List of UK universities by date of foundation

This is a list of Universities in the United Kingdom by the date of their foundation.

In many cases the supposed date of establishment is open to debate. The date in which an institution officially achieved royal charter is therefore provided first, with any unofficial date in parentheses.

Ancient universities

Main article: Ancient university

Until the nineteenth century there were only two university establishments in England and five in Scotland (including two in Aberdeen, see below).

Name	Country	Date of foundation	Motto	Notes
University of Oxford	England	Before 1167	Dominus illuminatio mea
University of Cambridge	England	1209	Hinc lucem et pocula sacra
University of St Andrews	Scotland	Between 1410 and 1413	ΑΙΕΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝ
University of Glasgow	Scotland	1451	Via, Veritas, Vita
University of Aberdeen	Scotland	1495	Initium sapientiae timor domini	For centuries, Aberdeen had two universities. King's College (1495) and Marischal College (1593) merged to form the University of Aberdeen in 1860
University of Edinburgh	Scotland	1582	Nec temere, nec timide

Nineteenth century universities

No new universities were founded in the United Kingdom after Edinburgh until the eighteenth century with the establishment of a number of the London colleges, for example St George's (1733), The London Hospital Medical College (1785) and the Royal Veterinary College (1791). These later became part of the University of London.

University of Wales, Lampeter	1828	Gair Duw Goreu Dysg ("The Best Education is God's Word")
King's College London	1829
The University of Durham	1832	Fundamenta eius super montibus sanctis (Her foundations are upon the holy hills)
University of London	1836
The Queen's University of Belfast	1845 as Queen's College
Aberystwyth University; formerly The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.	1872	Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth (A World Without Knowledge, is no World at all)
Royal Holloway	1879	Esse quam videri (To be, rather than to seem)
Cardiff University; formerly The University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.	1884	Gwirionedd Undod A Chytgord (Truth Unity and Harmony)
Bangor University; formerly The University College of North Wales.	1884	Gorau Dawn Deall (The Best Skill is Understanding)
Queen Mary, University of London	1885, (With roots, through medical school, to 1123)	Coniunctis Viribus
London School of Economics	1895	rerum cognoscere causas

The civic universities

These universities were distinguished by being non-collegiate institutions that admitted men without reference to religion or background and concentrated on imparting to their students "real-world" skills, often linked to engineering.

Red brick universities

Main article: Red brick university

The large civic 'red brick' universities all gained official university status before the First World War. The term was first coined by a professor at the University of Liverpool to describe these universities, inspired by the university's Victoria Building which is built from a distinctive red pressed brick. All of the red brick institutions have origins dating back to older medical or engineering colleges.

Name	Date of foundation	Motto	Notes
Victoria University, now the University of Manchester	1880/(2004)	Olim armis nunc studiis	From 2004 the University of Manchester
University of Birmingham	1900	Per ardua ad alta
University of Liverpool	1903	Haec otia studia fovent
University of Leeds	1904	et augebitur scientia
University of Sheffield	1905	Rerum cognoscere causas
University of Bristol	1909	Vim promovet insitam

Second wave of civic universities

Name	Date of foundation	Motto
University College of Swansea, now Swansea University	1920	Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn
University of Reading	1926
University of Nottingham	1948	Sapientia urbs conditur
University of Southampton	1952	Strenuis Ardua Cedunt
University of Hull	1954	Lampada ferens
University of Exeter	1955	Lucem sequimur
University of Leicester	1957	Ut Vitam Habeant

Plate glass universities

Main article: Plateglass university

Universities founded during the 1960s are called this because of their architectural style. This was the era of the Robbins Report. The number of UK universities more than doubled from 20 to 43.

Name	Date of foundation	Motto	Notes
University of Sussex	1961	Be still and know
Keele University	1962	Thanke God for All
University of East Anglia	1963	Do Different
University of York	1963	In limine sapientiae
Newcastle University	1963
University of Strathclyde	1964	The place of useful learning
Lancaster University	1964	Patet omnibus veritas
University of Kent	1965	Cui servire regnare est
University of Essex	1965	Thought the harder, heart the keener
University of Warwick	1965	Mens agitat molem
Loughborough University	1966	Veritate, Scientia, Labore
Aston University	1966	Forward
Brunel University	1966	Innovate or Die
University of Surrey	1966
University of Bath	1966	Generatim discite cultus
University of Bradford	1966	Make Knowledge Work
City University, London	1966	To serve mankind
Heriot-Watt University	1966		Originally established in 1821, though was not given a royal charter.
University of Salford	1967	Altiora Petamus
University of Dundee	1967	Magnificat anima mea dominum
University of Stirling	1967
Royal College of Art	1967
Cranfield University	1969	Post Nubes Lux

Intermediate era

Only three universities were founded between 1969 and 1992 and they were all the "odd-one-out" in some way: The Open University is the UK's only distance learning university; the University of Buckingham is the only private university; and the University of Ulster was formed from the merger of a plate glass university with a polytechnic.

