Facts & Figures

Factfile

• Edge Hill University’s main campus is a 75-acre site located in West Lancashire, near Liverpool.
• The institution has been delivering higher education for 123 years, since it became the first non- denominational teacher training college for women in 1885. 
• The University has a student population of almost 20,000 and employs 2,000 staff.  

Key Messages

• Edge Hill University is one of the fastest growing institutions in the UK, increasing applications three-fold since 2000. This unprecedented growth continued with a further 13.2% rise in 2008.
• The University combines academic excellence with career focussed programmes. 95.3% of all students find employment or embark on further study within six months of graduating, making Edge Hill University top in the North-West for graduate employment..
• As a result of excellent links with over 300 employers, 75% of graduates leave with qualifications that have professional recognition.
• In the past decade, two thirds of academic provision has been graded as ‘Excellent’.  Under previous quality assessments, no subject was evaluated lower than 20 out of 24. A £5m award from HEFCE has established the University’s online learning initiative, SOLSTICE, as a Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning.
• Ambitious expansion plans will see the campus grow significantly by 2020, with an investment of £200m and the recent acquisition of 84 acres of land to the east of the existing site.
• A state-of-the-art £14m Faculty of Health building opened in 2008 and a new £8m Business and Law building opened in 2009.
• The University was one of five institutions nationally to be shortlisted for the Times Higher University of the Year Award 2007.
• In the latest national Student survey, 83% of students said they were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
• The University ranks top in the North West and in the top 10 institutions nationally for re-investing tuition fees on students, with £1.9m spent on scholarships, bursaries and outreach activities in 2007.
• The University is the lead institution for the Greater Merseyside and West Lancashire Lifelong Learning Network; a partnership of higher education institutions and 14 further education colleges providing pathways to higher education for vocational learners.   

 Supporting Messages

• The University is a flagship institution for Widening Participation. It leads on Aim Higher, the Government initiative to encourage under-represented groups to enter higher education and houses Action on Access, the national co-ordination team which promotes widening participation activities across the sector.
• Edge Hill University is ranked in the top four nationally for attracting young students from working class backgrounds.
• The University is the largest provider of Initial Teacher Training for secondary education in the UK.
• In 2007, the University injected £86.2 million into the economy of the North West region through staff and student spending and direct expenditure with suppliers.
• The Faculty of Education is the largest provider of Early Years Professional Status training in the North West and the West Midlands.
• The Faculty of Health is one of the main providers of education for the health and social care staff in the North West and Merseyside, training over 4000 professionals a year.
• The University is one of only 14 institutions in the country to have NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) accreditation for undergraduate Journalism programmes.
• The latest National Student Survey, Edge Hill University comes top in the country for NHS practice placements. Courses in Business, Law, Management, Initial Teacher Training and Nursing also rank first regionally.
• The University is committed to shrinking its carbon footprint and was recognised by The Carbon Trust in 2007 for its efforts in reducing emissions.
• Our community sports complex features some of the best facilities in the North West and has been included in the London 2012 Pre Games Training Camp Guide as a centre for athletics, archery and road cycling.