The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston was founded in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge. Since those early days it has grown into one of the UK’s largest universities with a staff and student community approaching 38,000 and an employment-focused course portfolio containing over 350 undergraduate programmes and nearly 250 postgraduate courses. The University has an established research reputation with world-leading or internationally excellent work taking place within the areas of Business, Health, Humanities and Science. The University has a strong focus on continually improving the student experience. According to the 2020 Student Welfare League Table, UCLan is ranked first for the money invested into student wellbeing services.

We’re proud to be a civic anchor institution that carries out research which benefits individuals, organisations and whole communities across the North West.