The life changing University of Sunderland has over 24,000 students based in campuses on the North East coast, in London and Hong Kong and at its global partnerships with learning institutions in 15 countries. We are proud of our long-established commitment to widening participation, our world-leading research, public and private sector collaborations, and our track-record for providing quality student experiences that result in graduates who are the tomorrow-makers of our societies and economies. The University is focused on ensuring our graduates leave equipped with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and connections to make a positive difference in the wider world.
We have been rooted in the city of Sunderland since the establishment of Sunderland Technical College in 1901 and this year we celebrate our 30th anniversary as a university.
Sunderland is recognised internationally as a leading university, receiving five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities in the QS World University Rankings 2023. The University is also one of the UK’s leading widening participation Universities and was named The Times/Sunday Times University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2021. We were also shortlisted as University of the Year by the THE – Times Higher Education, and our We Care programme picked up the Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Progression) Award at the 2020 NEON awards.
The University of Sunderland is integral to the city and our region. Our Strategic Plan 2020-25 sets out our “Life-Changing” mission, through transformative experiences for our students, career-focused and professions-facing teaching, and the positive difference we aim to make to society. All of these have a distinct local and regional impact.