About the University of Essex

We are home to the curious, brave and bold

Our Vital Stats

c18k students (c16k FTE)

53% Female 47% Male

51% BAME

14% Declared Disability

27% Declared as first in family

>33% Declared State School Educated

(36% did not declare or n/k)

32% POLAR Quintile 1&2

88% graduates in positive graduate outcomes (GO 2022)

We’re a university where curiosity prevails, and where exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries, isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected.

We are determined to do things differently and put student success at the centre of everything we do.

We're committed to excellence in teaching and excellence in research.

We put student success at the heart of our mission, supporting every student from every background to achieve outstanding outcomes; preparing our students to thrive in their future lives.

Our determination to make a difference in society means we’re in the global top 100 of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which ranked more than 1,400 universities around the world.

Making an impact through our research is at the heart of our University.

We're in the UK top 10 for research quality in four subjects (Grade Point Average, REF2021)

and in the UK top 10 for research power in five subjects (Times Higher Education 2022). Find out more about our REF2021 performance.

We’ve also invested in the biggest ever expansion of our research community as we move towards our strategic target of having around 1,000 academics working on the important issues of our time.

We are top 25 for research quality in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

We are serious about our commitment to equality, social mobility and diversity.

When we won University of the Year in 2018 the Times Higher Education Awards judging panel said

“Unabashed in its strategy to recruit students on the basis of potential rather than just prior achievement, [The University of Essex] has helped them to fulfil that potential."

We're a university going places with increasing numbers of students and one of the most international academic communities in the world.

We’re now delivering a transformational education to around 18k students.

We strive for excellence and we're aiming to excel in everything we do.

But don’t take our word for it… find out for yourself!