Is Oxford Brookes A Good University?
Circulation space outside Library entrance. John Henry Brookes Building, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom. Architect: Design Engine Architects Ltd with Speirs+Major, 2014.
Photo by: James Newton/View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Is Oxford Brookes A Good University?

Zoe Kramer December 27, 2022

If Oxford Brookes has captured your interest as a potential university to attend, the next step is to determine whether it has some of the key factors you’re looking for as a student. This guide includes a rundown of all the most pertinent information to know about this institution. Only you can determine what uni will be right for you, but hopefully these facts, figures, and reviews will give you a better sense of what Oxford Brookes is like.

What Is Oxford Brookes University?

Not to be confused with the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes is a public university with three campuses in Oxford and one campus in Swindon. It received its university status in 1992, having previously operated as a polytechnic school. It has four faculties: the Business School, Health and Life Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Technology Design and Environment.

Oxford Brookes is known for its accounting programme, and its partnership with the ACCA allows students to earn a BSc while taking their examinations. It is also known for its programmes in education, hospitality and architecture. It has a large student body, with approximately 17,000 undergraduates and 4000 graduate students. Some of its accolades include 12 National Teaching Fellowships, 14 Olympic medals won by alumni, and the Athena SWAN bronze award for gender equality.

Photo by: James Newton/View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

See also: Is Aberdeen a Good University?

What Rank Is Oxford Brookes?

If you’re considering Oxford Brookes, you’ll probably want to know how it ranks when compared with other universities. Rankings aren’t a definitive measure of a university’s quality, but they can give an indication of where an institution stands with research quality, teaching, student satisfaction and other factors bundled together. THE ranks Oxford Brookes at 601-800th in the world. US News ranks it at 1013th in the world. QS ranks it at 438th globally. The Guardian ranks it 42nd in the UK. It ranks in the top 15 for its MBA programme. These rankings show that while Oxford Brookes is not an elite university, it nevertheless has many strengths.

What Students Have To Say

Oxford Brookes has garnered majority positive reviews from students, with the university receiving a 3.69/5 on StudentCrowd and a 4.1/5 on WhatUni.

‘I have enjoyed my experience at Oxford Brookes University. I have met some fantastic friends through the course but have also been involved with the student radio society in my spare time. The facilities are very new and recently refurbished. The SU is not as prominent on campus as my previous university so this is something which was lacking for me. I wanted there to be more societies and engagement with students,’ one student wrote on StudentCrowd.

‘Amazing, friendly and helpful staff, very hands-on learning, beautiful & spacious campus with plenty of amenities (cafes, bars, Brookes-made takeaways and sandwiches, sport facilities, great library, IT support, IT equipment, etc.). Very helpful Careers Centre and Student Central. Wast range of clubs and societies. Student Union is okay, however in comparison to other services and options Brookes offers, sometimes takes rather long to respond or does not get quite to the bottom of the problem. Generally, my experience at Brookes has been great so far and coming to study there has been one of the best decisions of my life!’ another student weighed in on StudentCrowd.

‘The facilities and laboratories for my course are very up to date and informative. Scientific databases that hold papers I need for my essays are easily accessed through Oxford Brookes. Lecturers are very helpful and strive to ensure I have the best university and learning experience possible,’ a student explained on WhatUni.

It seems that students sometimes had issues with the Student Union and the campuses themselves, but in regards to the education itself, the students mostly had positive things to say.

Is Oxford Brookes A Russell Group Uni?

Oxford Brookes is not a Russell Group university. The Russell Group consists of the following universities.

  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Bristol
  • University of Cambridge
  • Cardiff University
  • Durham University
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Glasgow
  • Imperial College London
  • King’s College London
  • University of Leeds
  • University of Liverpool
  • London School of Economics & Political Science
  • University of Manchester
  • Newcastle University
  • University of Nottingham
  • University of Oxford
  • Queen Mary, University of London
  • Queen’s University Belfast
  • University of Sheffield
  • University of Southampton
  • University College London
  • University of Warwick
  • University of York

The Russell Group is known for high quality research and academic excellence, and this group oftentimes receives a great deal of funding. However, Oxford Brooks’ or any other institution’s absence from this list does not inherently reflect a lack of quality.

Oxford Brooks is, however, a part of the University Alliance (UA). The UA is an organisation which bands together mid-to large sized British technical universities through common goals. It has a specific focus on providing industry links as well as applied research opportunities.

See also: Is the University of Nottingham Good?

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Zoe Kramer has been writing for GRV Media’s student-centric website Freshered since October 2022 and is now also contributing to HITC. She graduated from Cardiff University in 2022 with a BA in Journalism, Media and English Literature. During her time in university, she worked for her student newspaper as well as completing an internship with a book publisher. She has also written and continues to write book and theatre reviews. She is excited to now be pursuing a career as a journalist and learning something new every day. In particular, she loves writing about student life, books, the Internet, and travel. Originally from the United States, she is enjoying living abroad in the UK.