 Coat of arms of the University of Surrey | |
Former name | Battersea Polytechnic Institute (1891–1956) Battersea College of Technology (1956–1966) |
|---|---|
| Type | Publicresearch university |
| Established | 1966; 60 years ago (1966) (gaineduniversity status) |
| Endowment | £6.86 million (2025)[1] |
| Budget | £346.4 million (2024/25)[1] |
| Chancellor | The Duke of Kent[2] |
| Vice-Chancellor | ProfessorStephen A. Jarvis[3] |
Academic staff | 1,660 (2023/24)[4] |
Administrative staff | 1,555 (2023/24)[4] |
| Students | 16,430 (2024/25)[5] 15,195FTE (2024/25)[5] |
| Undergraduates | 12,500 (2024/25)[5] |
| Postgraduates | 3,930 (2024/25)[5] |
| Location | , England |
| Campus | Campus, multiple sites |
| Colours | Blue and gold |
| Nickname | Team Surrey |
| Affiliations | |
| Website | surrey |
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TheUniversity of Surrey is apublic research university inGuildford, Surrey, England. The university received itsroyal charter in 1966, along with anumber of other institutions following recommendations in theRobbins Report. The institution was previously known as Battersea College of Technology and was located inBattersea Park, London. Its roots however, go back to Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891 to providefurther andhigher education in London, including its poorer inhabitants.[6]
The university is a member of theAssociation of MBAs and is one of four universities in theUniversity Global Partnership Network. It is also part of theSETsquared partnership along with theUniversity of Bath, theUniversity of Bristol, theUniversity of Southampton, and theUniversity of Exeter. The university's main campus is onStag Hill, close to the centre of Guildford and adjacent toGuildford Cathedral.Surrey Sports Park is situated at the nearby Manor Park, the university's secondary campus. AmongBritish universities, the University of Surrey had the 41st highest averageUCAS Tariff for new entrants in 2020.[7]
The university holds a number offormal links with institutions worldwide, including theSurrey International Institute, launched in partnership with theDongbei University of Finance and Economics.[8] The university owns theSurrey Research Park, providing facilities for over 110 companies engaged in research. Surrey has been awarded threeQueen's Anniversary Prizes for its research, with the2021 Research Excellence Framework seeing the university rise 12 places to 33rd in the UK for overall research quality and 41% of the university's research outputs classified as "world leading". It was namedThe Sunday Times University of the Year in 2016, was nominated again for the same accolade in 2023, and wasThe Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment in 2022.
Thechancellor of the university isPrince Edward, Duke of Kent. Current and emeritusacademics at the university include tenFellows of the Royal Society, twenty-one Fellows of theRoyal Academy of Engineering, one Fellow of theBritish Academy and six Fellows of theAcademy of Social Sciences.[9] Surrey has educatedmany notable alumni, including Olympic gold medallists, several senior politicians, as well as a number of notable persons in various fields including the arts, sports and academia. Graduates typically abbreviate the University of Surrey toSur when usingpost-nominal letters after their degree.[10]
The University of Surrey was preceded by the Battersea Polytechnic Institute which was founded in 1891 and admitted its first students in 1894. Its aim was to provide greater access to further andhigher education for Londoners, including some of the city's "poorer inhabitants". In 1901, evening classes provided instruction in subjects such as Mechanical Engineering and Building, Electrical Engineering, Chemical and other trades, Physics and Natural Science, Maths, Languages, Commercial subjects, Music and special classes for women including Domestic Economy subjects. Day classes consisted of Art, Science, Women's Subjects and Gymnastics, and classes were also offered in preparation for university and professional examinations. The institute focused on science and technology subjects, and from about 1920 taughtUniversity of London students,[11] awarding University of London external degrees.[12]
In 1956, the institute was among the first to receive the designation "College of Advanced Technology" and was renamed Battersea College of Technology. By the beginning of the sixties, the college had virtually outgrown its building in Battersea and had decided to move to Guildford. In addition to this, theRobbins Report of 1963 proposed that the Colleges of Advanced Technology, including Battersea, should expand and become degree-awarding universities.[11] In 1965, the university-designate acquired a greenfield site in Guildford from Guildford Cathedral,Guildford Borough Council and theOnslow Village Trust.
