University of Southampton

The University of Southampton ranks 87^th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, and it is in the top 20 universities in the UK (The Complete University Guide 2026). The University of Southampton is one of the founding members of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The university is also proud to be ranked 9^th in the UK and 23^rd in the world for Sustainability (QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025)

Over 400 courses are available for students at Southampton. It also offers some 400 internship opportunities each year to help students gain practical exposure, as well as opportunities to study abroad. The university employs outstanding lecturers who are often leaders in their specialist field, ensuring that students are aware of the latest research developments.

Over 10,000 international students from more than 130 countries study at the university. As per the National Student Survey 2025, 85 percent of students said that the University of Southampton has helped them develop the knowledge and skills that they will need for the future.

The university invests in state of the art on-campus facilities, as well as award-winning learning centres and career support services.

Southampton researchers are engaged in impactful research work at different on-campus research institutes. Cutting-edge facilities like the RJ Mitchell Wind Tunnel and the Tony Davies High-Voltage Laboratory show that the University invests in its people and services that benefit them.

International students can access affordable and comfortable accommodation and also benefit from a range of safety and support services. There are over 350 different student clubs and societies available at the University of Southampton, representing a hugely diverse range of interests. This includes 40 different performing arts groups and over 90 sports clubs, with the opportunity for the best students to represent Southampton in inter-university competition.

The University of Southampton provides excellent teaching quality to its students.

A founding member of the Russell Group, 92 percent of the university's research is classed as world leading or internationally excellent, placing Southampton in the top 10 percent of UK institutions. Over 97 percent of the university's research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent.

Its Russell Group membership is recognised worldwide by academics and employers. This attracts top people to work at the university on innovative projects and share their expert knowledge. Students are taught and supervised by world-renowned academics who are leaders in their fields. Its wide-ranging and world-leading research projects inform the university's teaching, and students will benefit from academic staff who are engaged in current research topics.

The university's global standing creates strong relationships within the business sector. This enables course content to remain relevant, as well as providing students with suitable internships and apprenticeship opportunities from business leaders.

Working in partnership with other Russell Group universities, Southampton has also contributed to impressive research projects, including a GBP 25 million state-of-the-art Cancer Immunology Centre.

The university's faculties are:

• Faculty of Arts and Humanities
• Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Social Sciences

These faculties are spread out over the following University campuses:

Highfield Campus

The Highfield Campus, the oldest and largest at the university, is the vibrant academic heart of the university. Nestled beside Southampton Common, it blends historic architecture with modern vitality, offering lively music venues, sports facilities, and leisure spaces. The Life Sciences Building is also located there, providing a hub for interdisciplinary research that brings together students, staff, scientists, and engineers in a shared pursuit of discovery.

Avenue Campus

A historic campus which faces out onto Southampton Common park, this is home to several humanities subjects. Its on-campus library boasts an extensive course collection, including over 4,000 films, many in modern languages.

Boldrewood Innovation Campus

This campus is home to the university's centre for innovation, business, and education in maritime engineering, engineering sciences, and is the new home of Southampton Business School.

Waterfront Campus

The Waterfront Campus is based at The National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS), on Southampton's dockside. It is one of the world's leading research centres for the study of ocean and earth sciences.

Winchester Campus

Home to Winchester School of Art (WSA), its modern facilities include the Creative Services Centre with large format printers. This includes a flat-bed printer and a Mimaki fabric printer.

University Hospital Southampton

Medical students at the University of Southampton are based at the University Hospital Southampton. Its up-to-date facilities include a clinical skills area, histology, and wet labs in the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences, as well as lecture theatres.

English Language Proficiency

All programmes at the University of Southampton are taught and assessed in the medium of English (other than those in Modern Languages). All applicants must demonstrate a minimum standard of English language proficiency — for most of the courses, it's IELTS score of 6.5 on average (or equivalent), for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Individual course requirements may vary, so check before applying.

