Why Southampton?

Choosing the right university is an important decision. As an International student, you are also faced with the challenge of adapting to a new culture away from home. Southampton offers exceptional quality and choice in a fantastic location, with ample support for international students.

International students' opinion

You can listen to some of our international students from Mexico, Kenya, Korea, Brunei, India, Japan, China and Pakistan participating in our video "Why Southampton?" and explaining why they decided to study at the University of Southampton. The video is available on blip.tv through our interactive platform iSoton.

Ten reasons to study at the University of Southampton:

  1. International recognition: We are among the top 100 universities in the world according to the Times Higher World University Rankings 2009 - one of only 17 UK universities to make the top 100.
  2. The University of Southampton is in position 152 in the International League Table published by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University China in 2008 (17th in the UK).
  3. One of the UK’s leading universities: we have been ranked in 12th place by The Sunday Times University Guide 2009, 13th in the Independent Complete University Guide 2010 and joint 15th in The Times Good University Guide 2010.
  4. Research quality: in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), more than 60% of our research was considered word-leading or internationally excellent. The University of Southampton is ranked joint 9th among Russell Group universities in terms of the 2008 RAE.
  5. Student satisfaction: The University of Southampton has been ranked 9th in The Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2010.
  6. Prime location: Southampton is just over one hour from central London, on the south coast of England. We are surrounded by areas of natural beauty including the New Forest and the Isle of Wight, and connected to the rest of the UK and Europe through superb road, rail, air and sea links.
  7. International diversity: we have over 22,000 students including 1,400 EU students and more than 3,400 international students (from outside the EU) from more than 130 different countries. Our departments have many international links and are active members of international initiatives like the World Universities Network, the Centre for Contemporary China and the Thai-UK Collaborative Research Network.
  8. Guaranteed accommodation: All our international (non-EU) students are guaranteed accommodation for the complete duration of their studies in our Halls of Residence.
  9. Work prospects: The quality of our graduates is recognised by employers worldwide, who are often invited to our Open Careers Days on campus. Our Career Destinations Department offers free advice to all our students for up to three years after graduation. We are renowned for our close links with business and industry and have been ranked in the top 20 UK universities for graduate starting salaries (2010 Sunday Times University Guide rankings).
  10. Support to international students: our professional services offer free and confidential support for our international students.

Del.icio.us

A stimulating environment

A stimulating environment

We pride ourselves on our exceptional teaching quality, and the high achievements of our students.

Key facts

The Nightingale Building

The Nightingale Building

Continued investment of £200 million over four years ensures that all our students benefit from world-class facilities.