Loughborough University

The roots of Loughborough University lie in the Loughborough Technical Institute, which was set up in 1909. A royal charter in 1966 established it as Loughborough University of Technology, and the current name was adopted in 1996. Its principal campus occupies an extensive suburban site in Loughborough itself. Postgraduate study is the focus of a further campus in east London, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which includes an innovation and enterprise hub where the university works alongside industry partners.

Approximately 19,000 students are registered, the great majority of them at undergraduate level, and academic activity is divided among nine schools covering engineering, science, design, business, the social sciences and sport. Sport lies at the heart of how the university defines itself. Loughborough enjoys international recognition for sport-related subjects, has an unusually dense cluster of high-performance sports facilities on campus and is home to the largest sports technology research group based at any university. The Times and The Sunday Times have twice made it their University of the Year, an accolade only a handful of institutions share.

Information for International Students

Loughborough's students come from more than 130 countries, and the International Student Experience Team helps those from overseas adapt to UK life throughout their course. A free coach service collects new arrivals from Heathrow Airport, and dedicated welcome events explain the support available to international students on campus. Guidance is also given on the Student visa and on how to request a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.

Applicants who have completed 12 years of schooling but need a further preparatory year can join the International Foundation Programme, which Loughborough runs and teaches itself. Its pathways lead to degrees in engineering, science, psychology, sport science, social science, and business and economics. Loughborough normally asks for IELTS 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0, though certain schools set a higher bar; pre-sessional English is an alternative route to meeting the condition. Undergraduates paying international fees who hold Loughborough as their firm choice and complete registration before the deadline have guaranteed accommodation in years one and two, as long as their second-year reapplication is made on time. Scholarships are open to international students, and graduates may qualify for the Graduate Route.