The University of Bristol is one of the top 10 universities of UK, located in Bristol, England. It received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876. It is one of the original "red brick" universities. It receives more applications per place than any other British University. The University has an annual turnover of £260m and is the largest independent employer in Bristol.

The University is a member of the Russell Group, European-wide Coimbra Group and the Worldwide Universities Network. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise gave 15 departments a 5* rating. Bristol has around 23,000 students and is one of two universities in Bristol, the other being the more recently established University of the West of England. The University has gained press attention for its high private school intake and the 2003 dispute over its admissions system.

Academic Reputation:

According to the League tables generally, University of Bristol is among the top ten universities of UK. The Times Higher Education Supplement ranked Bristol as the top 64th university in the world for 2006 and 37th for 2007. Another international ranking, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities, placed Bristol 62nd globally in 2007. According to data published in The Telegraph Bristol has the third-highest percentage of 'good honours' of any UK university, behind Oxford and Cambridge.

In addition, the following courses offered by University of Bristol, managed to reach top 5 in the Times ranking (2008): Computer Science(3-rd), Electrical and Electronic Engineering(3-rd), Civil Engineering(5-th), Biological Sciences(3-rd), Mathematics (3-rd), Psychology (4-th).

In addition, Bristol is particularly strong in the field of social sciences, particularly in Economics, Finance and Management, and was recently rated 4th in the 2008 Guardian University Guide for Business and Management Studies.

The University's School of Law is also one of its strongest subject areas. Immediately following Oxbridge, Bristol offers some of the best legal educations in the country alongside University College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, King's College London, Durham University and Warwick University.

Students' Union and Student Life:

The University has a Students' Union, the University of Bristol Union, which claims to have the largest Students' Union building in the country. From this location, the student radio station BURST (Bristol University Radio Station) broadcasts and the student paper Epigram publishes. In terms of student life, the Union is responsible for the organization of the annual freshers' fair, the coordination of Bristol Student Community Action, which organizes volunteering projects in the local community, and the organization of entertainment events and student societies. In distinction to the 'blues' awarded for sporting excellence at Oxford and Cambridge, Bristol's outstanding athletes are awarded 'reds'.

Degrees:

Bristol awards a range of academic degrees spanning bachelor's and master's degrees as well as junior doctorates and higher doctorates. The postnominals awarded are the degree abbreviations used commonly among British universities. The University is part of the Engineering Doctorate scheme, and awards the Eng. D. in systems engineering, engineering management, aerospace engineering and non-destructive evaluation.