Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes is the city's modern university, with its main campus in Headington and additional sites at Harcourt Hill and Wheatley. Founded in 1865 as the Oxford School of Art, it became a polytechnic in 1970 and a university in 1992. Brookes has consistently been ranked among the top post-1992 universities in the UK, and its presence shapes Oxford life significantly — around 18,000 students add to the city's population, energy, and economy.

What parents should know

Brookes is not a school, but it's included here because it's a major part of Oxford's educational landscape and a destination for many local sixth-formers. The university has particular strengths in architecture (consistently top-ranked), planning, hospitality, publishing, and health sciences. Its business school is well-regarded, and the nursing and allied health programmes are important for the local NHS trusts.

The university's relationship with the city is significant. Brookes students are a big part of Headington and Cowley Road's character. The Headington campus has been substantially developed over recent years, with new buildings alongside the older campus. Student housing is a perennial issue — the expansion of Brookes has fuelled the HMO debates in East Oxford.

The reputation

Brookes suffers from inevitable comparison with the University of Oxford, which is unfair — they're entirely different institutions serving different purposes. Among those who know it well, Brookes is respected for its practical, career-focused education and strong graduate employment rates. The architecture school is internationally recognised and consistently top-ranked in the UK. For local families, Brookes is a realistic and worthwhile option for higher education, especially in its areas of strength. It's also a major employer in the city, which matters for the local economy.