University of Central Lancashire
Preston, United Kingdom
- Cost of Living£ 13,548
- Tuition Fee From£ 7,600
- Country Rank-
- Batch Strength17,644
- Global Diversity8.6%
- Gender Ratio42:58
Overview
About
The University of Central Lancashire is a public university based in Preston, Lancashire, England. It was established in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge. Since about 200 years ago, the institution has been offering education to students. Due to UCLan's proximity to Scotland's border and location in the city of Preston, many Scottish students travel there to attend university. The railway station is only a 10-minute walk through the heart of Preston, which is a thriving, welcoming, and culturally diverse location. Preston is also a well-known student city. In addition to being one of the best-connected cities in the nation, Preston is also close to the lake district, Manchester, Liverpool, and a number of international airports.
More than 200 postgraduate courses are available at the university in a variety of fields. It provides a variety of postgraduate research degrees that are excellent if you want to pursue a career in education, and human knowledge, and have a good impact on the world. Many of the faculty members at the University of Central Lancashire are active researchers whose work is advancing knowledge and improving lives throughout the globe.
The University's lecturers have received praise for their efforts and were given a silver quality award in the inaugural national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) evaluation. Most taught degrees allow full- or part-time study, as well as distant learning, which is a great option if you want to balance your studies with full-time work or family life.
Ranking
The University of Central Lancashire is listed among the top 100 universities in the UK by both various UK and global publications. UCLan has dropped from its rating of 70th in 2021 to 89th in The Complete University Guide's 2022 university ranking, which is still a significant improvement from 102nd in 2019. Since 2017, The Guardian has named the university among the top 100 institutions in the UK. In their list of universities for 2022, The Guardian has UCLAN at the 97th spot. Below are the highlights of the University of Central Lancashire Rankings
- QS - World University Ranking 2024: #801-1000
- The Complete University Guide - University Ranking UK 2024: #99
- The Guardian - University Rankings: #106
Course Rankings
The Complete University Guide has consistently ranked UCLAN among the top 100 schools in the UK for Accounting & Finance and Business & Management Studies since 2017. Similarly, The Guardian has recognised UCLAN's strength in these areas, placing it within their top 100 rankings for Accounting & Finance and Business, Management & Marketing. Notably, UCLAN's position in The Guardian's Business, Management & Marketing ranking rose sharply from 65th in 2020 to 22nd in 2021, then adjusted to 38th in 2022. This indicates UCLAN's strong performance across metrics like student-staff ratio, entry standards, career prospects, and support services.
Additionally, both UK publishers have included UCLAN in their top 100 rankings for various engineering courses. Notably, UCLAN's Civil engineering programme is viral in the UK according to these rankings. The Complete University Guide has also consistently placed UCLAN among the top 100 schools for computer science since 2017. This reflects UCLAN's recognised excellence across a range of academic disciplines. Given below are some of the latest course rankings of the Central Lancashire University:
Business & Management Studies Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Business and Management Studies UK 2024: #58
- The Guardian - Business and Management 2024: #68
Nursing Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Nursing Rankings 2024: #55
Engineering Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering 2024: #23
- The Complete University Guide - Civil Engineering Ranking 2024: #48
- The Complete University Guide - Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2024: #58
- The Complete University Guide - Mechanical Engineering Ranking 2024: #62
- The Guardian - Civil Engineering 2024: #36
Medicine & Health Sciences Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Medicine Rankings 2024: #33
- The Guardian - Guardian Medicine Rankings 2024: #37
Law Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Law Rankings 2024: #85
- The Guardian - Guardian Law Rankings 2024: #59
Mass Communication & Media Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Communication and Media Studies Ranking 2024: #69
- The Guardian - Guardian Journalism Rankings 2024: #16
Humanities & Social Sciences Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Psychology Rankings 2024: #78
- The Complete University Guide - Sociology Rankings 2024: #48
- The Guardian - Guardian Sociology and Social Policy Rankings2024: #56
Ranking for Science Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Biological Sciences Rankings 2024: #73
- The Complete University Guide - Computer Science 2024: #93
- The Complete University Guide - Physics and Astronomy Ranking 2024: #43
Architecture & Planning Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Architecture Rankings 2024: #46
- The Guardian - Guardian Architecture Rankings 2024: #23
Accounting & Commerce Courses
- The Complete University Guide - Accounting and Finance Ranking 2024: #93
- The Guardian - Accounting and Finance Rankings 2024: #100
Year
QS Ranks
US News Ranks
2025
#951 - 1000
-
2023
#801 - 1000
#1239
2022
#801 - 1000
#1239
2021
#801 - 1000
#1175
Facilities
The university offers a variety of cutting-edge facilities and tools. The University of Central Lancashire facilities, along with the highly skilled and knowledgeable colleagues and staff, all contribute to and encourage learning, teaching, and information exchange within the UCLan community.
