 Coat of arms of the University of Portsmouth | |
Other name | |
|---|---|
Former names | See History |
| Motto | Latin:Lucem Sequamur[3] |
Motto in English | Let us follow the Light |
| Type | Public |
| Established | c. 1870; 155 years ago (1870) (as Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art) |
| Budget | £290.5 million (2021/22)[4] |
| Chancellor | Karen Blackett[5] |
| Vice-Chancellor | Graham Galbraith[6] |
Total staff | 3,500[7] |
| Students | 29,000 (2021/2022)[8] |
| Undergraduates | 22,170 (2020/21) |
| Postgraduates | 6,110 (2020/21) |
| Location | , Hampshire, United Kingdom 50°47′43″N01°05′36″W / 50.79528°N 1.09333°W /50.79528; -1.09333 |
| Campus | Multiple sites including: University Quarter Northern Quarter Langstone Campus London Campus |
| Colours | Purple Black White |
| Affiliations | Universities UK |
| Website | port |
 | |
  Location inHampshire | |
TheUniversity of Portsmouth (UoP) is apublic university inPortsmouth, England. Its institutional origins trace back to 1870 with the establishment of thePortsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art.[9] Over the subsequent decades, the institution underwent a series of organisational transformations, becomingPortsmouth Polytechnic in 1969 before gaininguniversity status in 1992. Comprising fivefaculties, the university offers a wide range of academic disciplines. in 2022, with around 28,280 students enrolled inundergraduate andpostgraduate programs, the university was the 25th-largesthigher education institution by student enrolments in theUnited Kingdom. The university employed approximately 3,500 staff in 2020.
Portsmouth is one of five universities in theSouth East of England to have been awarded the highest rating of Gold in the2023 Teaching Excellence Framework.[10] In the Times Higher Education REF ranking, the university was ranked third in research power for modern post-1992 universities.
In the 2021 edition of theResearch Excellence Framework, 77 per cent of research submitted by the university was ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent, with impacts across society, health, culture and the environment, placing it in the top 3 modern universities for their research power.
Ceremonially, the university is headed by a Chancellor, currentlyKaren Blackett, a British Barbadian businesswoman known for her work in the advertising industry.
The University of Portsmouth traces its roots back to 1 June 1870 (or 1869 according to some sources) when it was first established as thePortsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art.[11][12][13] During the late 19th century, the school occupied several buildings inOld Portsmouth andSouthsea.[14] The main premises, located at the Crown Sale Rooms in Pembroke Street, was attended by both male and female students.[14][12] Due to its coastal location, the school providedtechnical instruction to engineers and skilled workers, who often graduated to work at thecity docks, including for theRoyal Navy at thePortsmouth Royal Dockyard.[15] The curriculum comprised a range of skills including practical geometry,artistic anatomy, and architectural andmechanical drawing.[12] Additionally, the school providedevening classes for local artisans.[12]
In 1894, followingeducation reforms which vested local authorities with control over technical and manual education, theBorough of Portsmouth established thePortsmouth Municipal Technical Institute.[16][17] Having acquired the school's science and technology courses, thePortsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art (1869-1907)[18] was restructured to become theCollege of Art.[14][19]
The College of Art merged with the University of Portsmouth on 1 August 1994, and became the Portsmouth School of Art, Design and Media.[20]
The College of Art (1894-1994) previous names[21] were:
In 1903, following theenactment of theEducation Act 1902, construction began on a site behind thePortsmouth Guildhall.[22][23] Designed by localarchitect G.E. Smith and completed in 1908, the building incorporates a combination ofFlemish andRenaissancearchitectural styles.[23] In the same year, thePortsmouth Municipal Technical Institute was succeeded by the newly establishedPortsmouth Municipal College.[22][24] Providing a range offurther andhigher education courses in chemistry and engineering, the college occupied the building together with the College of Art, the Portsmouth Day Training College, and a publicreference library.[12][16][25] Today, thegrade II listed building remains in use by the university and has since become known as the Park Building, having been named after an adjacenturban park known asVictoria Park.[23]
In 1911, male and femaleStudents' union were established.[12] In autumn of 1911, the first addition of student magazineThe Galleon, reported the creation of a women's basketball team and expressed discontent over the state of thecommon room.[12]
FollowingWorld War II, there was a decline in the need for engineering skills in Britain.[why?] In response, the college diversified its curriculum to include the arts and humanities.[16]
In 1953, thePortsmouth Municipal College, having changed its name to thePortsmouth College of Technology, became the Regional College for Southern England.[12]
The college was renamedPortsmouth Polytechnic after it gained polytechnic status in 1969 and by the late 1980s was one of the largest polytechnics in the UK.
On 7 July 1992 the inauguration of the University of Portsmouth was celebrated at a ceremony atPortsmouth Guildhall. As anew university, it could validate its own degrees, under the provision of theFurther and Higher Education Act 1992.
On Friday 4 May 2018, the University of Portsmouth was revealed as the main shirt sponsor ofPortsmouth F.C. for the 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.[26]
The University of Portsmouth campus is spread across Portsmouth city centre, including the Guildhall Campus and the nearby Northern Quarter. There are also sports facilities and halls of residence at Langstone inMilton, on the eastern edge ofPortsea Island, as well as a recently established London Campus.
