University of Nottingham, Nottingham

The University of Nottingham was granted its Royal Charter in 1948, though its roots go back to the founding of University College Nottingham in 1881. Today, with campuses in China and Malaysia, it has earned a reputation as Britain’s “only truly global university,” according to The Times. In 2012, it received over 49,000 applications for just 5,500 spots, making it the most sought-after university in the UK and often seen as a leading alternative to Oxbridge.

Regularly ranked among the UK’s top ten institutions in both national and global league tables, Nottingham is particularly well known for its competitive courses in Law, Economics, Pharmacy, and Medicine. Over the last decade, the university has produced two Nobel Prize winners-one in Medicine and one in Economics-and counts among its alumni novelist D.H. Lawrence, Malaysia’s then-Prime Minister Najib Razak, and GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty.

The main University Park Campus, located to the west of Nottingham’s city center, spans 330 acres (1.3 square kilometers) of lakeside scenery, parkland, and striking architecture. Known for its iconic clock tower and serene green spaces, it has earned numerous accolades for its design and sustainability, including the Green Flag Award for the greenest campus in the UK.