University of Essex

About the University of Essex

The University of Essex is home to the curious, brave and bold. We’re a university where curiosity prevails, and exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. We're committed to excellence in teaching and research, putting student success at the heart of our mission and preparing every student to thrive in their future lives.

Our excellence is reflected in our subject rankings: 1st in the UK for Drama and in the top 10 for Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Nursing, Mathematics, and Sports Science. We’re also in the UK top 10 for research quality in four subjects and research power in five.

Our determination to make a difference in society has placed us in the global top 100 of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which ranked more than 1,400 universities worldwide.

Life in Essex

Your time at Essex will be full of opportunities to meet new people, try new things and develop new skills – its more than just a degree. Essex is the culturally vibrant county that's home to our Colchester, and Loughton. campuses, which are buzzing with activities and events, and you'll find a supportive network of like minds where you can pursue your passions and have fun.

Our Students’ Union supports our diverse student community from more than 140 countries and is consistently ranked among the top 10 Students’ Unions in the UK, helping students flourish both academically and socially.

Curious about student life at Essex? Chat with our current students on Unibuddy and catch a sneak peek of campus life on YouTube Shorts.

Schools and Colleges Activity

We travel to schools and colleges across the UK and around the world to deliver information and talks on different aspects of university life, including the benefits of Higher Education, how to choose a course and student finance. Our world-class academics are also able to offer insightful talks and lectures, to engage and inspire your students.

As well as being able to support schools local to us, we also have Regional Officers in the Midlands, London and South East of England. For more information or to book your event, head over to our Schools and Colleges page.

Visit us

Interested in The University of Essex? Join us at an Open Day, drop by for a Campus tour or join us online. We look forward to welcoming you.

Order a Prospectus Schools & Colleges

Forthcoming events

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Life Sciences Discovery Day University of Essex An opportunity for Year 12-13 students, as well as mature students, to spend practical time in a lab to experience Life Sciences at the University of Essex. Wednesday, March 25, 2026

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Events without a specific start date

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Academic workshops University of Essex Delivered by our enthusiastic academics, our taster sessions are designed to give your students a flavour of studying a subject at undergraduate level.

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Attending your HE Fair University of Essex If your school or college is planning to hold a higher education or careers fair, we are happy to come to talk to your students about the opportunities offered by university study.

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Available Talks and Sessions University of Essex We travel to schools and colleges across the UK and around the world to deliver talks on all aspects of university life. All our talks and sessions can be delivered in person or virtually.

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Campus and Accommodation Tours University of Essex We understand that choosing a university is an exciting experience, but it can be also be overwhelming. At the University of Essex we run campus tours led by current students and virtual tours, allowing you to get inside knowledge about what our campuses have to offer.

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Chat to our students and staff online! University of Essex Want to get a feel for Essex? Get all of your burning questions answered by our students and staff.

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University Preparation Programme - short course University of Essex The University Preparation Course for students in Years 12 and 13 will give you a flying start when making decisions about applying to university, and transitioning to life when you get there.

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Regional Contacts based at University of Essex

Sophie Jones

Regional Recruitment Officer (Midlands)

Caroline Attrill

Student Recruitment Officer (South East UK)

Emily Baker

Regional Student Recruitment Officer - London

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7 Upcoming events

Essex is a Top 30 UK university (Complete University Guide 2025), 12th in the Guardian University Guide 2026, and also a Top 30 UK Sporting University (British Universities and Colleges Sport table 2024). Additionally, 86% of our graduates go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2024).