University of Southampton - Highfield

Reputation, Research and Impact

The University of Southampton is one of the world’s leading universities. With over 150 years of history, they are a founding member of the Russell Group, consistently placed in the top 100 universities in the world by the QS World University Rankings. The University is ranked 87 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. 

92 per cent of their research output was assessed in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) as being world leading and internationally excellent, confirming their status as one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities. This international outlook and reputation attract staff from across the world, with over 25 per cent coming from outside the UK.

Innovative thinking and pioneering research are at the heart of the University of Southampton's culture. Their people are finding solutions for some of the biggest challenges that this planet is facing, pursuing environmental sustainability, and making a difference to the world.

This is the place where fibre-optic research is creating a faster, smarter internet; where the immune system is leading the fight against cancer; where expertise is tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance; and where resources are being secured for the world’s growing populations.

The university stands for exploration and curiosity, interdisciplinary thinking, inventive education and cutting-edge facilities to catalyse change. They inspire minds, bring people and ideas together and give them the space and support to grow, create, ignite, and realise their potential.

Community and Connections

Home to over 25,000 students from more than 130 countries, with around 6,000 members of staff, the University of Southampton is proud of the diverse, vibrant, and welcoming people who make up its university community.

Outside of the UK, they educate students through the University of Southampton Malaysia, a new campus in Delhi, India, collaborations with prestigious partners such as Xiamen University in China, Singapore Institute of Management, Nanyang Technological University and Worldwide Universities Network members, and through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). 

Once Southampton students become graduates, they join a global community of over 285,000 alumni and can access a network that can provide further opportunities across the world.

Based in a growing city full of opportunities, Southampton is the perfect place to take work further and discover what one is capable of; from turning an idea into reality and making a real difference, to finding new passions and discovering the next step.

The cost of living is roughly £300-£390 per week, which includes accommodation, food, travel, and social life. Southampton is roughly 30% cheaper to live in than London!

Industry and Enterprise

The University of Southampton forges and nurtures connections with industry and organisations, develops new businesses and supports the next generation of leaders and thinkers to achieve their potential.

The university has a strong culture of enterprise. They are ranked third in the UK for consultancy by the latest Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey, 2022/23, and more than 150 international businesses have chosen Southampton as a major research partner. In the past few years, strategic partnerships have been developed or expanded with GSK, Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ, IBM, BAE Systems, Airbus, Microsoft, DePuy, Philips, Vitacress, Eli Lilly, and Google ─ to name but a few.

The University of Southampton are also renowned for commercialising its research; its business incubation partnership, SETsquared, is the most influential university business incubator globally. They have an extensive portfolio of partnerships across the world, and through research, they influence governments, businesses, and individuals to make a real impact.