The main library can be found at the centre of the Preston Campus. It offers adaptable study rooms and is open and staffed around the clock throughout term time. Students can access real stock as well as thousands of e-books and e-journals, with assistance from the university's IT staff. Additionally, students are also offered computers, laptop loans, bookable study areas, and a specialized SafePod facility for safe access to research data.
The new student centre provides relaxed gathering places with kitchens. Eco-friendly items are sold in an on-campus store. The university also has restaurants and bars all across the campus, and all halls have laundries nearby or within. The Oasis Centre provides yoga, meditation, mindfulness training, and support for people of all faiths. All across the Preston Campus, there are spots with designated prayer spaces.
The University of Central Lancashire also has many facilities and services for indoor and outdoor sports. This includes full-sized gyms with dance studios, indoor courts, climbing walls, artificial pitches, natural grass pitches as well as an athletics track
Notable Alumni
Courses
Admission
Acceptance Rate
The University of Central Lancashire’s acceptance rate is 22.4%. The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) offers a wide range of programmes for international students across several schools, including about 350 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate programmes. International students applying for their first year of study must have a 3.0 GPA from their secondary school to be eligible for admission at UCLan. In addition to meeting academic requirements, students must demonstrate proficiency in English by providing proof of language skills.
Entry Requirements
With an acceptance of 22.4%, the admission process of the university can be stringent. The University of Central Lancashire has set entry requirements for students to be eligible to apply. Applicants should make sure they have secured good ACT/SAT scores in addition to having great GPA scores in order to get accepted to the university. The admission also depends on factors like coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, LORs, SOPs, and more. Below is a list of the University of Central Lancashire entry requirements
- Full academic certificate and transcripts
- English language qualifications
- Academic references
- Personal Statement
- Copy of your passport photo page
- Course-specific requirements
- English Language Proficiency Tests
English proficiency test scores
The table given below outlines the minimum scores or percentage required for English proficiency for different criteria such as Year 12 English, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, and PTE at the University of Central Lancashire:
|
English Requirement |
Minimum Score/Percentage |
|
Year 12 English |
65% to 75% |
|
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) |
6.0 |
|
TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, internet-based test) |
80 |
|
PTE (Pearson Test of English) |
61 |
Fees
The University of Central Lancashire offers several programmes at different levels to both graduate and undergraduate students. Below are the fees of some of the most preferred programmes available at the university
- M.B.A - £15,500 /Year
- M.Sc Computing - £15,500 /Year
- M.A Accounting and Finance - £15,500 /Year
- M.Sc International Hospitality and Tourism Management - £15,500 /Year
- M.Sc International Hospitality and Event Management - £15,500 /Year
- M.B.B.S - £14,900 /Year
Placement
The University of Central Lancashire has a large number of companies that come to campus to recruit students. The university also has a very good reputation for its placement scheme, and it works closely with local employers, who are often looking for graduates from this university because they know how good their students are. According to the HESA student report, 95.5% students who graduated from UCLan found employment within 6 months after graduation.
