Loughborough today
Today, Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching, strong links with industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.
In recognition of this all-round excellence, The Sunday Times named Loughborough as its University of the Year 2008-09, highlighting in particular the quality of Loughborough’s teaching and research, its consistently high rankings in the National Student Survey, its unbeaten six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes and its outstanding success in sport.
Loughborough has also consistently been ranked in the top fifteen of UK universities in all the national leagues tables, rated 10th in The Guardian, 11th in the Sunday Times, 12th in The Times and 13th in The Independent in 2008.
The University today has nearly 15,000 full- and part-time students, almost 4,000 of whom are postgraduates and over 2,000 are international students. It has 24 academic departments, based within the three faculties of Engineering, Science, and Social Sciences and Humanities. With almost 3,000 staff, the University is also the town’s largest employer, and in its 2008 staff survey, 95% of respondents regarded the University as a good place to work.
Housed on an impressive 437-acre single-site campus, the University provides plenty of open space, gardens and sports areas, interspersed with academic buildings and student accommodation. Amenities on campus include lecture theatres and state-of-the-art laboratories, a major library, an Arts Centre, two theatres, conference and hotel accommodation, restaurants, banks and shops.
Throughout the year the University and Students’ Union organise a range of events, many of which are open to the local community. These include the annual bonfire and firework display, a variety of musical and theatrical performances and a series of lectures by Loughborough academics and guest speakers.