University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a leading research university with a global reputation for excellence. A member of the prestigious Russell Group, the university is ranked 98th in the world and 12th in the UK (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025). Students from all backgrounds can expect to enjoy a world-class education in Sheffield.

Home to more than half a million people, Sheffield is a thriving hub of culture and industry. The fourth biggest city in the UK, Sheffield is conveniently located in the centre of the UK, and it is an ideal base for students who want to explore the rest of the UK and Europe. The city is just two hours away from London and one hour from Manchester by train.

With a sizeable international community, Sheffield is renowned for its excellent teaching and world-leading research. The university's researchers are passionate about tackling the biggest challenges facing the world today. Sheffield's cutting-edge research output influences both national and international policy, as well as the university's teaching across a range of disciplines.

The university is home to over 30,000 students represented by 150 countries worldwide. In recognition of its tight-knit and welcoming campus community, students have rated Sheffield as the best university in the UK and its students' union has been voted best in the UK for seven years in a row (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2017-2024). With a range of clubs and societies, social events, and volunteering opportunities on offer to enhance students' academic experience, Sheffield is world renowned for providing an unbeatable student experience.

Whatever subject students choose to study at the University of Sheffield, they can expect to be taught and supervised by world-leading teachers and researchers. Academic staff at the university are experts in their fields and in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) 92 percent of Sheffield's research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. As a member of the prestigious Russell Group of universities, teaching is driven at Sheffield by research expertise and students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to achieve future career success in both academia and industry.

During their time at Sheffield, students are helped to become experts in specialist subject areas as they prepare for the world of work. Students are guided by tutors with a wealth of real world experience to develop their problem-solving, research, analytical, team working, and leadership skills while they increase their confidence and develop their transferable skills.

The University of Sheffield offers a wide range of courses, from undergraduate degrees to taught postgraduate courses and research degrees. The university is made up of five academic faculties, with each faculty divided into schools for specialist subject instruction:

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

• School of English
• School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities
• School of Languages, Arts and Societies
• School of Law

Faculty of Engineering

• School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
• School of Computer Science
• School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Faculty of Health

• School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery
• School of Clinical Dentistry
• School of Medicine and Population Health

Faculty of Science

• School of Biosciences
• School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• School of Psychology

Faculty of Social Sciences

• School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
• School of Economics
• School of Education
• School of Geography and Planning
• School of Information, Journalism and Communication
• Management School
• School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

The University of Sheffield has been welcoming students from all over the world for many decades and has a wealth of experience in assessing and understanding different international qualifications. Prospective international students should visit the university's country admissions pages to view more information on qualification requirements for specific countries.

Sheffield accepts a range of different English language qualifications. Its English Language Teaching Centre offers pre-sessional English language courses for those who need to improve their levels to meet the entry requirements for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. International entry requirements vary on a course-by-courses basis, and detailed information on specific prerequisites can be found on the university's admissions information page and individual course pages.

At undergraduate level, Sheffield accepts a range of different international secondary school level qualifications for direct entry onto courses. If students do not meet the necessary requirements, they can apply for one of the university's pathway programmes at the University of Sheffield International College.

International students applying for taught postgraduate courses, meanwhile, are generally required to hold a good bachelor's degree from a recognised university to be considered for direct admission to postgraduate diploma or master's programmes. If students do not meet the entry requirements for taught postgraduate programmes, they can also apply for a pre-master's programme at Sheffield's International College.

Applicants looking to undertake postgraduate research programmes are typically expected to hold a good bachelor's degree and a good master's degree from a recognised university.

The University of Sheffield welcomes scholarship applications from high-achieving students who can demonstrate excellent academic achievement and potential. There are currently a range of scholarships and funding opportunities available exclusively to international students. These include 75 International Undergraduate Merit Scholarships valued at GBP 10,000 individually. The scholarship will be awarded for every year of study (subject to the terms and conditions being met) which means it could have a maximum value of 40,000 GBP for four-year programmes. Students need to hold an offer before they can apply for this scholarship.

The university also offers 75 International Postgraduate Taught Merit Scholarships valued at GBP 10,000 each. These can be used to partially cover tuition fees for postgraduate taught courses, and students are required to hold an offer before they can apply for this scholarship.

Other awards may be available to students and are generally awarded on criteria including nationality, domicile, or subject of study. Students can use the university's funding calculator to find more information on available funding options at Sheffield. All applicants should visit Sheffield's scholarships information page for the full terms, conditions, criteria and eligibility for scholarships at the university.

Students enjoy state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Sheffield. The university is continually investing in cutting-edge spaces to ensure it creates the best possible learning environment for its students. Standout facilities at Sheffield include the Information Commons Library which has over 100,000 books and 500 computers, and the Diamond, a multidisciplinary teaching facility with 2,540 study spaces, nine lecture theatres, a jet engine control room, a machine shop, and a virtual reality suite.

Many of Sheffield's facilities are interdisciplinary and are designed to foster innovation and collaboration. The university has specialist laboratories with industry standard equipment for clinical, engineering and science subjects, as well as music technology spaces, broadcast studios, multimedia newsrooms, and a fully equipped financial trading room.

Sheffield also offers a range of modern accommodation options to its international students. The university guarantees to find international students accommodation for the duration of their studies, providing they meet a few simple conditions. All accommodation includes a private bedroom and free Wi-Fi. Most rooms are en-suite so students will have their own bathroom and WC.

Sheffield recognised as a world-leading university in the latest rankings and surveys

The University of Sheffield has been recognised as a world-leading university in a number of recently published national and international surveys. The university was recently ranked the ‘University of the Year' and designated as providing the ‘Best Student Life' and ‘Best Students' Union' in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards.

Other prestigious awards enjoyed by the university in the past year include being ranked 12th in the UK (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025) and the top university in the Russell Group for student experience and student support (Daily Mail University Guide 2025).

At an international level, Sheffield was ranked 98th in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025), 27th in the world for sustainability (QS Sustainability Rankings 2025), and 42nd in the world for its progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021) also ranked 92 percent of Sheffield's research as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Sheffield ranked among the best universities in England for its work with businesses and public engagement

In recognition of its strong links to industry, the University of Sheffield was recently ranked as one of the top universities in England for its public engagement, community engagement, and work with businesses in the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF 2024). The results of the KEF – which is an annual measure of the extent to which universities have worked with partner organisation to promote socio-economic development – demonstrated that Sheffield has an excellent track record of developing intellectual property, commercialising research, and creating meaningful engagement with the public.