The site was first announced on 12 March 1964, to have 3,500 full-time students by 1975. Guildford Borough Council supported the proposal on 31 March 1964.[13]
A complete model was built by December 1964 of the 83-acre site.[14] The £4m contract was given to James Longley of Crawley in March 1965, for phase one, of three four-storey academic blocks, seven five-storey residential blocks, the nine-storey Senate House, lecture theatres and restaurant. It was built in only ten months.[15]
The architect was the Building Design Partnership (George Grenfell-Baines).[16] Government planning permission was given on 30 December 1965.[17]
In May 1968, James Longley of Crawley were given the £1.75m contract for phase two, with two academic blocks, six residential blocks, a hall, and a restaurant. It was built with theBison industrialised building system.[18]
On 9 September 1966 the University of Surrey was established byroyal charter.[11] In 1967, on the day before the installation ceremony of the first Chancellor of the university, theAberfan disaster occurred.Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham who was appointed the first Chancellor, was also the chairman of theNational Coal Board, and as such was expected to visit the site of the disaster. Controversially, in a decision parodied byPrivate Eye,[19] Robens continued with the ceremony in Guildford to become Chancellor.[20] During this transition period, visitors to the Battersea campus on 25 October 1968 sawLed Zeppelin perform their very first gig, advertised as being at the university'sVictorian Great Hall, on Battersea Park Road.[21] By 1970 the move from Battersea to Guildford was complete.[11]
The university's Battersea Court consists ofhalls of residence which were named in honour of the university's Battersea origins.[22]
Between 1982 and 2008, the university became the trustee of the building of the Guildford Institute, using parts of the building for its adult education programme and providing a university presence in the heart of Guildford. TheAssessment and Qualifications Alliance (formerly Associated Examining Board) moved fromAldershot to its own headquarters building on the Stag Hill campus in 1985. The university marked itsSilver Jubilee in 1991, an event celebrated by the publishing ofSurrey – The Rise of a Modern University byRoy Douglas[6] and by a Service of Thanksgiving in Guildford Cathedral attended by HMThe Queen in March 1992.
In 1998, due to the ongoing development in the relationship between the university and the nearby Roehampton Institute, it was decided to form an academic federation. In November 1999, thePrivy Council approved the necessary changes to the university's Charter and Statutes and the Roehampton Institute became the University of Surrey Roehampton at the beginning of 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, the university and Roehampton worked together as theFederal University of Surrey.[23] In June 2004, thePrivy Council granted Roehampton an independent university title, and it becameRoehampton University from 1 August 2004, ending the partnership between the institutions.
The university celebrated its 35th anniversary in May 2002 with a major event in Guildford Cathedral. It was also marked by the unveiling ofThe Surrey Scholar sculpture (by Allan Sly FBS) to mark theGolden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen and as a gift to the people of Guildford.The Surrey Scholar is at the bottom of Guildford High Street.Understanding the Real World, a visual history of the university, by Christopher Pick, was published to coincide with this anniversary.[11] In 2007, the university saw a major increase in overall applications by 39% compared with the previous year.[24] This was followed by a further increase in applications of 12% in 2008.[25] In October 2008, the university lost out toRoyal Holloway in a bid to merge with London medical instituteSt George's, University of London.[26] From September 2009, theGuildford School of Acting became a subsidiary of the university and relocated from Guildford town centre to the university campus.
In March 2019 the university announced it would have to make £15m worth of cuts owing to the effects ofBrexit and anticipated cuts in tuition fees, and was offering redundancy to all staff.[27] Following the announcement,The Stag, published an article titled 'Paygate: The Problem with Surrey's Vice-Chancellor', in which it compared Vice-ChancellorMax Lu's "performance-related bonuses" to the university's actual performance.[28] Soon after, in May 2019, staff and students held ano confidence vote against the university management, with coverage largely focused on Lu's leadership.[29] Of all the unionised staff who voted, 96% gave a vote of no confidence in "the Vice-Chancellor and Executive Board".[30] The all-staff vote was approved by all three trade unions represented at the university, in a meeting held with the largest member attendance seen.[31] Concerns raised by staff specifically include "Lu's language which suggests staff are a cost rather than an asset", according to theUniversity and College Union, while the Students' Union was specifically concerned about the closure of many arts courses at the university despite a "healthy" number of applications for them.[30] Students who wanted a "no" vote hoped this result would make the university management "engage with staff and students and discuss changes".[29]
The university began moving in 1968 to a new 30 ha (74-acre) site on Stag Hill in Guildford, adjacent to Guildford Cathedral. Students continued to alternate between the originalBattersea campus and the new Guildford campus until 1970.[32] A further 90 ha (222 acres) allocated to the university remained undeveloped until 2005. The BBC's local radio station for Surrey and North-East Hampshire,BBC Surrey, has its studios on the campus.[33] In addition the university has a student-run medium wave radio station,Stag Radio. In September 2009, theGuildford School of Acting moved into a new purpose-built facility on the main Stag Hill campus as part of a strategic merger between the two organisations. The old Sports Centre was converted into the Ivy Arts Centre, a performing arts facility housing a 200-seat theatre and studio and workshop space. In October 2015, the £45m School of Veterinary Medicine was opened by the Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. The new Manor Park campus, designed as a car-free village, is 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) from the Stag Hill campus and on the other side of theA3 trunk road.[34] It combines residences for students and staff, buildings for research and teaching, and sporting facilities.
