Why choose Durham University?

A world-class learning and student experience

Read for a degree at Durham University and you'll have the opportunity to be amongst the best staff and students in your chosen subject.

The strength of our academic excellence is reflected in the latest national research ranking (called the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)) where many of our departments were ranked amongst the best in the UK. In the RAE, 90% of Durham's research was of international quality; we have research-led teaching at our core. Durham your time at Durham, you'll be taught by world-leading academics who are acknowledged as experts in their fields and who are at the forefront of developments in their subject area. This is demonstrated not only through the research and teaching that they undertake, but also by the worldwide demand for their expertise.

Whether you're based in Durham City - a truly beautiful city located on the River Wear in the North East of England, or our nearby Queen's Campus - a modern waterfront campus offering a close-knit student community - you'll find everything you need to feel at home. You'll study with students from around the UK and more than 150 countries worldwide. This creates a truly vibrant, multi-cultural student community in which our students become immersed. Durham provides the perfect environment and numerous opportunities for postgraduate students to excel in all they do.

We are a collegiate university with 14 colleges in Durham City, one of which is exclusively for postgraduates, and two colleges at Queens's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees. As well as providing accommodation, the colleges offer a strong sense of community, provide pastoral care, support your personal developments and have sports, arts and social facilities. At Durham we are committed to ensuring our academic and social facilities match our student ambitions. In The Complete University Guide 2013, Durham was ranked top 3 in the UK for the amount it spends on facilities for education, social and leisure purposes, such as its colleges and sports facilities.

Durham University isn't just a great place to study, it's a great place to be a student.

Durham is a great place to be and study. The University is high quality and the location is so picturesquely beautiful. It’s hard to come by a place which is all at once so intimate and international. There is a great social life with the right degree of fun, but without too many distractions. The various networks of support academically and socially make Durham one of the best choices for an international student.

Avishek Parvi, PhD English Literature, India