The University of Bristol is a red brick research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1909, and its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.
The University of Bristol is ranked 11th in the UK for its research, according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 by GPA. The University of Bristol has been ranked 29th by theQS World University Rankings, and is ranked amongst the top ten of UK universities by QS, THE, andARWU. A highly selective institution, it has an average of 6.4 (Sciences faculty) to 13.1 (Medicine & Dentistry Faculty) applicants for each undergraduate place.
Bristol is organised into six academic faculties composed of multiple schools and departments running over 200 undergraduate courses situated in the Clifton area along with three of its nine halls of residence. The other six halls are located in Stoke Bishop, an outer city suburb located 1.8 miles away. The University had a total income of £485.5 million in 2013/14, of which £131.5 million was from research grants and contracts. It is the largest independent employer in Bristol.
Bristol is a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities, the European-wide Coimbra Group and the Worldwide Universities Network, of which the University's Vice-Chancellor Eric Thomas was chairman from 2005 to 2007. In addition, the University holds anErasmus Charter, sending more than 500 students per year to partner institutions in Europe.
