Aston University crest

Aston University

Birmingham, United Kingdom • Founded 1895 • QS 2027 #416 =

Updated Sep 2026 · Source: aston.ac.uk · How we collect data

Overview

English Name: Aston University
Founded: 1895
Institution Type: University
Control Type: Public
Entity Type: Non-profit
Rankings:
QS World University Rankings 2027 #416 = Times Higher Education 2026 #401-500 ARWU (Shanghai) 2021 #701-800 CWTS Leiden 2025 #93 SCImago 2026 #706
Motto: Forward
Around Aston University campus
1 / 2

Aston University is a public research university in Birmingham, England, with a second campus in London and online study options.

It began in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, founded by the City of Birmingham to train people for industry, and grew into a university awarded its royal charter in 1966. Teaching is organised across seven schools: Aston Business School, Aston Medical School, Aston Pharmacy School, the School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies, the School of Engineering and Innovation, the School of Law and Social Sciences, and the School of Psychology, Health and Clinical Sciences.

It offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, doctoral research programmes, and degree apprenticeships, with particular strength in business, medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law, and health and psychology sciences. Its student body is drawn from more than 120 countries.

Location & Contact

Address, phone, email, and online links for Aston University are listed below.

Address: Aston Triangle
Postal Code: B4 7ET
Phone: +44 (121) 204 3000
Fax: +44 (121) 333 6350
Social Media:

Academic Details

Scale, staffing, and recognition figures for Aston University are listed below.

Academic Year: October to June
Recognition: Privy Council
Admission Requirements: General Certificate of Education (GCE) or equivalent, with passes in 3 approved subjects at Advanced ('A') level, or passes in 2 subjects at 'A' and 3 at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), or passes in 2 subjects at 'A' and 2 at Advanced Supplementary ('AS'), or 2 at 'A', 1 at 'AS' and 2 at GCSE. grade A, B or C, or 2 at A and 3 at GCSE. grade 'A', 'B', or 'C'
Total Students: 19,565
Female Students: 8,930
Academic Staff Range: 600-699
Campus Setting: Urban
Memberships & Networks
Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Universities UK Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)

Academic Structures

Aston University's faculties, schools, institutes, and constituent units are listed below.

Unit 5 items
  • Aston Business School
  • Medical School
  • School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • School of Languages and Social Sciences
  • School of Life and Health Sciences

Faculties & Divisions

All faculties operate under Privy Council.

Business (School) 5 subjects offered

Specialisations & Subjects

  • Accountancy
  • Business Administration
  • Business Computing
  • Finance
  • Management
Engineering and Applied Sciences (School) 8 subjects offered

Specialisations & Subjects

  • Applied Chemistry
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Physics
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Natural Sciences
Languages and Social Sciences (School) 6 subjects offered

Specialisations & Subjects

  • English
  • European Studies
  • International Relations and Diplomacy
  • Modern Languages
  • Sociology
  • Translation and Interpretation
Life and Health Sciences (School) 7 subjects offered

Specialisations & Subjects

  • Biological and Life Sciences
  • Biomedicine
  • Health Sciences
  • Optometry
  • Pharmacy
  • Psychology
  • Speech Therapy and Audiology

Programs Offered

Aston University's programme catalogue is grouped by level below.

142 programmes on record. Each level below shows a sample. Compare these on the programs page All programs in United Kingdom

Honours Degree 65 programmes

Showing 10 of 65.

Master of Business Administration 2 programmes

Executive MBA (Part-time)
Business & Management · 2 years
Start: January 2027

UK 2:2 honours degree or international equivalent

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Master's Degree 64 programmes

Addiction and Mental Health
Health Sciences · 1 year
Start: September 2026

Minimum 2:2 degree in Psychology OR equivalent experience working in health/mental health.

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Advanced Computer Science
Computer Sciences

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Advanced Hearing Therapy Practice
Health Sciences · 3 years
Start: September 2026

See our entry requirements

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Applied Artificial Intelligence
AI & Machine Learning

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Applied Psychology (Singapore)
Psychology · 15 months
Start: July 2026

See our entry requirements

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Applied Psychology (Top-up) (Singapore)
Psychology · 15 months
Start: July 2026

See our entry requirements

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Artificial Intelligence
AI & Machine Learning

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Artificial Intelligence for Health
AI & Machine Learning

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Showing 10 of 64.

Doctorate 10 programmes

3D Printing of Ocular Films for Treatment of Ocular Diseases of the Anterior Segment
Film & Animation

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

A Physics-Informed Machine Learning Approach to Epidemic Digital Twins
AI & Machine Learning

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Advancing Episignature Analysis for Chromatin Disorders
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

An Intensified, Modular Absorption Carbon Capture Approach for Dispersed Small- to Medium-Scale Industrial Emitters

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Antimicrobial Resistance and Gene Regulation in Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Beyond H3K4 Methylation: Mechanistic Insights into How KMT2D Controls Transcription, DNA Repair and Genome Stability
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Bioerodible Inserts as a Platform for Controlled Ocular Drug Delivery
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Biomass-derived Biochar Electrodes for Low-carbon Sodium-ion Batteries
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Cell Membrane Engineering for Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

CO2 Utilisation in the Preparation of High Value Lithium Carbonate Battery Material
Start: October 2026

Programme website (opens in a new tab)

Postgraduate Certificate 1 programme

Scholarships in United Kingdom

These scholarships are open to students studying in the United Kingdom and may apply to programmes at Aston University.

