University in United Kingdom
Chester, England, United Kingdom
University profile
The University of Chester is a multi-site university spread across the historic city of Chester in north-west England, with further University Centres in Birkenhead, Warrington and near Nantwich. It traces its origins to 1839, when Chester Diocesan Training College was founded by the Church of England to train schoolmasters, making it one of the longest-established higher education institutions in England. It gained university title in 2005 and has around 14,000 students from 125 countries.
Teaching is organised in three faculties. The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences comprises Chester School of Education, the School for the Creative Industries, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Law and Social Justice. The Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society comprises Chester Medical School, the School of Allied and Public Health, the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Society. The Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise comprises Chester Business School, the School of Computer and Engineering Sciences and the School of Natural Sciences. Study ranges from Foundation Year degrees to master's, Graduate Entry Medicine and doctoral research.
The main site, Exton Park on Parkgate Road, is a ten-minute walk from the city centre and houses the Seaborne Library, the Students' Union, the Chapel, central support services, most university accommodation and sports facilities including a swimming pool, gym, running track and floodlit pitches. Specialist sites include Queen's Park (business), Wheeler (medicine, nursing, law and policing), the Creative Campus at Kingsway, Gateway House and Bache Hall.
Research is organised through three Research and Knowledge Exchange Institutes (Culture and Society, Sustainability and Environment, and Health and Wellbeing). In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 51% of the University's research was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. The University also runs its own publishing house, the University of Chester Press, and holds Fairtrade University status.
First-year students who make Chester their Firm choice and apply by the spring deadline are guaranteed a room in University or partnership accommodation, with full-board, self-catered and studio options on or near Exton Park and in the city centre. The Students' Union and Athletics Union support more than 100 sports clubs and societies, around 40 sports clubs compete in the BUCS leagues. Chester Business School was named Business School of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2024, and the University was named best for international and postgraduate students in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025.
Home undergraduate fees for 2026 entry are £9,790 a year full-time and £7,145 a year part-time; Foundation Years cost £5,760 (mainly business, humanities and social sciences) or £9,790 (creative and performing arts, engineering, medical subjects and science). International fees for 2026/27 are £14,950 a year for undergraduate degrees (frozen for the duration of the degree), £11,250 for an international Foundation Year, £15,500 for postgraduate taught courses, £15,700 for the MBA, £19,000 (full course) for MA Art Therapy and MA Social Work, £46,000 a year for Graduate Entry Medicine, and £2,900 for the second year of a two-year master's. International tuition fees will increase by £925 a year from 2028/29, subject to the proposed government international student levy. Undergraduate fees | International fees
All international undergraduate and 12-month postgraduate taught students are considered automatically for an International Scholarship Award on application, applied to each year of study and shown in the offer letter. Merit-based and country-specific scholarships are also available. Employer- or government-sponsored students are not eligible for scholarships or other fee reductions. International scholarships
Chester bachelor's graduates who progress to a full-priced taught master's course may receive a tuition fee discount, provided they are self-funding and have not previously received a similar discount. It does not apply to the MBA, MA Art Therapy, MA Social Work, PGCE, two-year MSc programmes or research degrees.
The University was granted four Commonwealth Scholarships for 2026/27, for MSc Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and MSc Family and Child Psychology. Candidates must be citizens or refugees of, and resident in, an eligible Commonwealth country, hold at least a 2:1 (or a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate qualification), meet postgraduate English requirements and be unable to study in the UK without the award. Applicants submit a Chester international application with a Commonwealth expression of interest and an application through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's Electronic Application System; the 2026/27 deadline was 16.00 GMT on 9 December 2025. Chevening, Indonesia-UK DIKTI and Snowdon Masters Scholarships (up to £15,000 a year in fees for disabled students) are also open to Chester applicants.
Self-funding international postgraduate research students receive a £1,000 international scholarship (£500 part-time) off the headline fee, including on Professional Doctorates. International research fees for 2026/27 are £15,627 (classroom-based) and £19,822 (laboratory-based); funded studentships are advertised as they arise. Research degrees
Bursaries apply to UK undergraduates paying at least £6,525 in fees (or £3,835 for some Foundation Years), awards are limited, and enquiries go to [email protected]. Home students can fund tuition through Student Finance loans, and Graduate Entry Medicine students combine Student Finance and the NHS Bursary. Bursaries and scholarships
University of Chester International Scholarship Award →
International Research Degree Scholarship Discount →
Care Leaver and Care Experienced Bursary →
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View scholarships for University of Chester →Full-time undergraduate applications are made through UCAS using institution code CHSTR C55, with campus codes H (The Hammond), B (University Centre Birkenhead), R (University Centre Reaseheath) and W (University Centre Warrington). For 2027 entry the equal-consideration deadline is 13 January, and applications are accepted until 30 June where places remain; later applications go into Clearing. The MBChB Graduate Entry Medicine deadline follows the UCAS medicine deadline of 15 October. The UCAS application fee for 2027 is £34.50, with fee waivers for applicants who received free school meals or are care leavers. Some courses require an interview, audition or portfolio review before an offer is made.