In April 2010, a £36 millionsports centre named the Surrey Sports Park opened to replace the former UniSport facilities on the Stag Hill Campus.[35] Surrey Sports Park is situated close to the main University campus, on its Manor Park site. It houses a 50-metre swimming pool, three multi-sports halls, six squash courts, a modern gym, three artificial floodlit pitches, outdoor tennis courts, a climbing centre and a coffee shop, bar and restaurant.[36]
The 1,000 seat indoor arena is home toSurrey Scorchers basketball team (formerly Guildford Heat, Surrey Heat and Surrey United), who have been using the venue since 2010 following a move from their previous home atGuildford Spectrum. Surrey Scorchers are one of the leading teams and former winners of theBritish Basketball League, the country's top division. It also plays host toSurrey Storm netball (formerly Brunel Hurricanes), who also made the move to the Sports Park from Guildford Spectrum in 2010. Surrey Storm are two-time Netball Superleague champions, securing their last title with a 55–53 win overManchester Thunder at London'sCopper Box Arena in the2016 Grand Final.[37] It played host to all but four matches of the2010 Women's Rugby World Cup (the semi-finals, third place play off and final were held at theTwickenham Stoop). It is also the official training facility forHarlequins rugby club, playing host to their Men's and Women's first teams plus Academy fixtures, and was used as a training base for the2015 Rugby World Cup,[38] hosting a number of teams including South Africa, Scotland and Italy.
2012 saw Surrey Sports Park host a number of Olympic and Paralympic teams in preparation for theLondon 2012 Olympic Games, including delegations from across the globe for swimming, table tennis, basketball and triathlon camps.[39] In 2013, Surrey Sports Park hosted the annualDanone Nations Cup junior football tournament, with fixtures being played on the outdoor pitches through to the finals atWembley Stadium. In 2017, Surrey Sports Park hosted theWomen's Lacrosse World Cup, with over 25 nations competing for the world title in Guildford. All matches took place at the venue, including the finals, with a temporary outdoor stadium erected for the 10-day event.[40]
The academic activities of the university are divided into the following threefaculties:
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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was installed asChancellor, a ceremonial non-residential post, in 1977. The university is led at the executive level by the President and Vice-Chancellor, as of 2025[update]Stephen A. Jarvis. The key bodies in the university governance structure are the council, Senate and executive board.[41] The council is the governing body of the university, responsible for the overall planning and management of the university and to ensure processes are in place to monitor financial and operational controls, and the university's performance against its strategy. The council is composed of no fewer than eleven external members, up to seven ex-officio members and up to three members elected by Senate.[42]
The Senate is the statutory body responsible for governing the university's academic matters, including teaching and research, and the regulation and direction of the education and conduct of students. The composition of the Senate is drawn from the academic staff of the university, together with a number of ex-officio, elected and co-opted members. The Chair of the Senate is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the university.[43] The executive board is the senior advisory body that assists the President and Vice-Chancellor in discharging his executive authority to manage the operations and affairs of the university. It is responsible for advising on all matters relating to the university's strategy and for making recommendations to Council for approval.[44] The above Bodies are supported by a series of Committees that oversee the activities of distinctive administrative and academic areas of the university.[43]
On 15 September, it was announced that ProfessorStephen A. Jarvis would become the university's sixth President and Vice-Chancellor[45], assuming his role on 15 September 2025. He succeeded ProfessorMax Lu who moved to take up the Vice-Chancellorship at theUniversity of Wollongong in May 2025.[46] Other predecessors includePatrick J. Dowling (1994–2005), Anthony Kelly (1975–1994)[47] andPeter Leggett, the last Principal of Battersea College of Technology[48] and the university's first Vice-Chancellor.[49]
Since its foundation, the university has fostered links with other educational bodies in the local community and region. The university currently validates undergraduate courses atFarnborough College of Technology and postgraduate research programmes atSt Mary's University, Twickenham[50] for students entering prior to August 2014.
