Engineering
  • Criminology
  • Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Research the University of Bath’s course options and see which options meet your UK-focused or international requirements, as well as your own goals for personal development. The university is ranked and rated by independent sources for both domestic and international studies, so these rankings can have global significance when comparing universities.

Where is the Bath Students Union?

The Bath students’ union is located within a dedicated students’ union building found at Norwood House, Claverton Down. This houses the union, its offices, a Student Centre, various food outlets, and even a campus nightclub and pub. There are also job services in the Virgil Building in the city centre.

What are the best Bath student nights?

The most notable part of the nightlife for Bath students is the Monday Night Bridge nightclub, providing cheap entry and a good amount of varied, themed experiences. While this gets more expensive on weekends, there are also plenty of other things to enjoy in the area, from a range of pubs and nightclub spaces to various relaxed spas and theatre performances.

The university’s location provides both local and international students with some world-leading entertainment. The surrounding community accommodates students very well, and the campus itself serves as both a world-leading skills centre and a well-recognised social centre. Other areas of interest to research in your downtime include:

  • Mandalyns
  • Thermae Bath Spa
  • Komedia
  • Motown

What at the best student pubs in Bath?

The various pubs, bars and clubs in Bath can be a hotspot for student activity. If you are tired of the university’s elegant Georgian architecture and want to support your studies with some downtime, then pubs can be a calmer place to turn. Notable local pubs include:

  • Labyrinth
  • Zeroes
  • The Cork
  • Bath Bew House
  • The Bell Inn

Where are the best places to eat for students in Bath?

While the city of UNESCO world heritage city of Bath is home to many major restaurants and dining experiences, students have a student budget to consider. If student satisfaction is required on a tight budget, then there are some affordable places to eat that are relatively close to the university campus – and your new student accommodation.

  • Whole Bagel – as it suggests, a great place to grab a bagel in your downtime.
  • Chai Walla – an easy-to-reach takeaway with a huge local following.
  • Schwartz Bros Burgers – an institution of Bath founded almost five decades ago.
  • The Real Italian Pizza Company – a pizza place that accepts coupons from any other pizza company, leading to some easy deals.
  • Yen Sushi – a cheap and convenient conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.

What are the Halls of Residence for the University of Bath?

There are plenty of halls of residence within Bath, meaning that students have some choice over where they spend their downtime. Many of these are in internationally-excellent locations, allowing international students to stay there comfortably and focus on their education rather than stressing over accommodation.

The university also has procedures for handling students who need accommodation for specific medical issues and allows separate undergraduate and postgraduate accommodation options.

What famous people went to Bath University?

The University of Bath is famous for many notable alumni, including (but definitely not limited to):

  • Steve Borthwick, captain of the English rugby team and national team coach.
  • Mary Berry, television presenter and chef.
  • Yang Jiechi, current state councillor and former foreign minister of the People’s Republic of China.
  • Don Foster, member of the House of Lords, former MP, Baron of Bath.
  • Sir Stephen Dalton, head of the Royal Air Force.
  • Lt. General Sir Robert Fry, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, former Commandant General of the Royal Marines and Chairman of Albany Associates.
  • David Bull, former Executive Director of UNICEF UK.
  • Tony Kendle, Creative Director at the Eden Project.

Hotels near The University of Bath

If you are visiting the university for a one-off open day, or want to visit a family member or friend who is already in education, then staying on campus is not an option. However, like most good universities, the campus is located near a lot of hotels and temporary private accommodation options.



Booking.com

Top Bath Students Discounts

The university’s various discount options can provide up to 200 UK student discounts and a further 42,000 international discounts until a student graduates. This gives your discount card some global significance and can support your survival through your on-campus education. Notable discounts include:

  • Railcard discounts
  • Amazon discounts
  • Dominos’ deals
  • UNIDAYS promotions
  • TOTUM card discounts

For some big retailers and brands we suggest the student discounts below:

Popular Questions about the University of Bath

Is it hard to get into Bath Uni?

The acceptance rate for the university falls between 10% and 20% for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This means that around 10 to 20 students get accepted for each 100 that apply, which makes this a selective university compared to world university rankings.

What happens if you fail a module at Bath?

Failing a module due to your own overall performance (such as time management issues or lack of studying) may require you to do a supplementary assessment, which can require re-doing coursework and re-sitting exams. The university will support you as far as it can during this process.

Does Bath Uni look at GCSEs?

To be considered for the University of Bath, you will generally need at least six GCSEs at grades A* to B, and at least a grade C in GCSE English and Mathematics. This applies to all courses, from business management to engineering.

How long does it take for Bath to make offers?

The University of Bath attempts to make decisions before the end of April. Early students may be responded to by January or February, but mid-May is the expected offer time. This may vary slightly depending on the course.

Is Bath an elite university according to the Complete University Guide?

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 gives the University of Bath a ranking of 8th, out of a total of 135 institutions. This makes it the highest-ranked university in the South West according to the Good University Guide 2023, and a highly-ranked world-leading university as a whole.

While world university rankings can change quite often, The Times and the Sunday Times University Guide 2023 is still a good point to consider. The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 is meant to cover the entire UK, making Bath the 8th overall in the UK as a whole – which is very significant. The university is also 6th in the Guardian University Guide, based on the quality of Bath students and Bath research submitted to them.

What about the QS World University Rankings?

The university is 179th in the QS World University Rankings worldwide compared to all international universities. This takes into account a lot of research regarding how the campuses and institutions are run and their reputation as a whole.

What about the Research Excellence Framework?

It is also graded 87% by the Research Excellence Framework, with the Research Excellence Framework calling Bath research activities groundbreaking and internationally excellent. It was even named University of the Year for 2023.

Is Bath a walkable city for students?

Bath is a surprisingly compact city, making it very walkable. The campus itself keeps important facilities (sports facilities, social sciences buildings, computer science labs, teaching areas, engineering labs, community hotpots) all within close reach, and the Bath community outside of the campus is similarly compact and easy to reach on foot.

How is Student Satisfaction?

The university consistently scores around 90% on satisfaction surveys, which is higher than many other campuses.

Summary of the University of Bath

The university balances high student satisfaction and support with great post-graduate employment statistics. As 179th in the QS World University Rankings overall and one of the best universities in the country (having even been named University of the Year in 2023), it offers a good mixture of study support, teaching quality and a social community to fall back on.

If you are serious about pursuing a range of courses, from research and science to business management and computer science, the university and its surrounding community are able to support you well. Permanent residents can enjoy post-graduate employment, while international students can enjoy their time there with minimal research required ahead of time.

From business to science, this is one of the most popular universities for pushing yourself further. Whether you research beyond the Complete University Guide or just look at how third parties are ranking it compared to other Universities, Bath’s quality and reputation are good points in its favour.

Looking at other universities? Check out our guides below: