University of East Anglia guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
Broadening the student mind and experience is at the heart of what the University of East Anglia (UEA) offers to its students. For many years now, UEA has pushed study-abroad options, and by 2026 the university will have more than 200 global partners. It is also significantly expanding the number of degrees offered with foundation years (to widen access and diversify the student body) and work placement years (to increase graduate employability). A dental school moved a step closer in June with approval from the General Dental Council for UEA to provide undergraduate training. UEA is about to see some major upgrades to its attractive parkland campus come on stream, too - central among them the upgrade to the iconic, Grade II-listed Lasdun Wall. UEA came early to the financial crisis besetting many other universities, and consequently is now coming out the other side. Having cut jobs, courses and budgets, it has emerged leaner and more student-focused. Admissions jumped by 9% in September 2024 and the university will be hoping for a rise in the number of applications, too. UEA has a strong global reputation for everything from creative writing to climate change courses. Its sports facilities are among the best in the UK, while the Sainsbury Centre is home to one of the finest collections of modern art in the country.
Paying the bills
UEA has boosted the value and scope of its bursary offerings this year to help students from homes with the lowest incomes. Students are financially assessed at the start of their degree only (not annually, as at most other institutions) and all those from homes with annual income of £20,000 or less qualify for a bursary of £1,600 paid for a maximum of four years. Care leavers and students estranged from their parents get a £3,000 annual award. Sports scholarship packages are offered at three levels: Developing Excellence, Excellence and Elite. The latter two are worth a maximum of £500 and £1,500 respectively each year, and all three offer free use of UEA's outstanding sports facilities. New bursaries for women's football and swimming have been introduced in partnership with local sports clubs. UEA 60th Anniversary scholarships offer 30 students £1,000 to spend on an extra-curricular activity. There are also a number of donor-funded scholarships, many of them targeting students from under-represented backgrounds, as well as a range of prizes for high-achieving students. UEA has more than 3,600 places in university accommodation available, with a 40-week tenancy priced between a bargain £4,001 for an ensuite shared room and £8,596 for a top-end single ensuite room.
What's new?
UEA is addressing an acute local and regional need with the launch of its School of Oral Health. The £3m development within the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is hoped will house a fully-fledged dental school. The university was granted approval in June from the General Dental Council to commence training, and is now awaiting government approval for additional undergraduate places. UEA would like to admit 40 undergraduate dental students a year initially, before increasing this to 65. The aim is to supply dentists to a region which has some of the lowest levels of NHS dental provision in the UK. Next year will see the opening of a new anatomy suite at the hospital, too, with immersive training rooms to be used by students on UEA's array of healthcare and medicine courses. A two-year project is also underway to refurbish UEA's Lasdun Wall, one of the 1960s architectural masterpieces that make the campus so distinctive. The redevelopment will provide two floors of teaching space and four floors of laboratories, while significantly reducing the university's carbon footprint thanks to vastly improved energy efficiency. A raft of degrees will be offered from next month with a year abroad, foundation year, year in industry or placement year option, further extending one of the university's signature selling points. Examples include marketing and data analytics with a year in industry; creative writing and English literature with a year abroad; and sustainable development with a placement year. UEA was recently placed ninth in the UK in the 2025-26 Rate My Placement Best Universities for Work Experience Awards.
Admissions, teaching and student support
The university has recently signed up to the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter, committing it to embedding student mental health support in all aspects of university life. UEA is among the minority of universities to timetable a compulsory session on wellbeing for all students within a month of enrolment. It covers everything from how to maintain happiness to spotting the signs of poor mental health and where to go for support, such as the Student Information Zone. There are also wellbeing and student service staff embedded in faculties, and all academic advisers have a training session which details the help available so that they can signpost this to students when needed. Innovative approaches to maintaining wellbeing include encouraging students to engage with nature, as the 360-acre campus has more than 5,700 species of plants and animals and six wildlife trails. About one quarter of the intake gain their place with a contextual offer one to two A-level grades below the standard offer. These are made in all subjects bar medicine, which has its own arrangements to ensure diversity. Students from under-represented groups are invited to a 'headstart' event on campus ahead of term to help them with the transition to university. UEA also offers a 'preparing for university' MOOC (massive open online course) where students can learn about the study skills, tools and techniques they will need to thrive at university.