Spread across campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, the University of Bedfordshire is a public research university with deep roots in the educational history of the region. Its origins trace back to 1882, when the Bedford Teacher Training College was founded, making it one of the older strands of higher education in the East of England. The university as it exists today was formed in August 2006, when the University of Luton merged with the Bedford campus of De Montfort University, following approval by the Privy Council, and adopted the University of Bedfordshire name at that point.
Campuses and Locations
The university operates five campuses in total. Three are in Bedfordshire, covering Luton and Bedford, while two are in Buckinghamshire, in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes. The Aylesbury campus, named the Mary Seacole Aylesbury Campus, is dedicated to Healthcare students and opened in February 2020 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Beyond these campuses, the university is also active in London and Birmingham, and maintains international partnerships in countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Vietnam, Oman, and Mauritius.
Students and Research
Around 20,000 students from over 100 countries are enrolled at the university, supported by approximately 40 academic partners in the UK and overseas. Courses range from foundation degrees through to doctorates. More than 40% of students come from families with no prior history of participation in higher education, around 70% are mature returners, and over half are from black or ethnic minority backgrounds. In research terms, the university entered the Research Excellence Framework in 2014 and climbed 22 places in the REF Power Ranking, the fourth largest improvement across the sector, with nearly half of its research rated as world leading or internationally excellent. The university also gained FairTrade status in 2012, placed eighth in the UK in the People and Planet University Green League in 2019, and received the Eco Campus Platinum award in 2020. The current Vice Chancellor is Rebecca Bunting, appointed in 2020, and the Chancellor is Sarfraz Manzoor, who took up the role in 2023.