University of East Anglia guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is one of the leading lights among the 1960s generation of universities, with a national and international reputation for everything from creative writing to climate change degrees. It has just celebrated its 60th birthday under something of a cloud, labouring under a £74m deficit to July 2022. However, a new year of accounts shows a small surplus after a big cut in staff costs, and the university is building for the future with this year's launch of 42 courses with a placement year, year abroad or foundation year added to broaden their appeal, with another 33 programmes rostered for September 2025. The university recruits almost 90% of its socially mixed student population from East Anglia, London and the South East to its parkland campus on the outskirts of Norwich. It's spacious and dotted with listed buildings, including the iconic Lasdun Wall, and is also home to the Norman Foster- designed Sainsbury Centre, which houses one of the best art collections in the country. UEA's Sportspark provides outstanding facilities for athletes of all abilities.
Paying the bills
UEA spent £3m on bursaries for its undergraduates last year. Means-tested bursaries of £1,300, paid for up to four years, go to students from homes with an annual household income of £16,000 or less. A smaller yearly bursary of £800 is offered to those from homes where income is up to £20,000, but their postcode must be in an area among the 20% with the lowest rates of participation in higher education. Care leavers and estranged students get more generous support of £2,500 a year, and there are sports, music, medical, arts, science and social science scholarships available for high-achieving students, too. There is also a significant number of donor-funded scholarships aimed at under-represented student groups. Against the background of the cost-of-living crisis, UEA has introduced a travel and tech fund to help students replace old laptops or cover unexpected travel expenses relating to their studies. The university has nearly 3,500 beds available in university accommodation, and offers some of the cheapest student accommodation seen anywhere, with 70 twin ensuite rooms costing just £3,612 for a 40-week tenancy. The vast majority of single rooms cost between £6,737 and £8,226 for 40 weeks.
What's new?
The university is in listening mode. Drawing on feedback from its students through the Student Voice initiative, it is changing the way it does things. This encompasses everything from introducing fully automated lecture-capture provision to ensuring there are half-priced vegan and fish main courses on offer in campus food outlets alongside other heavily discounted food. Hours have been extended for the students' financial advice drop-in service, while Afternoon Adventures, a low-cost scheme to introduce students to new sporting activities such as axe throwing (!), paddleboarding and raft building - has provided new diversions for students. The Student Information Zone has expanded the number of specialist support teams, and its Borrow Bank facility now includes free-to-hire games, electronics and sports equipment as well as smart clothing and accessories for interviews and presentations. A significant upgrade of facilities is underway, with a new anatomy suite for medical and health professional students being built. Due to open in April next year, it will increase capacity and offer the latest high-tech teaching and learning spaces. UEA's long-established medical school is recruiting students for a new four-year graduate entry medicine degree beginning in September 2025.
Admissions, teaching and student support
UEA is one of a small number of universities to timetable a compulsory session on wellbeing for all students within a month of them starting their course. It covers everything from how to maintain good wellbeing to spotting the signs of poor mental health and where to go for support. The Student Information Zone, first opened in September 2021, is one of a number of gateways to mental health and wellbeing support that are open to students. The student services team has a strong social media presence, with content available via YouTube and Instagram, as well as a dedicated wellbeing podcast. There are also support staff embedded in faculties, and all academic advisers have a training session which details the help available so that they can signpost this to students when needed. A contextual offer scheme now applies to all subjects bar maths and medicine (although there is a separate medicine with a gateway year course available to widen participation) which lowers offers by one to two grades compared to the standard offer. Around one in 10 students admitted last year had a contextual offer, and the university expects this number to rise. Students from under-represented groups are invited to a 'headstart' event on campus to help them with the transition to university. They are also offered a peer mentor through the students' union's BuddySU scheme who will support them all the way from pre-enrolment to the end of their first year.
