Royal Holloway

History

Opened by Queen Victoria in 1886, Royal Holloway was founded by Thomas Holloway, a Victorian entrepreneur and visionary.
Became part of the University of London in 1900 and later merged with Bedford College, another pioneering college founded in 1849.
The Founder’s Building is one of the most spectacular university buildings in the world.

Location and Transport

Fifty-four-hectare (135-acre) parkland campus adjacent to Windsor Great Park at Runnymede, Surrey. Also a central London base at Bedford Square.
Good road, rail and air links: 40 minutes by train and 30.5 km (19 miles) west of central London.
Good transport links with Heathrow, the M25, M4 and M3 all just a few miles away. College bus covering local areas and station.

Accommodation

2,943 places in halls, prioritized for first years and overseas students. Something to suit all tastes and budgets, catered and self-catered.
Environmentally-sensitive new halls with sedum-planted roofs completed in 2007. Provide 466 en-suite study bedrooms.
Plenty of choice locally in the private sector.
More information on accommodation at Royal Holloway is available here.

Entry standards
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In receipt of full Maintenance Grant £750
In receipt of partial Maintenance Grant up to £750
Academic achievement Scholarship
Sport Scholarship

Tuition fees (2009): £3,225.
Fees for year abroad £1,535.
Scholarships of £500 for all in receipt of Maintenance Grant and achieving a certain level in A levels. Competitive Thomas Holloway Founder’s Scholarships of £3,500 for “outstanding” students receiving Maintenance Grant. Competitive Bedford Scholarships of £1,000 for “outstanding” students.
Nineteen per cent of additional fee income to be earmarked for bursaries.
For more information on bursaries and scholarships at Royal Holloway, click here.

Student mix

Just over half of the total student population (56.5%) is female.
Approximately 20% of students are from overseas, from more than 130 countries.
Around a quarter of entrants are from private schools or colleges.
Places are competitively sought with 12,000 applications for 2,000 undergraduate places in 2006–7.

Course flexibility

Flexible approach to major/minor programmes and course units across 18 academic departments.
Plenty of scope for interdisciplinary study and research.

Teaching standards
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High levels of student satisfaction reported via the National Student Survey (ranked equal fifth in the first NSS survey).
Teaching quality and standards were strongly commended by the QAA in the recent institutional audit.
Previously rated 21 out of 24 in French, Italian, Biochemistry, Management Studies and Sociology; 22 in Economics, Maths and Statistics; 23 in Physics, Classics, Drama, and Media Arts; 24 in Psychology and in Biological Sciences.

Research standards
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Royal Holloway is a national leader for research, ranked ninth in the UK RAE 2001.
All departments awarded the top 3 ratings for research, indicating research of international excellence.
Awarded top score 5* in Music, Geography, French and German; 5 out of 5 in English Language and Literature, Classics, History, Drama, Psychology, Geology, Biological Sciences, Physics, Pure Maths, Computer Science.
All seven departments in the Faculty of Science were awarded 5 or 5*.

Academic strengths

Royal Holloway and St George's, University of London, have decided to work together towards a merger. This would create the fourth largest college of the University of London in terms of income and enable us to diversify and strengthen our teaching and research activities.
Royal Holloway is strong across three faculties – Arts, History and Social Sciences and Science.
Staff to student ratio, student retention and successful completion rates are among the highest in the UK.
International reputation in many areas including Information Security, Holocaust Studies, CSR, Creative Writing, Genetic vaccines, Quaternary Science and Musicology

Student facilities, including Library and Computing
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Three libraries on campus all with modern facilities, plus access to University of London libraries. Dynamic social learning spaces have been added to the main campus library this year.
Computer workstations available for students in libraries and the computer centre, plus significant investment in wireless infrastructure.
College shop, bank, bookshop, health centre and chapel, plus range of bars, eating places and theatres all within beautiful landscaped grounds.

Disability Services

Students’ Union

Entertainments run seven days a week – and a reputation as one of the best SU’s in the London area.
Award-winning student magazine and radio station, over 100 clubs and societies, weekly markets on campus.
Thriving Community Action volunteering programme.
More information on the students' union at Royal Holloway is available here.

Sport

One of London’s top universities for sporting success.
Extensive sports fields, sports hall, tennis courts and fitness facilities on campus.
Thriving STARS programme – sports bursaries for elite sports students.
More details on sport at Royal Holloway are available here.

Recent/prospective new builds

Opened in May 2007, the Windsor Building, a lecture theatre complex with 400-seat auditorium and multiple seminar rooms
Major extension to the School Of Management teaching space, to accommodate expanding programmes.
Just completed refurbishment of laboratories for Biological Sciences, and The Hub, new student dining facilities. Also recently completed a £1.3 million investment in library resources.

Availability of part-time work

Excellent work availability, with jobs on campus – SU, open days, libraries, etc, and locally, plus nearby Ascot, Henley and Windsor event scene.
Careers Centre runs an electronic job shop with local employers.
Royal Holloway is ranked third in the country for graduate employment.
Further information is available here.

For further information

Last updated 29/5/09

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