In 2007, the university andDongbei University of Finance and Economics inDalian, China, launched the Surrey International Institute, DUFE.[51] The SII at DUFE offers Surrey degrees and dual-degree programmes in China.[8] A placement year link withNorth Carolina State University was initiated in 2009, where each institution places students from the other with companies located nearby, in the South East of England and the Carolinas, respectively.[52]
The university holds a number of formal links with institutions from around the world to share teaching and research and facilitate staff and student exchanges.[53]
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Seoul National University, South Korea
University of Central Florida, USA
PakistanUniversity of PunjabNorth Carolina State University, USA
TheDUFE—Surrey International Institute (东北财经大学萨里国际学院) is an academic partnership with theDongbei University of Finance and Economics inDalian, China
University of Hong Kong
Nanyang Technological University
National Autonomous University of Mexico Head Associate; Diego Luiz.
Modul University Vienna, Austria[54]
The university conducts extensive research on small satellites, with its Surrey Space Centre and spin-off commercial company,Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. In the 2001Research Assessment Exercise, the University of Surrey received a 5* rating in the categories of "Sociology", "Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine", and "Electrical andElectronic Engineering"and a 5* rating in the categories of "Psychology", "Physics", "AppliedMathematics", "Statistics and Operational Research", "European Studies" and "Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages".[55]
The 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) at the University of Surrey opened in September 2015, for the purpose of research for the development of the first worldwide 5G network. It has gained over £40m support from international telecommunications companies includingAeroflex,MYCOM OSI,BBC,BT Group,EE,Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe,Huawei,Ofcom,Rohde & Schwarz,Samsung,Telefonica andVodafone – and a further £11.6m from theHigher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
In addition, theSurrey Research Park is a 28 ha (69-acre) low density development which is owned and developed by the university, providing large landscaped areas with water features and facilities for over 110 companies engaged in a broad spectrum of research, development and design activities. The university generates the third highest endowment income out of all UK universities "reflecting its commercially-orientated heritage."[56]
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| Domicile[59] and Ethnicity[60] | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| British White[a] | 46% | ||
| British Ethnic Minorities[b] | 30% | ||
| International EU | 3% | ||
| International Non-EU | 21% | ||
| UndergraduateWidening Participation Indicators[59][61] | |||
| Female | 54% | ||
| Independent School | 8% | ||
| Low Participation Areas[c] | 7% | ||
New students entering the university in 2015 had the 14th highest UCAS Points in the UK at 438 points (the equivalent of AAB at A Level and BB at AS Level).[62] According to the 2017Times andSunday Times Good University Guide, approximately 8% of Surrey's undergraduates come from independent schools.[63]
For the 2016–17 academic year, the university has a higher proportion of female than male students with a male to female ratio of 45:55 in the population. The undergraduate student body is composed of 73% from the UK, 11% from the EU and 16% from outside of the EU.[64] More students graduate from Surrey with a First Class Honours degree (44.4%) than with a 2:1 degree (40.9%), placing it second amongst mainstream British universities by the proportion of First Class degrees awarded.[65]
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2026)[66] | 19= |
| Guardian (2026)[67] | 23 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2026)[68] | 31 |
| Global rankings | |
| ARWU (2025)[69] | 401–500 |
| QS (2026)[70] | 262= |
| THE (2026)[71] | 201–250 |
The university has consistently been in the top 20 of the three mainranking compilations ofuniversities in the United Kingdom, placing it 21st inThe Times and Sunday Times, 12th inThe Good University Guide and theComplete University Guide, and 19th inThe Guardian University Guide for 2024.[72]
Subjects ranked in the top 20 include Hospitality & Leisure Management and Petroleum engineering.[73] The university was ranked seventh in theTimes Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018.[72] In 2019, Surrey was ranked 161-170th in theQS World Employability Rankings, and first in the UK and 12th in the world for research partnerships with employers.[74][75]
In 1991 the university was granted theQueen's Award for Export Achievement,[11] and in 1996 was awarded aQueen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education in recognition of the university's outstanding achievement in satellite engineering and communications, teaching and research by the Centre for Satellite Engineering Research and associated companies.[76] In 1998,Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd was awarded theQueen's Award for Technological Achievement, presented in person by the Queen on her second visit to the university, accompanied by theDuke of Edinburgh and theDuke of Kent, chancellor of the university.[77]
