The University of Leeds is dedicated to the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. In addition, we aim to provide a wide range of opportunities for students and staff, ensuring excellence in every aspect of student education, research and innovation and promoting enterprise and creativity.
The University of Leeds received its Charter as an independent institution from Edward VII in 1904. Since, Leeds has developed into one of the top UK universities for research and impact power. Over 80% of our research has a top quality rating of either “world leading” or “internationally excellent” securing the University 10th place for research power. Our research impact power, outside academia, is significant; securing the University 9th position in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.
Our pursuit of academic excellence and our ever increasing knowledge base provides a springboard to address major global challenges across a broad range of disciplines including high impact work in health, water, food, energy, culture and cities. Our experts represent their fields in global and national organisations, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK Food Standards Agency.
We have an impressive range of facilities to support our research, from special collections and archives, digital resources, data analytics, robotics, simulation and imaging to nanofabrication. Bioelectronics are being developed in our nano-technology clean rooms, outdoor clothing can be tested for warmth and wear in our technical textiles lab, and car safety is being improved in our driving simulator.
We are one of the largest research-based institutions in the UK and in 2013 we secured 615 new awards totalling £146m of income. We are shaping our world, from developing innovative health technologies to illuminating the cultural significance of literature and landscapes. We're also one of the main centres for postgraduate teaching in the country, with a vibrant post-graduate community over 8,000 students from all over the UK and another 144 countries.
University of the Year 2017
The University of Leeds has been named University of the Year 2017 by The Times and The Sunday Times’ Good University Guide.
The award follows another year of exceptional student satisfaction levels, where Leeds secured 90% satisfaction in the recent 2016 National Student Survey (NSS). The University also reaches an all-time high in the overall Sunday Times statistical rankings, which creates a league table of universities across the UK based on a broad range of measures. Underpinning the University’s outstanding performance – which sees it rising to 13th place overall - are strong results in student experience, high entry standards, services and facilities, and graduate prospects.
“The University of Leeds thoroughly deserves our University of the Year for prioritising students' needs first to last.” ALASTAIR MCCALL, EDITOR OF THE GOOD UNIVERSITY GUIDE