Aberystwyth University

Aberystwyth University is a public research university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth University has a proud history dating back to 1872 – when it was established by the people of Wales as the first Welsh University. The University has exceptional commitment and results in both research and teaching and a firm friendship with the town and local community.

Aberystwyth University features amongst the world's top 200 institutions in 4 of the 30 subjects featured in the 2014 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

The establishment of Aberystwyth University is one of the great romantic, indeed heroic, stories of modern Welsh history. It was the work of a small group of patriots, led by Hugh Owen, a London Welshman, who sought from the 1850s onwards to raise enough money by public and private subscription to establish a college of university status in Wales. It was almost an impossible ambition.

In 2007, all the colleges of the University of Wales entered a new phase of existence as independent universities, though strong bonds of co-operation remain, re-affirmed in the St David’s Day accord of 2009 between Aberystwyth and the other four leading universities of Wales. Newly independent, Aberystwyth University reflects with pride on the heritage of its past, and faces the future with the confidence.

Aberystwyth University features amongst the world's top 200 institutions in 4 of the 30 subjects featured in the 2014 QS World University Rankings by Subject. Geography at Aberystwyth University features in the top 100, having climbed from a position in the top 150 in 2013. Politics features in the top 150, having risen from the top 200 in 2013, and Agriculture & Forestry has retained its place amongst the top 150. A new entrant for Aberystwyth in 2014 is English Language and Literature which features in the top 150.

Among the strongest areas are: Accounting & Finance, Biological Sciences, Business & Management, Celtic Studies, Computer Science, Criminology, Drama, Economics, English and Creative Writing, Environmental Sciences, Film & Television Studies, Geography, Information Management, International Politics, Irish, Law, Psychology, Rural Sciences, Software Engineering, Sport & Exercise Science, and Welsh.