In addition to the university's own English language proficiency requirements, the UK Home Office sets its own minimum standards for applicants requiring a visa to study in the UK. Students studying below degree level and those applicants who are required to study the University's pre-sessional English programme must obtain a UKVI approved SELT such as IELTS. Students who are studying above degree level, such as at bachelor's level or higher, and those who are not required to pass the University's pre-sessional English programme for entry on their substantive programme may take any of the tests or qualifications listed below.

Approved tests and providers

Applicants not required to study the University's pre-sessional English programmes can take any of the tests or qualifications listed below.

The University of Southampton accepts the following English Language Tests:

UKVI Secure English Language Tests:

• IELTS Academic UKVI SELT
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic UKVI SELT
• LanguageCert International ESOL UKVI SELT
• Skills for English UKVI SELT
• Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) UKVI SELT

Tests taken at a test centre:

• IELTS Academic
• TOEFL iBT
• Pearson Test of English Academic
• C2 Proficiency (formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency CPE)
• C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced CAE)

Online English Language Tests:

• Duolingo English Test
• IELTS Online
• TOEFL iBT Home Edition

All scores will be verified with the test provider before they are accepted.

Campus learning facilities

Award-winning facilities at the university include:

• Creative Services Centre at the Winchester School of Art offering specialist printing facilities
• Electronic and Computer Science Mountbatten Building, home to three clean rooms totalling 810m² combined
• New Chemistry laboratories, opened in 2021
• Digital Humanities Hub, including 360 degree immersive audio-visual centre
• Six libraries across the university campuses
• Research Aquarium and Coral Reef Laboratory
• Largest wind tunnel in any UK university and Boeing flight simulator

Accommodation

The university offers several student accommodations options, including:

Room type

There are a number of different rooms type options available to suit every student's needs and budget. Individual students can choose standard rooms with shared kitchen facilities, rooms with private bathrooms and self-contained studio flats.

Halls of residence

The university provides a total of ten halls of residence complexes. Students need to consider a number of factors when choosing their halls and will be required to make either two or three choices for their application, depending on their level of study.

Transport

A UniLink bus pass is included in Southampton-based hall fees.

Sports facilities

The university's brand new GBP 50 million sports investment, combines with the rest of the university's facilities to offer a huge range of ways for students to keep fit and take care of their body and mind. The Students' Union (SUSU) has over 140 sports clubs and students can use a range of facilities belonging to the University and wider community. These include indoor and outdoor pitches and courts, 25m swimming pool, brand new sports studios, improved watersports facilities, new climbing and bouldering wall, access to seven gyms on campus and across the city, as well as the Southampton Alpine Snowsports Centre.

There are numerous scholarships and methods of funding available to international students, designed to enable wider access to education and support academic excellence. Students can find all the details around eligibility, awards on offer, and application deadlines via the university website.

Southampton International Merit Scholarships

The Southampton International Merit Scholarships awards up to GBP 3,000 to international undergraduate students (non-EU) off the first year of tuition fees and up to GBP 8,000 on postgraduate taught (master's) courses.

Undergraduate students

International undergraduate students can also apply for a subject-based scholarship through the university.

Students may also be eligible for specific funding from their country, including through the University's international partnerships with external companies.

Ranked in the world's top 110 institutions for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022), the University of Southampton's employment rate for graduates is 96 per cent (Latest Graduate Outcomes, published 2022).

The University has launched an online career support platform to support students into employment and help reach their goals. All international students have full access to the Careers & Employability resources which include the UoS Career Hub. MyCareer offers extensive and varied work experience programmes, jobs board, employer events, careers fairs and skills workshops to students.

In addition to this, the university's award-winning careers and employability team provides a variety of services. This includes over 400 internships a year, placements, volunteering opportunities, work experience support, and mentoring programmes.

The Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team has also won several accolades including multiple Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) Awards.

The university also helps to develop its doctoral candidates. The University of Southampton's Doctoral College trains and develops doctoral researchers across the university. It provides an inspiring and vibrant environment for students' research and equips them with the skills required to join the next generation of research leaders.