Name	Date of foundation	Motto
The Open University	1969	Live and Learn
University of Buckingham	1976	Flying on our own Wings
University of Ulster	1984

New universities

Main article: Post-1992 universities

1992 universities

The passage of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 allowed all polytechnics to become universities and award their own degrees rather than degrees governed by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) . 38 took up the offer immediately, nearly doubling the number universities again from 46 to 84. While still commonly referred to as 'New Universities', many of these institutions claim heritage back to the nineteenth century.

Name	University status	Motto	Notes
Napier University	June 1992	Nisi sapientia frustra	Founded as Napier Technical College 1964
Anglia Ruskin University	1992	A Creative Constellation	Founded as Cambridge School of Art 1858; polytechnic 1991
Birmingham City University	1992	Age Quod Agis (Do what you are doing;attend to your business)	Founded as City of Birmingham Polytechnic 1971; until 2007 was called University of Central England
Bournemouth University	27 November 1992	Discere Mutari Est
University of Brighton	1992		Founded as Brighton Polytechnic 1968
University of Central Lancashire	1992	Ex Solo ad Solem	Formerly Preston Polytechnic 1973
De Montfort University	1992		Founded as Leicester Polytechnic 1969
Coventry University	1992		Founded as Lanchester Polytechnic 1970
University of Derby	1992	Experientia Docet	formerly Derbyshire College of Higher Education
University of East London	1992		Founded as North East London Polytechnic 1970
University of Glamorgan	1992	Success Through Endeavour
University of Greenwich	1992	To learn, to do, to achieve
University of Hertfordshire	1992	Seek Knowledge Throughout Life
University of Huddersfield	1992
Kingston University	1992
Leeds Metropolitan University	1992
University of Lincoln	1992	Excellence through study	Formerly Humberside Polytechnic (located in Kingston upon Hull); moved to Lincoln in 2001
Liverpool John Moores University	1992	Audentes Fortuna Juvat	Founded as Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts in 1823;
London South Bank University	1992	With Thy Might	Founded as the Borough Polytechnic Institute in 1892
Manchester Metropolitan University	1992	Many Arts, Many Skills
Middlesex University	1992
Northumbria University	1992
Nottingham Trent University	1992	Shaping futures	Founded as the Nottingham Government School of Design in 1843. The institution became Trent Polytechnic in 1970.
Oxford Brookes University	1992	Excellence in diversity	Founded as the Oxford School of Art in 1865; became Oxford Polytechnic in 1970.
University of the West of Scotland	1992
University of Plymouth	1992	Indagate Fingite Invenite
University of Portsmouth	1992	Lucem Sequamur
The Robert Gordon University	1992	Omni Nunc Arte Magistra	Developed out of Robert Gordon's Hospital (founded 1750)
Sheffield Hallam University	1992	Learn and Serve
Staffordshire University	1992	Create the difference
University of Sunderland	1992	Scientiam Dulce Hauriens
Teesside University	June 1992	Facta Non Verba	Founded as Constantine Technical College in 1930; became Teesside Polytechnic in 1969
Thames Valley University	1992
University of Westminster	1992	Educating for professional life	The first polytechnic university - founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution at Regent Street, London
University of the West of England	1992	Light Liberty Learning
University of Wolverhampton	1992	Innovation and Opportunity	It was established as the School of Art, established in 1851, which came together as the Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Technical College in 1931.
Glasgow Caledonian University	1 April 1993	For the common weal
University of Abertay Dundee	1994

Second wave of new universities

Main article: New universities

After a seven-year hiatus, a great number of polytechnics, university colleges and higher education institutes began to apply for university status. This was also the era of the break-up of the federal University of Wales and the accreditation of its constituent colleges as individual universities. So far, 31 new universities have been created bringing the total number to 115.

