Bangor University

Bangor University was founded in 1884 as a direct result of a public campaign against Wales’ lack of higher education institutions. It was largely funded by the local community who voluntary contributed their wages to its development.

With around 12,000 students and 650 teaching staff, Bangor offers more than 300 undergraduate and 100 postgraduate programmes across five colleges. Although courses are predominantly taught in English, many undergraduate courses are also taught in Welsh. 

Bangor’s research received recognition in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which judged over three quarters of Bangor’s research to be either ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

It is also a major provider of training and education for the NHS in Wales and one of the main higher education partners in the North Wales Clinical School.

Bangor’s halls of residence are within walking distance of the university and many among them are new, part of a £35m redevelopment, and which include cafés, bars, shops, common rooms, and sports and fitness facilities on site (gym membership is included in the rent).

Other upgrades underway include the Pontio Arts & Innovation Centre, which is set to be a world-class centre for innovation in science, technology and the creative arts. Facilities there will include cinemas, theatres and exhibition space as well as social hubs for students.

It is not just the university that attracts students to study in Bangor. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Bangor is a stunning city to live in. The popular island of Anglesey is easily accessible and its beaches are a hotspot for surfers. Bangor also has the longest high street in Wales, with a mixture of independent businesses, boutiques and chain stores.

Bangor university’s alumni includes the Oscar-award winning film director Danny Boyle, actor Frances Barber, Nobel Prize winner Sir Robert Edwards and Paul Berenger, a former Prime Minister of Mauritius.