Accepted Level 3 qualifications include A Levels, BTEC and OCR Cambridge Technicals, Access to HE Diplomas, WJEC Level 3 Applied Diplomas, the Welsh Baccalaureate, the International Baccalaureate, Scottish and Irish Highers, Open University courses, T Levels and professional and vocational qualifications; grade requirements are set course by course. Unconditional offers go only to applicants who already meet all requirements. Four-year degrees including a Foundation Year require 72 UCAS points; mature applicants (over 21) are assessed by interview with no minimum requirement. Mature applicants can contact [email protected].
Home applicants to the first year of an undergraduate degree may receive an offer one or two grades lower, an alternative foundation year route, or an interview if they live in a POLAR4 or IMD Quintile 1 area, attend a school or college with below-average progression to higher education, are care-experienced or estranged, are young carers or receive free school meals. No separate application is needed; GCSE and subject-specific requirements still apply.
International students apply directly to the University free of charge (foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and MBA) or through a local representative. Applications need transcripts and certificates, proof of English, an academic reference, a statement of purpose and a passport copy. Country pages set out equivalent qualifications; for Ghana, for example, the Foundation Year requires WAEC with grades 1-8 in four relevant subjects, undergraduate entry a National Diploma with good grades, and an HND at 50%/C or above may be considered for third-year entry. Autumn 2026 international undergraduate application deadlines were 13 July 2026 for most courses, with earlier dates for Graduate Entry Medicine (15 June), Social Work (22 June) and Nursing (6 July).
IELTS (Academic or UKVI): 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each skill for undergraduate study and 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each skill for postgraduate study. PTE Academic: 59 overall (59 in each skill) undergraduate and 62 overall (59 in each skill) postgraduate. TOEFL iBT taken before 21 January 2026: 79 overall undergraduate and 91 overall postgraduate, with section minimums. LanguageCert Academic: 65 (60 in each band) undergraduate and 70 (60 in each band) postgraduate. Duolingo (for UKVI differential-evidence nationals only): 105 (100 in each band) undergraduate and 120 (100 in each band) postgraduate. GCSE/IGCSE English Language at grade C, Cambridge, Kaplan, Password, Trinity ISE and Skills for English tests are also accepted, along with country-specific qualifications such as WAEC/WASSCE English at C6 or above. Online pre-sessional English courses of 5, 9 and 13 weeks are available for applicants below the required score.
Applicants usually need an appropriate first degree with at least second-class honours or equivalent, although relevant work experience may be considered. Home applicants apply online through AIMS; international applicants apply through the International Centre, while Nutrition and Dietetics, taught Health and Social Care courses and PGCE routes have separate procedures and MSc Physician Associate Studies is applied for through UCAS. Most courses have no closing date, but exceptions include Nutrition and Dietetics and Social Work. There is no application fee for most courses. Referees are contacted automatically once an application is submitted.
Applicants for the MPhil/PhD, Professional Doctorates and MRes begin with a Research Enquiry Form, after which suitable candidates are invited to apply. MPhil/PhD students usually start in October, January or May. A full-time PhD normally takes three years with submission within four. The University is not currently accepting international MRes applications.
Offer holders who need a Student visa complete their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) request through CAS Shield after paying a deposit. Applicants who are not low-risk nationals must show outstanding tuition fees plus maintenance of £10,827 held for 28 consecutive days, with an additional £200 requested to cover currency fluctuation, and may be asked to complete a Pre-CAS Questionnaire or Genuine Intention Interview. An ATAS certificate is required for certain postgraduate science and technology subjects.
The University describes Chester itself as its campus, with specialist sites across the city and three regional University Centres.
University residences include Grosvenor House (202 self-catered studios at Exton Park), Sumner House (catered and self-catered), Powys Court, Hollybank Court and partnership residences such as Tudor Place and Granary Studios, supported by a Residential Life Team and round-the-clock porters.
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