Name	University status	Motto	Notes
University of Gloucestershire	2001	In animo et veritate
University of Wales, Newport	2002
London Metropolitan University	August 2002		Merger of London Guildhall University (est.1848) and the University of North London (est.1896). Both predecessor institutions became universities in 1992 under New Universities above. As such, this institution should not be considered 'second wave'.
University of Bolton	April 2004
University of the Arts London	2004		The collegiate body was first introduced as the London Institute in 1986, and acquired university status in 2004 as the University of the Arts London. The six colleges of art, design, fashion and media have origins dating back to the mid 19th Century.
Cardiff University	1 August 2004	Gwirionedd Undod A Chytgord	Established 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire before becoming University of Wales, Cardiff and breaking from the University of Wales federation in 2004.
Roehampton University	1 August 2004		Earliest constituent college (Whitelands College) founded in 1841.
University of Manchester	1 October 2004	Cognitio, sapientia, humanitas	formed in 2004 by the dissolution of the Victoria University of Manchester (which was commonly known as the University of Manchester) and UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) and the immediate formation of a single institution (inaugurated on 1 October)
Bath Spa University	August 2005		Founded as Bath College of Higher Education 1975; university college 1992
Canterbury Christ Church University	2005	Veritas liberabit vos
University of Chester	2005	Qui docet in doctrina	Founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839; degrees awarded by University of Liverpool 1910; university college 2003
University of Chichester	2005	Docendo discimus	Founded as West Sussex Institute of Higher Education 1977; university college 1999; established as a provider of higher education in 1839
University of Winchester	June 2005	Wisdom ond lar (from old English) Modern English translation: Wisdom and Knowledge	Founded in 1840 as Winchester Diocesan Training School. In 1847 it became Winchester Training College and was renamed King Alfred's College in 1928; degree awarding powers in 2003 and became University College Winchester in 2004. In 2008 Winchester University was awarded Research awarding powers.
Liverpool Hope University	July 2005	In Faith, Hope and Love	Originally three teacher training institutions, Christs College, Notre Dame and St Catherines which merged in the late 1970s to become Liverpool Institute of Higher Education and then later, Liverpool Hope University College
Southampton Solent University	July 2005
University of Worcester	September 2005	Ad Inspirandum Aspiramus	Founded as a teacher training college in 1946, absorbing the Herefordshire and Worcester College of Midwife training. Gained full university status in 2005 and became the University of Worcester
University of Northampton	2005	Transforming lives, inspiring change
University of Bedfordshire	2006
Edge Hill University	18 May 2006	In Scientia Opportunitas
York St John University	10 July 2006		Founded in 1841 as York Diocesan College.
Queen Margaret University	January 2007
Buckinghamshire New University	2007	Arte et Industria	formerly Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education until 1995, then Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
Imperial College London	8 July 2007	Scientia imperii decus et tutamen	Founded 1907 as constituent college of University of London
University Campus Suffolk	1 August 2007
University of Cumbria	1 August 2007		merger of St Martin's College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts and part of University of Central Lancashire
Aberystwyth University	1 September 2007	Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth	Founded as University College Wales 1872; founder member of University of Wales 1893
Bangor University	1 September 2007	Gorau Dawn Deall	Founded as University College of North Wales 1884; founder member of University of Wales 1893
University of Wales, Lampeter	1 September 2007/6 February 1828 [1]	Gair Duw Goreu Dysg	UWL is a continuance of St David's College, which received its charter in 1828; merged with University of Wales 1971
Swansea University	1 September 2007	Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn	Broke away from the University of Wales, which it joined as a constituent college in 1920, to begin awarding own degrees.
Trinity University College	1 September 2007		Founded as Trinity College, Carmarthen 1848
Cardiff Metropolitan University	1 September 2007	The most valuable possession is knowledge	Named University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) until October 2011
Swansea Metropolitan University	January 2008		Founded as Swansea Institute of Higher Education 1992
Glyndwr University	July 2008		Founded as Wrexham School of Science and Art 1887
University of Wales, Trinity Saint David	2010		Merger between University of Wales, Lampeter (1828) and Trinity University College
University of the Highlands and Islands	2011		The "UHI Millenium institute", a collegiate partnership of 13 colleges and research institutions scattered throughout the highlands and islands, Moray, and Perthshire and providing in excess of 50 additional learning centres in the same areas gained full university status as The University of the Highlands and Islands (Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean) in 2011; it had been a Higher Education Institute since 2001, and acquired the power to grant its own degrees from 2008, prior to which its degrees were authenticated by Open University Validation Service, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Aberdeen
Newman University, Birmingham	2013		Former Newman University College granted university status

Universities in Overseas Territories

Name	Territory	University status	Motto	Notes
University of the West Indies	Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat	1948
International College of the Cayman Islands	Cayman Islands	1970
University College of the Cayman Islands	Cayman Islands	1975
St. Matthews University	Cayman Islands	1997		Founded in Belize; moved to the Cayman Islands in 2002
Saint James School of Medicine	Anguilla	1999		Founded in Bonaire; moved to Anguilla in 2010
University of Science, Arts and Technology	Montserrat	2003

Former universities

This table contains universities that were given a Royal Charter and awarded degrees but were dissolved either by merging, splitting or just closing down.

Name	University status	Motto	Dissolved	Reason
Victoria University	20 April 1880	Olim Armis Nunc Studiis	1 October 1904	Leeds and Liverpool left; surviving college became Victoria University of Manchester
Victoria University of Manchester	1 October 1904	Arduus Ad Solem	1 October 2004	merged with UMIST to form the University of Manchester
New University of Ulster	1968		1984	merged with Ulster Polytechnic to form University of Ulster
St Martin's College	2006		1 August 2007	merged with Cumbria Institute of the Arts and part of University of Central Lancashire to form University of Cumbria
University of Wales, Lampeter	1828	Gair Duw Goreu Dysg	2010	merged with Trinity University College to form University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
Trinity University College	1 September 2007		2010	merged with University of Wales, Lampeter to form University of Wales, Trinity Saint David

See also

• List of oldest universities in continuous operation
• List of British universities
• British universities
• Third oldest university in England debate