The university was awarded a 2002Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education for its research and development onoptoelectronic devices andion beam applications.[76] In July 2007, the university was awardedFairtrade University status by theFairtrade Foundation.[78] The university won a 2011Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education for its research into the fields of safe water and sanitation.[79] In 2013, theElectronic Engineering Department of the university won the 2013Elektra Award University Department of the Year,[80] and judged to be the most innovative and successful in Europe.[81] The university wonThe Sunday Times University of the Year award 2016.[82] The university won a 2017Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education for "Leading research and teaching in food and nutrition informing public policy on diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and other dietary related issues".[83]
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![Conservative peer Kay Swinburne, Baroness Swinburne (MBA)[84]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSwinburne%2c_Kay-2652.jpg)
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Academics to work at the university includeAlf Adams, pioneer of thestrained quantum-well laser;[85]Jim Al-Khalili, the nuclear physicist, author and broadcaster;[86]Aleks Krotoski, the technology journalist and broadcaster;[87]Martin Sweeting, founder ofSurrey Satellite Technology Ltd;[85]Nigel Gilbert, the sociologist pioneer in the use ofagent-based models in the social sciences;[88] Joao Santos Silva, who has made fundamental contributions to thegravity model of trade,[89] andMartyn Barrett, who led the development of theCouncil of Europe'sReference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture[90] and is a lead expert for the Council of Europe's Education Policy Advisers Network.[91]
The current Director of the university'sAdvanced Technology Institute,Ravi Silva, is known for his work inNanotechnology. In 2003, he was awarded theAlbert Einstein Silver Medal and the Javed Husain Prize byUNESCO for contributions to electronic devices. The 2011Clifford Paterson Lecture was given by Silva because of his outstanding contributions to basic science and engineering in the field of carbon nanoscience and nanotechnology. The lecture is given annually on any aspect of engineering.[92] TheGeneral Electric Company Limited endowed the lecture in 1975 in honour of Clifford Paterson who undertook the creation of the GEC Research Laboratories in 1919.[93]
Surrey'sCentre for Environment and Sustainability (established byRoland Clift in 1992 as theCentre for Environmental Strategy) gained attention with the publication ofProsperity Without Growth in 2009 by University of Surrey academicTim Jackson, Professor ofSustainable Development and Director of the ESRC Research Group on Lifestyles, Values and Environment.[94] In October 2018 the University of Surrey reported that writer and filmmakerIain Sinclair had been appointed Distinguished Writer in Residence with their School of Literature and Languages.[95]
On 20 May 2009,Andreas Mogensen, a researcher at theSurrey Space Centre, was announced as a new member of theEuropean Astronaut Corps, part of theEuropean Space Agency, thereby becoming the firstDanishastronaut.[96] In February 2011, terrorism and Northern Ireland expertMarie Breen Smyth, joined the politics department, as chair in International Relations.[97] In March 2005, she had given evidence to the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Inquiry into dealing with Northern Ireland's past.[98] Another notable academic was the late translation studies scholarPeter Newmark.[99]
The University of Surrey Students' Union is the sole representative body of Surrey students. They represent students on academic and welfare issues, as well as administering sports clubs and societies. The Union was incorporated as a non-profit charity in July 2011, so any takings from the Union's four commercial outlets are invested in supporting the membership side of the business. Four zones exist within the organisation representing Support, Voice, Community and Activity, with a sabbatical officer managing each one, as well as a president who is a member of the University Council. The Students' Union also organise events on a weekly basis which are held at their venues including Rubix and The Basement for students to take part in.[100]
In 2017 the university was specifically identified in the report by the Free Speech University Rankings as having "unfamiliar" restrictions on free speech because of a collection of its union byelaws regarding university mascot Steve the Stag: the mascot is not allowed to be depicted by students to be drinking, smoking or, as the report and subsequent articles directly quote, "involved in lewd acts".[101]Subsequent editions of the Students' Union Byelaws contained a further explanatory note for this.[102]
StagTV is the television station run by students at the University of Surrey. It is primarily run from offices on the main Stag Hill campus and it also creates content for the Students' Union, through which it is a constituted group, but has editorial independence. Other student media on campus includeStag Radio andThe Stag magazine.[103]
On the evening of 25 October 1968 a band, who were set to make an indelible mark on the world's musical landscape, performed at the University of Surrey's Great Hall in Battersea.
Here, Battersea Court....University of Surrey...
The new campus was being built in Guildford and in 1968 the University became a 'split personality' when half of the departments moved to Guildford for the start of that academic year! My department remained in Battersea, and this second half then moved to Guildford in 1969.
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