Aston Forward Scholarships
University funded · Renewable · 5,000 GBP per total · Living Stipend · Covers Living
A cash award of £5,000 over a full-time undergraduate degree (£2,000 in year one, £1,500 in year two and £1,500 in the final year) for UK students from lower-income households who have overcome extra barriers to higher education.
Aston High-Achievers Scholarship
University funded · 3,000 GBP per total · Partial Tuition
A £3,000 tuition fee discount for up to 13 UK students starting an Aston Master's degree with a First-Class or 2:1 undergraduate result.
Aston Sports Scholarship
University funded · International students · Renewable · 500 GBP per year
Up to six awards of up to £500 a year from Sport Aston to help cover costs such as equipment, physiotherapy or travel to training and competitions.
Aston Support Scholarship
University funded · Renewable · 1,250 GBP per year · Living Stipend · Covers Living
An annual cash award of £1,250 (up to £5,000 across a degree) for care leavers, young carers, estranged students, students from a military family, or refugees.
Aston University Alumni Scholarship
University funded · International students · Partial Tuition
A 20% tuition fee discount for all Aston University graduates continuing onto an Aston Master's degree, applied automatically at enrolment.
Cambridge Trust International Scholarship
Cambridge Trust · Foundation funded · International students · Renewable · Combined · Covers Living
Covers tuition fees at the international rate, an annual maintenance stipend, and support towards the student visa and Immigration Health Surcharge, for postgraduate (and some undergraduate) study at Cambridge; there is no separate application form.
Ernest Edward Scholarship for Asylum Seekers
University funded · Renewable
Full tuition coverage for up to four students each year who are asylum seekers or otherwise unable to access standard UK student finance because of limited leave to remain.
Ferguson Scholarships
University funded · International students · Combined · Covers Living
Full tuition fee cover plus a £6,000 contribution towards living costs for outstanding international students.
Full-Time MBA Gold Scholarship
University funded · International students · 12,500 GBP per total · Partial Tuition
A £12,500 tuition fee reduction for outstanding applicants to the full-time MBA at Aston Business School, awarded following an interview assessment.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Gates Cambridge Trust · Foundation funded · International students · Renewable · Combined
Funds full-time or part-time PhD study, the one-year MLitt, or (with some exceptions) other one-year postgraduate courses at the University of Cambridge; fee and stipend amounts are set through the University's own student-funding process rather than published on the eligibility page.
International Community Scholarship (Postgraduate)
University funded · International students · 4,000 GBP per total · Partial Tuition
An automatic £4,000 tuition discount for self-funded international postgraduate students who pay their deposit on time.
International Community Scholarship (Undergraduate)
University funded · International students · Renewable · 9,000 GBP per total · Partial Tuition
A tuition reduction worth £9,000 across a three-year undergraduate degree (£5,000 in year one and £2,000 in each following year), awarded through a competitive application.
Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Trust · Foundation funded · International students · Renewable · 20,400 GBP per year · Combined · Covers Living, Travel
Covers University of Oxford course and college fees, an annual stipend of £20,400 (£1,700 a month, 2025-26 rate), the Oxford application fee, student visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs, two economy flights to and from the UK, and a settling-in allowance.
Sir Adrian Cadbury Chancellor's Scholarship
University funded · International students · 10,000 GBP per total · Partial Tuition
A £10,000 reduction on tuition fees for self-funded international students, awarded on the strength of a short written application.
Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme
Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust · Foundation funded · International students · Renewable · 18,622 GBP per year · Combined · Covers Living
Covers 100% of course fees and a living-cost grant (at least £18,622 a year through the St Antony's College partnership) for the full period of fee liability, plus participation in a tailored leadership programme.

How to apply to Aston University

A short guide to applying to Aston University — five steps.

  1. 1
    Research programmes at Aston University

    Begin by reviewing the programmes section above. Aston University offers 142 programmes grouped by qualification level. Decide on a target tier (bachelor's, master's, or doctoral) before narrowing by subject.

  2. 2
    Review admissions criteria

    Each programme at Aston University has its own entry requirements — academic minimums, language proficiency, supporting documents, and sometimes interviews or portfolios. Check the programme-specific page or contact admissions to confirm eligibility.

  3. 3
    Gather supporting documents

    Most applications require certified academic records, identification documents, language test certificates (IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent for English-medium programmes), CV/résumé, and a statement of purpose. Allow extra time for document authentication.

  4. 4
    Lodge your application

    Undergraduate applicants apply through UCAS (ucas.com) rather than directly to Aston University. Postgraduate applicants apply directly through Aston University's own admissions portal at www.aston.ac.uk.

  5. 5
    Confirm receipt and track progress

    After submitting, confirm receipt with the admissions office and track your application status through the portal. Reach the institution by phone at +44 (121) 204 3000. Set reminders for any interview requests, additional document submissions, or admission decision deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions about Aston University

Frequently asked questions about Aston University.

When was Aston University founded?

Aston University was established in 1895 (approximately 131 years ago).

In which city is Aston University?

Aston University is based in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Is Aston University a public or private institution?

It is a public higher-education institution.

How many students study at Aston University?

Aston University has approximately 19,565 students.

How is Aston University ranked?

It ranks QS 2027 #416 =.

What degrees does Aston University offer?

Aston University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.

What is Aston University's academic structure?

Aston University is organised into 5 academic units across its disciplines.

Who recognises Aston University?

Aston University is accredited by Privy Council.

Where can I learn more about Aston University?

Aston University's official website is www.aston.ac.uk.

Top-Ranked Universities in the United Kingdom

The institutions topping the United Kingdom's rankings give national context for Aston University. Context matters because employer perception in the United Kingdom often correlates with national rankings.

Members of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)

Members of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), alongside Aston University.

Faculties at nearby universities

Also in Birmingham: universities located close to Aston University.

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