University in United Kingdom
Plymouth, England, United Kingdom
University profile
The University of Plymouth is a public university in Plymouth, Devon, on the coast of South West England. It traces its origins to the Plymouth School of Navigation of 1862 and gained university status in 1992. It has over 19,000 students and over 2,500 staff, and around 7,500 more students study for a Plymouth degree at partner institutions in the UK and abroad. It describes itself as a civic university and is a founding member of the Defence Universities Alliance.
The main campus lies in the city centre at Drake Circus, close to the halls of the Student Village and the shops of central Plymouth. Marine teaching is based at the Marine Station on Plymouth Sound, and medical, dental and biomedical research is concentrated at the Derriford Research Facility at Plymouth Science Park, beside Derriford Hospital. Nursing is also taught at schools in Exeter and Truro, and dental students train in clinics in Plymouth, Exeter and Truro.
Teaching is organised in three faculties:
Marine and maritime study is a long-standing strength. The Marine Institute, which represents 3,000 staff, researchers and students, is the first and largest institute of its kind in the UK. The University has won three Queen's Anniversary Prizes, most recently in 2019 for research on marine microplastics. It was rated Gold in all three categories of the Teaching Excellence Framework in 2023. It is the only post-1992 university to have launched its own medical and dental school, and its Peninsula Dental School was the first in the UK to achieve RCS Surgical Education Centre accreditation.
New undergraduates who make Plymouth their firm first choice and apply by the deadline are guaranteed a place in halls. Halls are on campus or in the nearby Student Village. The University of Plymouth Students' Union (UPSU) runs clubs, societies and venues. Every student has a personal tutor, and over 4,500 students a year take placements or work-based learning.
The international community numbers about 2,000 students from over 100 countries. The University of Plymouth International College (UPIC), run with Navitas on the city-centre campus since 2009, offers foundation, first-year and pre-master's programmes for students who do not meet direct entry requirements. The University holds a Student visa sponsor licence and also offers exchanges and summer schools.
Undergraduate and postgraduate taught fees are listed on each course page. Postgraduate research fees for full-time MPhil, PhD, ResM and MD study in 2026/27 are:
Fees can be paid up front or in instalments. Home (UK) and EU students can apply for a tuition fee loan equal to their fee. In 2026/27, the maximum living cost loan for Home students is £9,118 when living at home and £10,830 when living away from home.
The scholarship is worth up to £6,000. International students starting in 2026/27 receive £4,000 off first-year tuition fees, then £1,000 off in the second year and £1,000 off in the final year. It is awarded automatically, without a separate application, to international fee-payers who meet the entry and standard English language requirements. Scholarship details
This scholarship gives £4,000 off first-year tuition fees. It is offered automatically to international fee-paying postgraduate taught students who meet the entry requirements in their offer letter and study in person. Scholarship details
International scholarships do not apply to Peninsula Medical School or Peninsula Dental School courses, online courses or sponsored students. Students eligible for more than one award receive only the highest.
The Mayflower Award supports undergraduates from England with a household income of up to £35,000, as well as care leavers, estranged students, young adult carers and students from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Students eligible on household income are identified automatically and paid in two instalments in their first year. Students in the other groups contact the Student Financial Support Team after enrolling. Mayflower Award
Three scholarships are awarded each year, one per faculty, to asylum seekers, refugees and others who cannot access home fees because of their immigration status. Each scholarship provides a full undergraduate fee waiver, £1,250 a year towards study costs for the first three years, and a funded pre-sessional English course. Applications for 2026 ran from 6 January to 28 February 2026 and were followed by interviews. Sanctuary Scholarships
Other scholarships include the following. Some courses also offer their own scholarships, listed on the course page. All scholarships
Discretionary funds include the Hardship Assistance Fund, the International Student Emergency Fund, the EU Hardship Fund, the Summer Support Fund, the What Just Happened Fund, the Mel Joyner Award, the Helena Kennedy Foundation bursary, the Career Development Bursary, the Santander Careers Support Award and the Ashfords Research and Training Bursary. A UPP Hall Grant helps eligible first-year students in University-managed halls. Bursaries and support funds
Student Financial Support Team: [email protected], +44 1752 587676, Student Hub, Charles Seale-Hayne Library.
International Undergraduate Welcome to Plymouth Scholarship →
International Postgraduate Welcome to Plymouth Scholarship →
Santander Scholarships (University of Plymouth) →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of Plymouth and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of Plymouth →Home undergraduates apply through UCAS. Applicants may choose up to five courses and can apply for more than one Plymouth course. Entry requirements vary by programme and are set out on each course page. They usually combine predicted grades, subjects and qualifications. Some courses also require interviews, auditions or Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. A personal statement is required. Deferred entry is allowed on all standard courses, but not as standard on health and education courses because of their non-academic requirements.
From September 2027 entry, eligible applicants may receive a personalised contextual offer of up to three grades below the standard offer. The offer is applied automatically using the widening-access answers on the UCAS form. Applicants may be eligible if they are care-experienced, received free school meals, hold refugee status or humanitarian protection, come from a military family, have served in the UK Armed Forces, or come from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen or Boater communities. Estranged students, students at listed non-selective state schools or colleges in the South West or Wales, and students from IMD Quintile 1 areas may also be eligible. Contextual offers do not apply to foundation years, courses with mandatory placements, or courses with capped numbers such as medicine and dentistry.
International applicants apply through UCAS or through one of the University's local agents. Country guides set out regional entry requirements. Students without the qualifications for direct entry can take a foundation or first-year programme at the University of Plymouth International College (UPIC) and then progress to their degree. After applying, students track offers, conditions and scholarships through the Applicant Portal.
These are the standard minimums for degree-level courses (RQF 6 and above). Some subjects require higher scores, including the health professions, nursing, midwifery, medicine, dentistry, creative writing and English literature.
Other qualifications are also accepted, including LanguageCert Academic, Trinity ISE, Cambridge English, the International Baccalaureate and certain national school qualifications. IELTS used for direct entry must have been taken no more than three years before the course starts. Applicants who do not meet the requirement may take a pre-sessional English course, which requires a UKVI-approved SELT.
Postgraduate taught applicants apply directly through the Apply now button on the course page, or through an agent. They upload their transcripts and certificates, passport, any previous UK visas, English language results and a personal statement. Applicants who have not yet finished their first degree can still apply. Many programmes also offer a January start. Research degree enquiries and applications go to the Doctoral College Admissions Team ([email protected]).
Once academic conditions are met and evidence of finances has been provided, international students pay a £3,500 tuition fee deposit (subject to change). They can then request a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) through the Applicant Portal. Student visas are granted only for full-time study.
Admissions team: [email protected], +44 (0)1752 585858, 3rd floor Nancy Astor Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA.
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