Welcome to Bournemouth University.

Our vision is to be recognised worldwide as a leading university for inspiring learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society through the fusion of education, research and practice.

We have around 17,000 students and we are ranked as one of the top 100 young universities in the world (THE Young University Rankings 2024) but our ambition doesn’t stop there.

Our motto at BU is Discere Mutari Est – to learn is to change. It’s a principle that runs through everything we do across education, research, professional practice, and public engagement. When you join us, you become a part of a learning community that strives to make an impact on the world around us – aiming for a more sustainable, inclusive, and healthy society.

We benefit from a wonderful location, situated between one of the UK’s newest national parks and a seven-mile-long sandy beach that was recently included in the top 25 beaches in Europe (Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023). We’re also home to the second largest natural harbour in the world, with the World Heritage Jurassic Coast located nearby. This makes for an excellent test-bed for our research and a wonderful place to relax and call home after work or study. Good transport links mean that London is only two hours away.

We are serious about our commitment to sustainability and we are delighted to have been ranked in the top 30 universities measured across the world in the THE Impact Rankings 2023 for our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BU also ranks first in the UK for SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. The rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ SDGs, which aim to protect people and the planet. We are committed to achieving carbon net zero by 2030.