Guildhall Campus
Located in the city centre, Guildhall Campus includes most of the University’s teaching buildings and student accommodation, alongside key facilities such as the University Library, Students’ Union, and Ravelin Sports Centre. The campus blends historic and modern architecture, with highlights including the Park Building, the University’s original site, and the White Swan Building, a contemporary performing arts centre linked to the New Theatre Royal. Other major buildings include St Michael’s Building (pharmacy and biomedical sciences) and King Henry Building (psychology and biological sciences). The nearby Ravelin Park offers green space for events and relaxation, while Guildhall Square hosts graduation ceremonies.
The University Library (formerly the Frewen Library) was extended in 2006 at a cost of £11 million.[27]
Northern Quarter
The Northern Quarter lies just north of the railway line and is home to key academic departments for engineering, science, business, law, and the humanities. Notable buildings include the Anglesea Building (engineering and law), Richmond Building (Portsmouth Business School), and the Dennis Sciama Building, home to the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and student café The Hub. The Milldam Building houses humanities in a former military barracks, while Burnaby, Buckingham, Lion Gate, and the Future Technology Centre support disciplines including computing, earth sciences, and civil engineering. The sustainable Portland Building hosts surveying and property development programmes.
Langstone
The Langstone Campus is located on the edge of Langstone Harbour and hosts the Langstone Sports Site. The site also includes Langstone Halls, quieter coastal accommodation ideal for students involved in sport.[28]
Langstone Campus used to be home of the university's School of Languages and Area Studies, which has since moved into Park Building in the University Quarter. It also used to be home to threehalls of residence: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM), Trust Hall and Langstone Flats.
London Campus
In September 2023, the University opened its London Campus inWalthamstow. Offering a block-teaching model with fixed timetables and integrated assessments, the campus aims to support local economic growth and job creation.
Future Campus Investment
The University is investing £250 million into its city-centre campus to create world-class facilities for teaching, research, and innovation. Recent developments include the award-winning Ravelin Sports Centre, with a Student Hub and Technology Building in development.[citation needed]
The university is ceremonially headed byKaren Blackett, who was installed aschancellor in 2017.[29] The university is, however, run day-to-day by thevice-chancellor, presently Professor Graham Galbraith, along with a single integrated decision-making body known as the university executive board. This includes deputy vice-chancellors, the provost, the chief financial officer and the executive deans of faculties, together with the chief people officer and the executive director of corporate governance.[30]
The university's board of governors is the university’s governing body and is ultimately responsible for the university and all of its activities.
The University of Portsmouth is composed of fivefaculties divided into a number of schools, institutes, academies and departments:[31]
Faculty of Business and Law
| Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
| Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
| Faculty of Science and Health
| Faculty of Technology
|
|
According to an independent assessment in 2017,[32] the University of Portsmouth is worth £1.1 billion to the British economy and brings £476 million to the city.
Portsmouth offers more than 200 undergraduate degrees and 150 postgraduate degrees, as well as 65 research degree programs.[33]
Over 60% of research submitted by the university to REF2014 was rated as world-leading and internationally excellent.[34] In two subject areas respectively – Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, and Physics – 90% and 89% of all research submitted was rated as world leading and internationally excellent.[34]
The university received the highest overall rating of Gold in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework in 2021, one of only 27 Gold rated universities in England and one of five Gold rated universities in the South East.
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2026)[35] | 42 |
| Guardian (2026)[36] | 35 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2026)[37] | 52 |
| Global rankings | |
| ARWU (2025)[38] | 901–1000 |
| QS (2026)[39] | 635= |
| THE (2026)[40] | 401–500 |
Portsmouth was rated in the top 401–500 universities in the world by theTimes Higher Education World University Rankings for 2025, #635 byQS World University Rankings for 2026, #901-1,000 byAcademic Ranking of World Universities for 2024, #558 byU.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026, and #847 byCWUR rankings for 2025.
Internationally, the university was ranked 98th inTimes Higher Education's '100 under 50' rankings of international modern universities 2017, but did not make the list in any subsequent year.[41]
The University of Portsmouth was one of four universities in 2017 in the south east to achieve the highest Gold rating in theTeaching Excellence Framework (TEF).[42][43]
The University of Portsmouth Students' Union (UPSU) is a registered charity that represents and supports all UoP students, who automatically become members upon registering for their course. The Students' Union offers members support services, development opportunities and represent them at different levels throughout the university, in the community and beyond.
The Union Advice Service offers confidential, impartial and non-judgemental support on a range of academic and university issues. The service also undertakes other activities and events throughout the year to promote the health and wellbeing of students. The Advice Service is based in Gun House at The Union, next door to The Terrace Cafe. Portsmouth was named one of the UK's most affordable city for students in the Natwest Student Living Index 2024.[44]
The Student's Union supports a range of over 152[45] student-led groups that provide extra-curricular opportunities to students, including societies and volunteering opportunities. Students can also create new societies with the support of the Union.
The university offers a range of sports clubs which are administered by theUniversity’s Sport and Recreation Department[46] The sports range from traditional team games like athletics, football, cricket, rugby, netball, hockey, and table tennis to volleyball, lacrosse, sailing and ultimate frisbee. As of October 2025 there are 34 different sports clubs .[45]
Notable students of the University of Portsmouth and its predecessor institutions include:
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