List of universities in Wales


There are currently eight universities operating in Wales, all of which receive funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Although university status in Wales only requires taught degree awarding powers, most Welsh universities have the power to award both taught and research degrees. University status in Wales is conferred by the Privy Council following advice from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The criteria for university status were set by the UK government in 2004; since then higher education in Wales has become a devolved matter under the Government of Wales Act 2006 and is the responsibility of the Minister for Education & Skills in the Welsh Government.
In 2016–2017 global rankings, four Welsh universities featured in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ; the same four also featured in the QS World University Rankings ; while Bangor and Cardiff are in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. No Welsh university features in the top 100 of any of the global tables, although Cardiff makes the top 200 in all three.
All Welsh universities are public universities funded by the Welsh Government through HEFCW, with an allocation of just under £120M in 2016–2017, covering teaching and research. Welsh universities also charge tuition fees, capped at £9,000 per year for UK and EU students on undergraduate courses, although international students and postgraduate students may pay more.

Universities

English NameWelsh NameImageYear of
foundation		LocationNumbers of
students
Teaching Excellence FrameworkNotes
Cardiff UniversityPrifysgol Caerdydd1883CardiffSilverFounded as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.
Merged in 1988 with the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.
Merged in 2004 with the University of Wales College of Medicine.
University of South WalesPrifysgol De Cymru2013
Cardiff, Newport and PontypriddDid not enterFormed by the merger of University of Wales, Newport and the University of Glamorgan in 2013.
Also incorporates the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Swansea UniversityPrifysgol Abertawe1920SwanseaGoldFounded as the University College, Swansea
Bangor UniversityPrifysgol Bangor1884GwyneddGoldFounded as the University College of North Wales
Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityPrifysgol Fetropolitan Caerdydd2011
CardiffSilverFounded as the South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education in 1976, formed from the merger of four earlier institutes including the Cardiff School of Art & Design.
University of Wales Trinity Saint DavidPrifysgol Cymru, Y Drindod Dewi Sant2010
Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion,
London and Swansea		BronzeFormed in 2010 by the merger of University of Wales, Lampeter, Trinity University College and Swansea Metropolitan University
Aberystwyth UniversityPrifysgol Aberystwyth1872CeredigionGoldFounded as the University College Wales
Wrexham Glyndŵr UniversityPrifysgol Glyndŵr Wrecsam1887WrexhamSilverFounded as the Wrexham School of Science and Art

International rankings

A list of Wales top universities in 2019–20 as per four major international ranking platforms ARWU, QS, Leiden, and THE.
UniversityARWU World Ranking 2019QS World Rankings 2020THE World Ranking 2020CWTS Leiden Ranking 2019
Cardiff University101-150154198271
University of South Wales--1001+-
Swansea University401-500462251–300669
Cardiff Metropolitan University--801–1000-
Bangor University601-700521-530401–500-
University of Wales Trinity Saint David----
Aberystwyth University801-900484401–500-
Wrexham Glyndŵr University----