Liverpool Hope University guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
The smallest of the three Merseyside universities, Liverpool Hope has seen a 35% rise in applications over the past ten years. Its undergraduate population is under 4,400, and this gives Hope the scope to implement a modern, student-focused approach to university education. Hope believes small teaching groups allied with strong student support services allow it to provide a personal education, ensuring that nobody gets lost in the crowd. Hope scores particularly well for student support in the National Student Survey, with student experience not far behind. The university is constantly evolving its degree portfolio and has recently added 16 new programmes to its roster. A range of courses will be delivered in the university's new multi-million-pound i3 building which is set to open on its main Hope Park campus this year. The campus sits just four miles from Liverpool's bustling city centre, where a second base - Hope's Creative Campus - can be found. Aigburth Park is the university's purely residential campus and is just a 20-minute bus journey away from the city centre.
Paying the bills
Hope offers a limited number of bursaries and scholarships to new students. The Access to Hope scholarship is worth £3,000 per year to students who meet one or more of its widening participation criteria. These include being disabled, a care leaver or of black or minority ethnic descent, and living in one of the 20% of postcodes with the highest levels of deprivation or the lowest rates of participation in higher education. Hope also offers students who have been in care the chance to reduce their accommodation costs by 50% if they live in university-owned rooms, with a bursary of £1,000 per year available to those who live off-campus. Students who have a portfolio of public performances or have performed at a national level in the creative arts (dance, drama or music) or in a sporting arena are eligible for a performance scholarship worth £3,000 over their period of study. Just one in 20 students is in receipt of financial support - one of the smaller proportions. However, the price of Hope's accommodation is among the cheapest in the country. More than 1,100 students can be placed across the university's three campuses, with prices ranging from £3,705 for a 39-week contract with shared bathroom facilities to £5,720 for an ensuite room on a 44-week tenancy.
What's new?
Alongside providing a whole host of exciting new teaching facilities and social spaces, the university's new i3 building has been constructed with Hope's modern, environmentally conscious ethos to the fore. Renewable energy, sustainable materials and low carbon targets have been a focus throughout the design process. The building has everything from a high-tech simulation laboratory to new students' union offices inside. Seven new degrees are set to launch this month, with nine more being rolled out in September 2025. This year's new courses include digital creativity, music production and contemporary craft, with the university continuing its longstanding investment in, and support of, the creative arts. The school of social sciences will be boosted in 2025 with the introduction of degrees such as economics, psychology in both business and education, and a new BA in global philosophy and world views.
Admissions, teaching and student support
There is an extensive student support network in place at Hope. Good staffing levels allow it to take an individual approach to both teaching and support. Staff are all trained in mental health and wellbeing scenarios, plus there is a compulsory welcome talk for all resident students which covers alcohol use and abuse, drugs and sexual consent alongside signposting the university's student support framework. There is a professional counselling service available in person, online and over the phone, and Hope has links to local specialist services should they be required. The Liverpool Hope Nightline is a student-run service, providing its intake with a confidential, non-judgmental, non-directional resource, and the students' union has a therapy dog scheme which has proved extremely successful. As can be expected with an institution which believes in such a personal approach to university education, teaching is predominantly carried out face-to-face, with the flexibility to offer online delivery where necessary.
