Plymouth Marjon University guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
Plymouth Marjon regularly aces the annual National Student Survey (NSS), success that is built on a supportive environment and one of the smaller student populations in the UK. Some 2,000 undergraduates study here, allowing each of them a degree of individual attention that is simply not possible in larger universities. Marjon scores well in all three NSS areas we analyse for our ranking - teaching quality, student support and student experience. And it backs this up with its strong showing in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, where it won gold for its overall rating. The university has a curious history stretching back 185 years, starting out as two teacher training colleges based in London. They merged more than 100 years ago and moved to Plymouth in 1973. Teacher training is still an important part of Marjon, but it has a strong presence in sport - academically and on the pitches - and a growing band of healthcare students. They will benefit from the opening of the Marjon health and wellbeing hub in September, which features clinical skills, diagnostic and simulation laboratories. The development will also further endear the university to the local population with community health clinics where students will work alongside medical professionals.
Paying the bills
A university hardship fund is the main source of support for many Marjon students. The fund prioritises mature students (those over the age of 21 when they begin their studies) with pre-existing financial commitments, parents, those from low income families and care leavers. All awards are means-tested and paid in instalments. Marjon also offers bursaries to care leavers and estranged students (both worth £2,000 per year). Befitting an institution with an outstanding reputation for sport, top-flight athletes can earn elite sport scholarships if they represent the university in British Universities and Colleges Sport (Bucs) competitions and/or compete at a national or international level in their chosen sport. These are worth up to £4,000 a year in cash with free access to Marjon sports facilities, rehabilitation and physiotherapy services, sports psychology and strength and conditioning sessions, and monthly mentoring sessions covering all aspects of the student experience. There are 400 places in student residential accommodation with undergraduate rooms for a 42-week contract priced between £5,166 and £6,006.
What's new?
The opening in September of the new Marjon Health & Wellbeing Hub provides both outstanding new healthcare training facilities for the large contingent of students taking these courses as well as new community health clinics for the people of Plymouth. The project has been paid for by a £5.8million grant from the Office for Students and will include new clinical skills, diagnostic and simulation laboratories. The development broadens the university's healthcare offer to the local community via clinics which will give students placement experience in a live health environment. Degree apprenticeship programmes for physiotherapist and speech and language therapists for September 2026 are among the first academic fruits of the new hub. A specialist teaching assistant degree apprenticeship is also in the pipeline as are two new degrees in football performance coaching and community football coaching, adding to Marjon's already extensive portfolio of sports degrees.
Admissions, teaching and student support
About 80% of Marjon's students come from the South West, many of them engaged by the university through its extensive outreach programmes. These are pitched at both primary and secondary school children and are concentrated in areas of high social deprivation and/or low participation rates in higher education. They encompass both aspiration- and attainment-raising activities and the university runs a summer school for sixth form students. It no longer has a contextual offer scheme, however, for applicants who have experienced social or educational disadvantage. The university argues that 'most of [its] intake meets one widening participation criteria' evidenced by more than half the intake being the first in their immediate family to go to university and about one quarter of undergraduates being mature returners to education. The university works hard to support students' mental health and well-being and takes part in the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter programme to develop a whole university approach to wellbeing. It has strong external partnerships to give students access to the most comprehensive mental health resources. The university plans to have mental health training for all academic staff in place for the new academic year to cover what to do when someone shows signs of distress. All students must complete an online module prior to enrolling that covers sexual consent and positive bystander interventions.