University of Surrey

public research university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey

Key facts

Former name: Battersea Polytechnic Institute (1891–1956) , Battersea College of Technology (1956–1966)
Type: Public research university
Established: 1966 ; 60 years ago ( 1966 ) (gained university status )
Affiliations: ACU AMBA CESAER EUA SETsquared UGPN Universities UK
Endowment: £6.86 million (2025)
Budget: £346.4 million (2024/25)
Chancellor: The Duke of Kent
Vice chancellor: Professor Stephen A. Jarvis
Academic staff: 1,550 (2024/25)
Administrative staff: 1,515 (2024/25)
Students: 16,430 (2024/25) , 15,195 FTE (2024/25)
Undergraduates

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Article

The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its royal charter in 1966, along with a number of other institutions following recommendations in the Robbins Report. The institution was previously known as Battersea College of Technology and was located in Battersea Park, London. Its roots however, go back to Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891 to provide further and higher education in London, including its poorer inhabitants.

The university is a member of the Association of MBAs and is one of four universities in the University Global Partnership Network. It is also part of the SETsquared partnership along with the University of Bath, the University of Bristol, the University of Southampton, and the University of Exeter. The university's main campus is on Stag Hill, close to the centre of Guildford and adjacent to Guildford Cathedral. Surrey Sports Park is situated at the nearby Manor Park, the university's secondary campus. Among British universities, the University of Surrey had the 41st highest average UCAS Tariff for new entrants in 2020.