Durham University was founded in 1832, making it the third-oldest university in England. As a member of the prestigious Russell Group, Durham is a research-intensive institution, currently home to over 22,000 students across 27 academic departments and offering more than 300 undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes.
Durham is currently ranked top 5 in the UK and top 100 in the world. It is a collegiate university, fostering a strong sense of community, and is ranked top 5 in the UK for team sport.
Over 400 students from Canada and the United States choose to study here, along with students from more than 130 other countries.
Durham is a truly beautiful city, where the famous Castle and Cathedral - together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site - dominate the skyline. With a population of around 43,000, Durham has a compact, friendly feel but still provides the facilities you would expect of a thriving city including a number of cafés, bars and restaurants, and an array of popular high-street shops.
Durham City hosts a number of events each year, including Lumiere, Fire & Ice, Durham Fringe Festival, Durham Miner’s Gala, and Durham Christmas Festival. Durham is only 12 minutes away from Newcastle by train, with a regular rail service between the cities. We are just under 3 hours from London, and 1 hour 25 minutes from Edinburgh on the Eastern Railway Network.
Every single Durham student is a member of one of our 17 colleges of residence. Every college provides a sense of community and belonging, which stays with our students long after they graduate.
All international postgraduate students are guaranteed accommodation, and students may get involved in a variety of societies, volunteer projects, and sports through their college. Colleges will have full-time staff members and tutors available for students, and each college will have its own common room space, library, and gym. Many colleges will even have their own athletic facilities, boat houses, and theatre spaces. Our colleges offer both fully catered and self-catered options with a few offering a mix of both. A college is a student’s home away from home, and so much more than just where they live.
The University is organized into four faculties, which are the Business School, Arts and Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences.
Durham currently has 22 subjects ranked within the World Top 100 and 10 subjects ranked within the World Top 50 (QS World University Rankings 2026). The World Top 50 subjects include Theology & Religion (4th), Archaeology (5th), Geography (6th), Anthropology (25th), English Studies (26th), Classics & Ancient History (29th), Philosophy (39th), Modern Languages and Cultures (40th), History (44th) and Law (49th).
Durham University Business School Departments: Accounting, Economics, Finance and Management & Marketing.
Arts and Humanities Departments: Classics & Ancient History, English Studies, History, Liberal Arts, Music, Philosophy, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Theology & Religion.
Science Departments: Biosciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Psychology.
Social Sciences Departments: Anthropology, Archaeology, Combined Honours in Social Sciences, Durham Centre for Academic Development, Durham Law School, Geography, School of Education, School of Government and International Affairs, Sociology, and Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Inspiring Excellence Scholarships: worth either £5,000 or £10,000 and open to international students studying on one of our 130 master’s taught programmes (excluding MBA, MSW, and MA Theology and Ministry).
Team Durham Sport Scholarships: up to a 40% tuition discount scholarship offered to postgraduate athletes who play on one of our 18 competitive sports leagues. Popular sports amongst US students include American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Football (soccer), Golf, Lacrosse, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis, and Water Polo.
Performing Arts Scholarship: launching in 2027, this will be a small bursary for students engaged in the performing arts who wish to continue this passion at Durham. Exact amounts and how to apply will be confirmed in Autumn 2026.
Durham Business School Scholarships: a variety of scholarships are offered for international students including Masters Achievement Scholarships worth £10,000, Business Analytics Scholarships worth £12,000, Full-Time MBA Scholarships worth between £18,000-£20,500, and Online MBA Scholarships worth between £10,000-£17,000.
For more information about Durham University, see our partnership page: DURHAM MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIPS – Marshall Scholarships. To see the University's recent presentation as part of the 'Marshall Mondays' series of programming, visit our Marshall Monday page here: Marshall Mondays – Marshall Scholarships.