University in United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
University profile
St Mary's University, Twickenham is a Catholic university in south-west London, founded in 1850 by the Catholic Poor Schools Committee to train teachers for the growing number of poor Catholic children. It describes itself as the UK's largest Catholic university, with around 6,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, and its legal objects commit it to advancing education "in such manner as befits a Catholic foundation", including teacher training for religious and secular schools.
The main campus sits on Waldegrave Road in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in the grounds of Strawberry Hill House, Horace Walpole's eighteenth-century Gothic Revival villa. The estate also includes the Naylor Building and 60 Waldegrave on Waldegrave Road and the Teddington Lock sports fields on Broom Road, Teddington.
Teaching is organised in two faculties and a new medical school:
Two academic directorates, the Directorate of Educational Excellence and Student Outcomes and the Directorate of Research and Knowledge Exchange, work across the schools. Sport is a particular strength: the campus has an £8.5 million sports centre opened in 2011, the Sir Mo Farah Athletics Track, a Performance Education Centre and sport science laboratories, and it hosted pre-Games training camps for London 2012.
Student life is campus-based. Catered halls with meal plans in the Refectory are guaranteed to eligible first-year undergraduates who meet the accommodation deadline, the library opens 24/7 to card holders, a GP drop-in runs on campus during term, and the Students' Union runs sports clubs and societies. Students come from over 100 countries outside the UK, about 10% of the student body. The university received the Gold rating for student experience in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, holds taught degree awarding powers (2006) and full university title (2014) from the Privy Council, and is a member of Universities UK, GuildHE, the Cathedrals Group, London Higher, Advance HE and the International Federation of Catholic Universities.
Fees are set for each course and listed on the course pages and the 2026/27 home and 2026/27 international fee pages. For September 2026 entry, for example, BA History is £9,790 (home) and £17,445 (international), BSc Physiotherapy £9,790 (home) and £18,180 (international), and MSc International Business Management £12,150 (home) and £18,990 (international). Fees for continuing students may rise each year by no more than the greater of 15% or the CPI increase, subject to any government cap.
Both are for overseas fee payers on full-time, on-campus courses starting in September 2026 or January 2027, exclude distance learning and MBBS, and cannot be held together.
Postgraduate awards apply to the first year of taught courses only and are applied automatically to eligible offer-holders.
£3,000 a year tuition fee discount for all five years of the MBBS, available to 10 international applicants, selected on Multiple Mini Interview performance and commitment to community health. No separate application is needed.
Gold (up to £2,000), Silver (up to £1,500) and Bronze (up to £1,000) packages combine financial support with free gym membership, strength and conditioning, massage, nutrition, psychology and performance lifestyle support, open to students on any course and in any year. Applications open each spring. Sports scholarships
Students may hold only one St Mary's scholarship and one bursary (St Mary's Cares Bursary excepted). Home undergraduates can apply for government tuition fee and maintenance loans, and Irish students can apply for a tuition fee loan.
International Country Scholarship (Undergraduate) →
Widening Participation Bursary →
Browse the scholarships listed for St Mary's University, Twickenham and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for St Mary's University, Twickenham →Most undergraduate applicants apply through UCAS (institution code SMARYS64), choosing up to five courses. Direct applications are required for part-time study and for Early Years Education, the Primary Education Foundation Degree, Primary Education (Work-Based Route), Primary Education (Work-Based Route) with QTS, and January-entry Business Management and Business Management (Top Up). Late UCAS applications and Clearing applications are considered. Each course sets its own UCAS tariff points and any interview, audition or subject requirements; GCSE passes are grades 4-9 (A-C), and extended projects and Higher Sports Leaders Awards may be considered in borderline cases. Degrees with a foundation year provide an alternative entry route for applicants without traditional qualifications or returning after time out of education. Offers are conditional or unconditional, and trainee teachers must complete an enhanced DBS check.
International applicants can apply directly (if St Mary's is their only UK choice), through UCAS, or through an appointed in-country representative, uploading transcripts, English test results, passport and a visa history questionnaire. For direct first-year entry the university normally considers the IB Diploma with 28 points, International A levels at CCC or a High School Diploma with 3.0/4.0; for foundation year entry, IB 16 points, International A levels DD or a High School Diploma with 2.5/4.0. Country pages give national equivalents; for example, Ghanaian WASSCE holders are normally considered for the foundation programme, and those who have completed the first year of a Ghanaian bachelor's degree with good grades for first-year entry.
Tests must be no more than two years old by 1 September of the year of entry. Foundation degree applicants needing a visa must provide a UKVI-approved SELT. Pre-sessional English courses are available.
Master's applications are made through the university's online application forms with at least one reference and a supporting statement; the Programme Director may interview before an offer is made. September-entry applicants are advised to apply by mid-August, and January entry is offered on selected courses. Country equivalences are set against UK 2:1 and 2:2 classifications (for example, a Ghanaian degree with a 3.25 GPA is equivalent to a 2:1).
Doctoral applicants complete an online application with a 3,000-4,000 word research proposal (or personal statement for some routes). PhD and MPhil to PhD intakes are in October and February; applications for February 2027 close on 30 November 2026, and Professional Doctorate applications for September/October 2027 close on 31 August 2027. Each student has at least two supervisors.
The MBBS is currently open to international applicants only, with selection including Multiple Mini Interviews. Enquiries go to [email protected].
International students who need a student visa pay a deposit to secure their place: £5,000 for undergraduate and £8,000 for master's study, unless funded by a government loan or full scholarship. CAS statements are issued from the summer onwards. For January 2027 entry, the latest arrival date is 5 February 2027 (24 January 2027 for MSc Occupational Therapy), and visa applications should be submitted at least six weeks before the course starts.
Halls offer catered rooms with shared or en-suite bathrooms on 36-week contracts, with 50-week contracts for international undergraduates; rent includes utilities, WiFi and contents insurance, and Resident Mentors and Senior Residents support students living in.
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