The University of Bedfordshire is proud to be an internationally recognised and award-winning institution with a heritage of quality education going back more than 100 years. Our vibrant, diverse student population is made up of around 15,000 students from around 124 countries. 

Career-powered education at the University of Bedfordshire 

We pride ourselves on offering a career-powered education. This isn’t just a slogan: we are committed to our students’ success and passionate about equipping them with a qualification that is a springboard to the career they have set their sights on.

How do we do it?
Depending on the subject, our courses offer:

• a hands-on, skill-boosting approach to teaching and learning
• a wealth of industry and sector partnerships across all our subject areas
• on-campus facilities that simulate the workplace, such as hospital wards, classrooms, labs and TV studios, as well as industry-standard equipment and software
• teaching that keeps pace with real-life practice and sector-experienced academic teams
• first-hand experience of the world of work through industry/sector interaction, partnerships, placements and real-life projects
• professional- and industry-accredited degrees
• a focus on building transferable skills in areas such as communication, critical thinking and problem solving plus the option to take up additional training in IT and research skills.

Our courses are developed and led by experts in their field, able to build students’ specialist knowledge alongside their practical skills; introduce them to industry/sector experts through visits, masterclasses and workshops; and help them graduate fully prepared for the workplace.

Among many others, we have partnerships with three Chambers of Commerce - Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire - representing thousands of local businesses. These partnerships support our students and graduates with opportunities to put their knowledge and skills into practice via live projects, academic-led consultancy, field trips, work experience and degrees that include a placement year.

We hold the Small Business Charter for start-up and business growth advice, and our students graduate as confident, innovative entrepreneurs. The University of Bedfordshire is one of the top universities in the UK for fostering graduate start-ups: we are first in the UK for graduate social enterprise start-ups (still trading after three years) and third for all graduate start-ups. We are also a top 15 UK university for our CPD courses offered to small/medium enterprises (SMEs). (HESA, 2025)

Supporting students to succeed

We support our students in all aspects of their life and build their confidence through the excellent support and student experience services we provide. We are one of only a few universities to have been awarded the Mental Health Charter and the Race Equality Charter (Bronze), reflecting our commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all, where students can feel seen and heard, and their mental health is a priority.

We also offer:
•    personal academic tutors
•    study-skills development
•    career and job-seeking guidance
•    volunteer and work experience
•    health and wellbeing services
•    secure, cost-effective accommodation
•    funding and financial support initiatives.

Bedfordshire offers great value for money, close to London. In a recent survey of 133 UK universities, we rank in the top 20 for affordability (Solar Tuition, 2025). We also support our students to succeed through a range of generous scholarships and bursaries

In a recent survey of our students’ perceptions of ‘belonging’ at Beds:
•    93% said they feel the University of Bedfordshire is welcoming
•    92% are happy with their decision to study at Beds
•    96% feel fellow students show respect for others
•    95% agree that the University will equip them with the skills and confidence to be successful in their studies.

(Student perceptions of ‘belonging’ to their academic community, University of Bedfordshire Education Research Award Report, 2023).

We also lead the way in opening up higher-educational opportunities to students who wouldn’t always consider it as an option.

• 98% of our home students come from state schools.
• 65% have parents/carers who didn’t attend university; we rank UK 7th for students who are ‘first in family’ into higher education.
• 55% are mature returners to education.
• 57% are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, under-represented in higher education. 
  (The Times Good University Guide, 2026)
• Through financial support, we encourage those leaving care or living independently from family to consider higher education and we are one of only a few UK universities to be awarded the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) quality mark.

World-leading research with real-world impact

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 60% of the University's research was judged world leading or internationally excellent. Our Research Institutes work to tackle real-world problems and challenges. Examples include:

• our academics’ research into cyberstalking and its impact on victims produced changes in the law and new UK police guidelines
• a collaboration between this University and Changchun University in China led to a new way to diagnose and treat cancer using robotic nano-manipulation of living cells
• our studies into child abuse and extra-familial harm led to safeguarding issues such as child sexual exploitation and peer abuse being formally recognised across the UK
• our research into sedentary behaviour and its impact on health and mental wellbeing influenced UK and international policy and practice around physical activity
• our work into English language learning and assessment resulted in the ‘socio-cognitive’ framework (SCF), now used to improve English assessments for millions of language learners worldwide.

Our research informs our teaching and learning, creating innovation and impact within our communities as well as nationally. In recent years, we have worked with over 1,500 organisations - including other universities, charities, government organisations and local businesses - in areas of research and knowledge exchange, generating a 49% increase in research and knowledge exchange income since 2013.

Committed to sustainability

In 2020, we launched our Target Zero campaign with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Since then, our commitment to sustainability has earned us the Eco Campus Platinum award, which we have held for six years in a row. In the People and Planet University Green League, we have been a top 10 University for 10 years (2016-2025). Our campus catering is certified by the Sustainable Restaurant Association's Food Made Good standard.

Working in partnership with our community

At the University of Bedfordshire, we recognise our potential to make a real impact within our communities and wider region. We contribute significantly to the financial and social economic growth of our region through our core economic footprint and other impact areas such as research and knowledge exchange, CPD, graduate start-ups and industry partnerships. Our latest impact assessment (2025) estimates that we contribute around £229m gross value added in total across our region; this rises to £431m nationally.

In addition to our role as a large employer and educator, we are committed to working in partnership with our local area, boosting skills and productivity through knowledge exchange; skills provision; expertise in research and consultancy; and by associating ourselves with many community organisations, projects and initiatives.

In partnership with the communities we serve we take seriously our shared commitment to work together to support education, culture, economic development and health outcomes. Our institutions are integrally linked to both areas and our colleagues, students and residents are part of their vibrant communities. We are proud to recognise this in Civic Agreements with both Luton and Bedford Borough Councils.

With Luton Borough Council, our Civic Agreement, Luton 2040: A Place to Thrive, highlights our shared ambition for the town with a vision that Luton will be a healthy, fair and sustainable town, where everyone can thrive and no-one lives in poverty.

Our Civic Agreement with Bedford Borough Council 'Harnessing Culture, Growth and Opportunity', will help both organisations work more strategically on key priorities for the area. Central to the agreement is the belief that collaboration between local institutions can have a significant impact on community wellbeing, prosperity, skills and long-term opportunity.

Further details of our social and economic contribution to the region can be found in the Socio-Economic Impact Review 2025 [PDF]