University of Southampton

The University of Southampton has a formidable reputation in international research. It is ranked 6th for research among UK universities after Oxford, Cambridge, University of London, Warwick and York. In addition, its teaching quality is regarded as one of the best in the country and arguably the best of the "red brick" universities. It is a member of the prestigious "Russell Group", the UK's nearest equivilant to an "Ivy League".

The university has a strong technical and technology pedigree and has been long been regarded as one of Britain's best science and engineering universities. It is also home to the Southampton Oceanography Centre, a leading research centre for oceanography.

In terms of student population, Southampton grew a lot in the 1990s to become one of the UK's largest universities and also one of the most in demand. It has a airy, leafy-green location on the south coast.