About the University
Independent minds. Collective spirit. All for the public good.
Who we are
We exist as a University for Public Good. Our founding values of excellence, equality and opportunity for all are as true today as they were when we opened our doors to 230 students in 1963.
Today we're home to more than 20,000 students and 5,000 staff. Our diverse community fosters a sense of belonging and operates at the highest academic and ethical standards.
In times of uncertainty and global unrest, the achievements of our staff and students continue to inspire us and have a positive impact on local, national and global scales.
Rebecca Clark, Head of Access and Outreach, explains what public good means to her. Explore our Strategy Stories.
Proud of our research and teaching
We're one of only four UK universities (alongside Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial) to offer:
Gold for teaching
Overall rating of Gold under the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
Top 10 research
Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
At York, you’ll find a community united by a sense of collective purpose. It permeates all that we do, whether that’s supporting our city through the darkest days of the pandemic, providing funding to students struggling through the economic crisis, or offering a safe haven to scholars whose countries have been torn apart by war.
Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor and President
Award-winning education that empowers
A member of the Russell Group, we are a dynamic, research-intensive university.
Our teaching, learning and student experience is outstanding, recognised by a Gold rating from the Office for Students in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework.
We nurture our highly talented students from all backgrounds by giving them opportunities to develop and grow in an ever-changing world. Our innovative employability development programmes support our students’ career ambitions and help them meet the needs of global employers.
Our three faculties and 40+ academic departments, schools and centres undertake groundbreaking research that underpins our teaching.
Hull York Medical School student, Phoebe Durojaiye, explores how students can get involved with the University Strategy 2030. Explore our Strategy Stories.
Research with impact
From climate change to artificial intelligence, the University of York tackles some of the most pressing environmental, social and economic challenges facing our rapidly changing world.
Our action-oriented and interdisciplinary research places us in the top 10 institutions in the UK in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. All of York’s subject areas are now ranked in the top 30 in the UK for research, with strong performance across our three faculties.
- Through BioYorkshire, we’re working with partners to make North Yorkshire the first carbon negative region in the UK.
- We've made a new home for essential research into mental health with the launch of the Institute of Mental Health Research at York.
- The Institute for Safe Autonomy, our new £45m centre, puts us at the forefront of research into safe robotics and autonomous systems.
- We're helping grow our region as a centre of excellence in the creative industries through the Digital Creativity Institute and Co-Star Live Lab.
- In 2023/24 we surpassed £100 million in research income for the first time, building on our previous record of £97m in 2021/22.
- Our Research Strategy 2023-2030 lays out how we advance knowledge for public good.
We're nurturing a thriving research culture and community where diverse people, ideas, and approaches continue to flourish. This community includes everyone involved in research and knowledge exchange, from students and academic staff to technicians and professional support.
Local impact, global reach
By building strong partnerships with international institutions and fostering collaboration across disciplinary boundaries, we extend the reach of our teaching and research, creating local impact on a global scale. By working closely with communities worldwide, we gain cultural insights, track societal shifts and deliver effective solutions as populations adapt to economic and global pressures.
We pursue transformative research partnerships and student and staff exchanges across the world, including major strategic relationships with Maastricht University and our Europe Campus, CITY College at Thessaloniki, Greece.
We’ve established three new learning centres to help thousands of children growing up in East Hull, Bridlington and Grimsby stay on track at school and realise futures they may never have dreamed possible through our partnership with IntoUniversity and the University of Hull.
Enterprise Works, our business hub, is where we nurture enterprising talent and foster connections with local businesses, students and researchers. Encouraging entrepreneurial activity in our region drives social change and delivers benefits from our expertise for the public good.
Bob Doherty, Dean of the School for Business and Society, discusses our mission for public good. Explore our Strategy Stories.
Our campus community
York is a campus university set within 500 acres of landscaped gardens, lakes and wetlands, located within walking distance of the city centre. It's home to an abundance of water birds, including ducks, geese, swans and herons.
All York students become members of one of our eleven colleges, which provide an inclusive and supportive community.
A beautiful city to live, learn and work
York is a thriving, friendly city, renowned for its rich history and heritage.
Regularly named one of the best places to live and visit in the UK, 2,000-year-old York has so much to offer. From iconic medieval streets to a thriving foodie scene and more attractions per square mile than anywhere else in the UK.
Travel between campus and the city centre is easy by bus, bike or on foot. York is a great base from which to explore the wider region and beyond, with direct rail networks that connect us with other major cities in the UK.
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is one of our core principles and we're embedding sustainable thinking across all areas of the University. Researchers at York collaborate across disciplines to help shape a more sustainable future for us all, addressing unprecedented global challenges in environmental, social and economic sustainability.
In 2021, we launched Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY) to boost our environmental sustainability activity and develop pathways to help us achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
As a University for public good, we continue to consider the ways our actions can affect positive and lasting change. In 2024, we published our latest statement on responsible investment - outlining our divestment from a number of areas that threaten global sustainability.
Opportunity for all
Widening access to higher education is at the heart of what we do. Through regular activities we enthuse talented young people from all backgrounds about higher education.
With York Festival of Ideas, we welcome a wide audience to free events that demonstrate the transformational power of our research and ideas.
We're a University of Sanctuary, providing support for refugees and asylum seekers. We continue to do what we can to support our community in difficult times.
How we're governed and led
The University was created by Royal Charter and is a public higher education institution and exempt charity in England.
- Dr Heather Melville, OBE is Chancellor, the ceremonial head of the University
- Dr Alice Maynard is the Chair of Council, the governing body and trustee board with statutory and strategic oversight of the University
- Professor Charlie Jeffery is Vice-Chancellor and President, the chief academic and executive officer responsible for leadership of the University, and Chair of the University Executive Board
