University of Wolverhampton

By ALASTAIR MCCALL, DAILY MAIL UNIVERSITY GUIDE EDITOR Published: 13:06, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 13:06, 12 August 2026 Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The opening of the Black Country Medical School (slated for September 2027) will be a significant moment for the University of Wolverhampton; a heavyweight addition to this ambitious modern university. Working in partnership with nearby Aston University, Wolverhampton had originally hoped to open the school in a few weeks. In the meantime, it has created a Walsall Health Hub for its already large population of healthcare students. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists have joined nurses and paramedics on the university's Walsall campus, which is equipped with simulated skills laboratories to replicate real-life working environments. At City campus in Wolverhampton, the university has created a School of Creative Industries Hub, alongside high-spec computer labs and a screen school, as part of a push on digital excellence. A £60m investment in digital and AI capabilities will take place over the next five years. Wolverhampton is also seeking to cement its strong performance on high-skilled graduate employment by building credit-bearing professional placements into every undergraduate degree. Its new professional development framework has been developed in collaboration with industry leaders, alumni and academics. It will provide live industry projects, employer-designed assessments and global networking. The university's new Springfield site, its second Wolverhampton location, is a specialist architecture and built environment campus at the heart of the city's Green Innovation Corridor - a district with a focus on sustainable construction, computing and engineering. With the recent move of the department of engineering to a new home on the campus, students will find themselves at the heart of a fast-expanding green technology zone. All these developments should help future-proof the university for its socially diverse student body and keep it moving in an upward direction in our ranking. Few institutions recruit more broadly, with the proportions of mature, ethnic minority and first-generation students among the very highest. Your browser does not support iframes. Wolverhampton spent more than £3.5m supporting its students through bursaries, scholarships and hardship payments in 2024-25. The Dennis Turner Hardship Fund, which accounted for £675,000 of that total, supports students in severe financial need. It prioritises students from low-income households, those who have been in care or who are estranged from their parents, those with disabilities and those with caring responsibilities or dependent children. The WLV Wallet Bursary pays all students £200 in the first year and £100 in the second and third years to spend on course materials, stationery and digital or technology products in an online store. Access bursaries support care-experienced and estranged students and those with hearing loss or deafness with a £2,000 award in their first and second years of study. Since the university moved to fully funding diagnostic assessments for specific learning differences and sourcing assessors for them, the number of assessments undertaken by students more than doubled to 300 in 2024-25. A limited number of undergraduate scholarships include five Women in Engineering awards worth a one-off cash payment of £1,000 to female students entering the first year or foundation year, made on the basis of academic achievement and an application essay. Wolverhampton has a commendably straightforward accommodation pricing structure. The university's 969 self-catered rooms have just two price bands. The cheapest are City standard rooms, which cost £3,811 for a 37-week term-time tenancy, rising to £4,326 for 42 weeks and £5,356 for a full year - all at the weekly equivalent rate of £103. The only other rooms (and therefore the most expensive) are City or Walsall en suites, which cost £4,496 for 37 weeks, £5,103 for 42 weeks or £6,318 for a full year, equivalent to £121.50 per week. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Marketing itself as the 'University of Opportunity', Wolverhampton ranks third in the English Social Mobility Index, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute. It measures the proportion of graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and the social distance they travel. A contextual admissions scheme plays its part in maintaining that social diversity in Wolverhampton's intake. It applies to most courses and cuts a minimum of eight UCAS points (or one A-level grade) from standard entry requirements, which can be doubled if applicants tick multiple contextual indicators. Contextual offers are considered if applicants attend one of more than 35 partner schools and colleges; live in a postcode from which few progress to university; have been in care or have caring responsibilities; are estranged from parents; are disabled; are over 21 when their course begins; come from a military family; or are young parents. In September 2025, 21% of students who were admitted had received a contextual offer. The university then invests heavily in the success of those admitted under widening participation initiatives, holding careers fairs and employer presentations that specifically target these students and offering funding for those who want to take work placements abroad or set up their own business in the UK. They also get bespoke careers guidance, CV and applications reviews, mock interviews and support in building LinkedIn profiles. The university's Student Life Directorate brings together mental health, safeguarding, financial support and inclusion services. A mental health and wellbeing team provides assessment, short-term interventions and referral to specialist outside services. A new health hub offers integrated physical and mental health support, while the Student Life desk can be a first contact point for triaging mental health and wellbeing issues. All academic staff are provided with core training and clear guidance on how to recognise and respond to students in distress, and student wellbeing champions are trained peers who promote wellbeing, reduce stigma, and encourage students to seek help early.