Lancaster University

Lancaster University is a research-led university located in Lancaster, North-West England. Situated on a spacious green campus, the university is home to a community from around the world with students from over 120 countries. Coming to Lancaster, students will learn from world-leading staff and be part of an international community.

Lancaster is a top 15 University in UK league tables:

• 10^th in the Complete University Guide 2026
• 14^th in the Guardian University Guide 2026
• 15^th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

Lancaster is also recognised globally, with a 5 Star rating from QS.

The university has an extensive network of teaching and research links around the world, many of which provide exciting opportunities for students to study or work abroad. Lancaster has strong links with universities in the US and China and strategic teaching partnerships in China, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Lancaster students can take advantage of the university's modern, green campus. Surrounded by woodland that they can explore with paths and trails, the campus has many green spaces that are ideal for moments of calm or somewhere to socialise with friends. In addition to plenty of relaxing green spaces and excellent facilities, on campus there's an art gallery and theatre, cinema, restaurants, cafes, bars, a post office and a hair salon. Open 24/7 during term time, the library offers a multitude of technology enabled workspaces, silent and quiet study areas to suit all learning styles, and PCs and laptops are available for loan at no cost.

Lancaster University is known for its teaching excellence, which was recently rated 5 Stars by the QS. Lancaster also received a Gold award in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023).

With quality academics who support their students every step of the way, as well as access to the outstanding facilities expected from a top university, Lancaster students graduate well-equipped for life beyond university.

Lancaster students from all backgrounds continuously achieve excellent outcomes. Many students continue studying and progress into professional employment, notably surpassing benchmarks.

Community - A home away from home

The university endeavours to offer a global experience, with its students and staff living and learning with people from different cultures, sharing their ideas and perspectives. The international student community is made up of people from over 120 countries.

Lancaster's college system provides a unique community experience designed to enhance and support the lives of all its students. Each of the nine colleges are based on campus, where safety is a priority and security is provided through a dedicated 24-hour team of college porters. Students are assured of a friendly environment, which includes Wi-Fi enabled social spaces, games rooms and quiet spaces.

Lancaster University is comprised of four main faculties, each with several departments, centres and institutes.

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Lancaster's Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences is a dynamic and creative community of enquiry, learning and engagement. It comprises four schools, each offering multiple subjects: School of Arts, School of Global Affairs, School of Law, and School of Social Sciences. Lancaster is ranked within the top 100 universities in the world for Education, Arts and Humanities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025).

Faculty of Health and Medicine

The Faculty of Health and Medicine's multidisciplinary research and teaching operates across three Divisions: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Health Research, and Lancaster Medical School. The faculty works with the NHS, public sector, and industry and voluntary sector organisations to develop solutions to healthcare problems.

Lancaster University Management School

Lancaster's Management School is one of just a handful of triple crown business schools that hold accreditation with AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, the most influential business school accreditation bodies. Accounting and Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Management Science, Marketing, and Organisation, Work and Technology make up the school's six departments.

Faculty of Science and Technology

The faculty prides itself on the depth, range, and quality of its research, which goes hand-in-hand with its high-quality teaching delivered in top specialist facilities. From breaking new ground in astrophysics to cyber security, staff are active in their specialist areas. Its eight departments include Chemistry, Computing and Communications, Engineering, Lancaster Environment Centre, Mathematical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physics, and Psychology.

English Language Test scores

Standard undergraduate entry level

IELTS Academic UKVI Approved / Other Centres

• 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each element

Pearson PTE Academic / UKVI / Online

• 58 overall with minimum of at least 42 in each of the four skills

Cambridge English: Advanced CAE

• 176 overall with at least 162 in each element

Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

• 176 overall with at least 162 in each element

GCSE/ IGCSE/ O Level English

• Grade C / 4

TOEFL IBT /Home Edition

• 87 overall, minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 17 in speaking and 20 in writing

CaMLA ECPE

• C2

Trinity ISE

• ISE II, Distinction in each element (modules must be taken within one month of each other)

LanguageCert International ESOL

• B2 Communicator with 39 in each skill area

For students who currently have an IELTS score of 6.0 and have not achieved the required IELTS score and want a direct entry to Lancaster University, the English for Academic Purposes course can bring them up to the required level.

Visit the university's course pages for specific entry requirements.

Standard postgraduate entry level

IELTS Academic UKVI Approved / Other Centres

• 6.5/7.0 minimum scores in each component required

Pearson PTE Academic / Online

• 62/70 minimum scores in each component required

Cambridge English: Advanced CAE

• Grade C

Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

• Grade C

TOEFL iBT / Home Edition

• 93/100 overall, with a minimum of 20/22 in each skill

CaMLA ECPE

• C2

The university offers a range of pre-sessional English language courses for students who don't meet minimum entry requirements. These are designed to help students bridge the gap between their current English language score and the normal minimum entry requirement of their degree programmes. The courses are between four and 10 weeks in length, depending on the level of their English when they apply.

Visit the university's course pages for specific entry requirements.

Accommodation

Lancaster University has made significant investments to provide students with high quality, well equipped and comfortable accommodation. The university offers a wide range of accommodation options to suit all preferences and budgets.

Library

Lancaster's campus is home to a variety of study and social spaces. The library provides a flexible, inspiring, technology-enabled environment with individual and group workspaces to support different learning styles. Open all day, every day during term-time, it is built around a central atrium filled with natural light and is home to a real living tree.

Students' Union

Lancaster University Students' Union provides a variety of support services for students.

Its Education and Support service has a dedicated team who supply students with free and confidential advice. They assist students with any issues they may have while at Lancaster, including financial, academic, housing, employment and consumer issues. The service assists students on campus and online, all year round and even during holiday periods.

The Union has over 200 clubs and societies for students to get involved in, including a vibrant community of international, cultural and faith societies. There are groups to suit a variety of hobbies and interests, from media to craft clubs, academic societies and of course, sports teams which make use of the impressive, competition-standard Sports Centre facilities. These clubs and societies are a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, have fun and develop skills that are beneficial to students when looking for a job.

Undergraduate study

International students studying an undergraduate course at Lancaster University will pay tuition fees from one of three bands. The amount of fees also depends on the chosen subject area.

Scholarships may be available from specific academic departments with most awards offering a tuition fee discount.

Students can find out more information by visiting the university website.

Postgraduate study

The tuition fees for postgraduate study depend on the students' choice of specific course and subject area. Most awards offer a tuition fee discount. Visit the university's fees and funding pages for more information.

Living costs

Students at Lancaster can benefit from a campus university positioned in North West England, which offers a lower cost of living in comparison to many other areas of the UK. The UK Government website also provides information about cost of living in the UK.

Scholarships

Lancaster offers a range of fantastic scholarships and bursaries at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Students can find out more about scholarships on the university's scholarships page.

Five stars awarded by prestigious, global rating

Lancaster University has been awarded five stars for overall performance by the prestigious QS rating. QS Stars is a rating system that assesses universities against best practices and was developed by leading higher education insight specialist QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Lancaster's QS Stars evaluation features five-star ratings for all seven individual categories – teaching, employability, internationalisation, research, facilities, subject ranking and environmental impact.

Lancaster's Research Excellence

The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assesses the quality and impact of research in UK universities across all subjects. 91 percent of Lancaster's research has been independently rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world leading' with 46 percent rated in the highest category of 4*.

Lancaster is 21st overall out of 157 institutions in the REF when ranked by Times Higher Education. This places Lancaster above eight Russell Group universities for research quality. These results, combined with Lancaster's strengths in teaching and investment in the student experience, reflect its ability to excel in teaching and research.