The University of Central Lancashire Placement department helps arrange work placement opportunities for students every year, which gives them valuable experience in the workplace before they graduate from their degree course. The university also runs a number of events on campus to help students find work experience opportunities, including career fairs and volunteering schemes. Some of the employers of UCLan graduates include organisations like ASDA, Aston Martin, Marks and Spencer, BBC, Capita, IBM, John Lewis Group among others.
Scholarship
University of Central Lancashire provides scholarships and bursaries specifically tailored for international students studying in the UK. Bursaries are granted based on financial need, whereas scholarships are bestowed upon students with outstanding academic accomplishments. UniScholars offers comprehensive assistance in accessing information about these scholarships and guides you through the application process.Table below summarises the types of scholarships available at the University of Central Lancashire:
|
Scholarship/Bursary |
Eligibility Criteria |
Award Value |
|
Excellence Scholarships |
Available for undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses. Awarded based on academic performance during admission. |
£3000 per year |
|
International Bursary |
Open to international undergraduate students (excluding Chinese students, pre-sessional English programmes, distance learning courses, and MBBS students). |
£1000 per year |
|
Merit Scholarships |
Available for international undergraduate students based on merit. |
£2000 per year |
|
Sports Scholarships |
Offered to full-time or part-time taught course students (excluding Distance Learning/Blended Learning courses). |
£1000 per year (up to £3000 total) |
|
Articulation Scholarships |
For students from China, Kenya, Malaysia, and Singapore who completed studies at UCLan partner institutes and now enrolled in undergraduate courses at UCLan (excluding Distance/Blended Learning/Postgraduate taught/MBBS). |
£2000 per year |
Finances
Most international students are obligated to show proof of sufficient funds in order to obtain a visa. While some students may have the opportunity to make use of scholarships, not all students cut the eligibility to get a scholarship or a grant. Moreover, not all scholarships cover 100% of your study abroad expenses. At such times, most students resort to acquiring education loans to avoid the financial hassles associated with studying at the University of Central Lancashire. For Indian students, UniCreds is the ideal education loan marketplace if you’re looking for low-interest rates and free consultation services!
Accommodation
There are several student accommodations in Preston near University of Central Lancashire that are fully equipped for your needs. Student accommodation near University Of Central Lancashire offers a wide choice of affordable yet elegant student flats, halls of residence, studios, ensuites, and more! You have the option of staying on campus in the university halls of residence or a private residence. Because of their proximity to the university, on-campus housing options may be ideal; nevertheless, they tend to fill up fast and are more expensive.
UniAcco simplifies the process of finding student housing and offers a variety of options. As a result, students can select from an array of available student accommodations near the university, such as luxury studios, en-suites, and shared apartments that are inexpensive and fully furnished with 24/7 staff support.
Cost of Living
Student life at the University of Central Lancashire includes a mix of academic and social activities. The city is affordable, diverse, and well-connected, making it an excellent choice for students looking for a quality education and an enjoyable student experience. In the city, it is feasible to locate affordable housing for students, particularly in studios or shared apartments. Students can lower their total cost of living in Preston by selecting an apartment where utilities are part of the rent. The following are living expenditures that prospective students at the University of Central Lancashire should plan for:
|
Particulars |
Cost (Monthly) |
|
Off-Campus Accommodation |
£ 425 |
|
On-Campus Accommodation |
£ 444 |
|
Transportation |
£ 52 |
|
Food Cost |
£ 405 |
|
Entertainment |
£ 37 |
|
Groceries |
£ 140 |
|
Clothes |
£ 70 |
|
Total Cost of Living with Off Campus Accommodation |
£ 1,129 |
|
Total Cost of Living with On Campus Accommodation |
£ 1,148 |
|
Annual Cost of Living |
£ 13,548 |
The above data is sourced from Cost of Living in Preston on UniAcco.