University of Surrey

The University of Surrey has its roots in the Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in London in 1891 to widen access to higher education. It received its Royal Charter in 1966 and moved to Guildford in Surrey shortly afterwards. The main Stag Hill campus sits close to Guildford town centre, with the nearby Manor Park campus providing further residential, teaching, research and sports facilities. London is under 40 minutes away by train.

The university has around 16,000 students. It is widely known for its emphasis on employability, particularly its Professional Training placement year, supported by a network of more than 2,300 placement providers. Research strengths include space and satellite technology, through the spin-off company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, and communications research at the 5G and 6G Innovation Centre. The university also has a School of Veterinary Medicine and notable strengths in engineering, health sciences, hospitality and tourism, and business. The adjacent Surrey Research Park hosts more than 100 companies.

Information for International Students

The university has a diverse international community in Guildford and provides information and advice for international applicants through regional recruitment teams and dedicated guidance on visas and immigration. An international arrival guide forms part of the university's welcome resources for new students.

English language requirements vary by course, with IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in each component a common benchmark and higher scores required for some programmes. Students who narrowly miss their requirement can take a pre-sessional English course of 8 or 11 weeks, offered online or on campus depending on the intake; on-campus study requiring a CAS needs a UKVI-approved test result. The University of Surrey International Study Centre, operated by Study Group in Guildford, offers an International Foundation Year, an International Year One in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Pre-Masters programmes in engineering, health and medical sciences, and management. The university has offered an accommodation guarantee to new full-time students who apply by the published deadline and meet their offer conditions. Graduates may be eligible for the Graduate Route.