Shape your own future
There can be so much more to student life than studying – and nowhere more so than at Durham. We provide an environment dedicated to delivering an unrivalled experience outside of your studies. Our distinctive collegiate system, dedicated wider student experience organisations and Durham Students' Union combine to enable you to create and shape your own individual student experience. At Durham you can discover and become the person you want to be.
Ultimately, a Durham degree will be the most important line on your CV, but we want you to be able to support it with evidence of the impact you can make and the person you have become.
No. 1 Team Sport University BUCS rankings since 2013
25,000 volunteer hours
27 student theatre companies
Over 200 Students' Union societies
900 roles available for performers every year
50+ internationally capped athletes annually
Our Colleges
As a Durham student, you become a member of a college, somewhere that is so much more than just the place where you will live. In each of our colleges, you will find a sense of community that is distinctive to Durham.
Our new 17th College
Our newest college opened in 2020, along with a new home for John Snow College.
Student support and wellbeing
As a Durham student you'll find a wide support network available to you while studying at the University.
Your wider student experience
From our student blog...
Durham’s Colleges Explained
“College”, if we take it all the way back to its Latin roots, literally means “a group who choose to be together”…and hence, the word has been adopted by many such groups with many different functions! In the case of Durham, though, a “college” is a community within the University.
Durham Students' Union
Durham Students' Union is the representative body for all students of the University, and offers many different clubs and societies to join.
Volunteering
Each year, Durham students volunteer their time and skills to a range of 50 projects and activities in the local community, including sports, conservation and outreach.
Theatre & the arts
Whether you're into painting or music or theatre; directing, managing or performing, you'll find it at Durham. And if you don't, then you'll have every opportunity to set something up yourself.
Music
The wealth of musical talent at Durham means there is something for everyone - from Chamber Choir to Light Opera, Big Band to Orchestra, Rock and even Djing.
Sport
Our extensive sports programme at Durham focuses on three core strands of performance and leadership, participation and community sport development.