History
The University of Southampton's long heritage in the city dates back to October 1862, when the Hartley Institution, from which the University evolved, opened the High Street below the Bargate. In 2012, they marked not only the 150th anniversary of the Hartley Institution, but also the 110th anniversary of the institution becoming a university college in 1902.
Education
Southampton is one of the UK's leading research universities, providing undergraduate, postgraduate and lifelong learning courses across a broad range of subjects. The university is committed to excellence in all it does. Its impact stems from the combined power of its excellence in education, research, and knowledge exchange and enterprise. It offers 402 Masters and they are ready to grant 101 scholarships.
Research
The University has a wide portfolio of research expertise. Research achievements range from significant medical advances, to the technology that underpins the internet.
They also have a wide range of state-of-the-art research facilities, many of which are available for use by business. The new Boldrewood Innovation Campus is home to some of our most up-to-date facilities and houses the centre for innovation, business, and education in maritime engineering and engineering sciences.
Career
Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise offers a range of support, including individual appointments discussing topics such as:
- Career options/planning and next steps
- Feedback on a document such as a covering letter or personal statement. Please ensure you upload a copy of your document when booking.
- Interview/Assessment Centre/Online Test preparation
- Finding opportunities, including internships and placements
- Career options related to changing your course
- Postgraduate study
Student services
The Student Hub is your first point of contact for questions relating to wellbeing and disability support, exams, assessment and course queries, accommodation, and fees and finance. You can also reach out to them if you just need someone to talk to.
Housing services
Explore university student accommodation that supports your studies and independence. Choose from halls close to campus or in Southampton city centre, with a range of accommodation options to suit different budgets.
- Postgraduate accommodation
- International and pre-sessional accommodation
- Couples and students with children accommodation
Library services
Hartley sits at the centre of Highfield campus and is the main library for science, engineering, law, humanities and social science subjects.
The library includes archives, special collections and more than 6.5 million historic manuscript items. They also have 50,000 printed books.
ICT services
The university IT Service (iSolutions) deliver IT/Digital services and projects, in support of the University's strategic aim to achieve the remarkable and build an inclusive world.
On their website you will find information about accessing IT support, your IT essentials, and useful quick links to systems and services.
Medical services
Health services are mostly free at the point of need in the UK. UK residents pay taxes that fund the National Health Service (NHS).
You might need to pay a healthcare surcharge (called the 'immigration health surcharge' or IHS) as part of your immigration application.
There are doctors and dentists either on or near both Highfield and Winchester campuses.
Campus life
As a global campus university, they bring together 6 Southampton campuses, Winchester School of Art, and international locations in the Malaysian city of Iskandar Puteri and Delhi, India. You'll be part of connected communities across cities and continents.
Most students study at the main campus in Southampton. It’s home to most teaching spaces, libraries, and student facilities. Highfield Campus is the largest and oldest campus, located to the north of Southampton.
Some courses are taught at smaller teaching sites across Southampton. These are used by specific subjects and are close to specialist facilities or partner organisations.
Sports facilities
Stay active with Southampton Sport. They offer facilities, classes and support for students, staff and the local community. With a wide range of fitness classes, sports and a 200+ station gym at the Jubilee Sport and Recreation Centre, you can find ways to stay active that suit you.
Student clubs
Across campus and the city, there are many ways to connect with others, find support, and get involved. From international societies and faith spaces to volunteering and student advice, you’ll find communities that help shape your time here.
Get started with SUSU, the Students’ Union run by students, for students.
Accreditation
All of the courses offered by University of Southampton's Business School are accredited by the AACSB, proving their commitment to the highest international standards in teaching and learning practice. Many of their master's courses are also accredited by international professional bodies. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) course holds full 5-year AMBA accreditations.
University of Southampton Overview
University of Southampton Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 1.5% United Kingdom
Top 1.7% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
QS World University Rankings
87
By TopUniversities
Dropped 7 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | 80 | 87 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
118
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 5 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 104 | 123 | 118 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
129
By Times Higher Education
Dropped 14 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 97 | 115 | 129 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
151
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 151 | 151 | 151 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
University of Southampton Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
United Kingdom Country
Southampton City
#2 Branch Campus
Malaysia Country
Johor Bahru City
#3 Branch Campus
Malaysia Country
Kuala Lumpur City
#4 Branch Campus
India Country
Delhi City
University of Southampton Student Reviews & Awards
4.4
Based on 91 reviews
- 5 Star 46 Reviews
- 4 Star 38 Reviews
- 3 Star 6 Reviews
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Overall Satisfaction 4.5
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.4
- Student Diversity 4.4
- Quality of Student Life 4.4
- Career Development 4.4
Southampton
Very satisfying .i love the environment and the scenery
My school’s experience
1. Improved from third to second class. 2. Challenging yet rewarding study life. 3. Academic growth through perseverance. 4. A transformative learning experience. 5. From poor start to proud finish.
Lively nights, join societies
I love this university and would definitely recommend it. However, if you are looking for more daytime activities, you usually need to join a society to get involved. The nightlife, on the other hand, is lively and has something for everyone.
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
-
Overall SatisfactionHow would you rate your overall study experience?
-
Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
-
Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
-
Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
-
Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?
