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Overview
Celebrating its 180th anniversary next year, the Royal Agricultural University is one of the smallest institutions in this guide, specialising in land-based courses for the farmers and rural workers of tomorrow. The RAU aspires to be the leading small university in its field (no pun intended) but faces stiff competition from the likes of Harper Adams University, in particular. It offers seven core degrees (in agriculture, agricultural business management, business management, environment and sustainability, equine science and business, real estate, and rural land management) plus several complementary foundation degrees, foundation years, top-up courses and professional placement years. The university is working hard to grow the number of students its recruits from state schools by adding more science and business-based courses alongside the traditional farming fare. For many years, the RAU had the biggest proportion of privately educated students, outstripping even Oxford and Cambridge. Just under one third of the intake is drawn from the South West, but such is the reputation of the university – for which King Charles is the patron (and near-neighbour) – that it recruits well from across the UK, with just under 400 new students last September.
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Paying the bills
There are two levels of RAU bursary support. Unusually, the higher – worth £3,500 per year – is paid to students from homes with an income of up to £42,875. The home address must also be in a postcode that is among the 40% from which the fewest progress into higher education, or the student needs to be a care leaver. A smaller £1,000-per-year bursary is paid to those from homes where household income is £25,000 or less, with no further eligibility requirements. There are several scholarships open to new and existing students, the most eye-catching of which is the Kaleb Cooper Agriculture bursary, funded by the young farmer made famous by Jeremy Clarkson’s TV show Clarkson’s Farm. Two existing RAU students can win a £3,000-per-year scholarship plus work experience with Cooper or his industry partners. The scholarship is targeted at those taking agriculture degrees who are not from a farming background and who can demonstrate financial need. There are 270 places in RAU accommodation, and there were enough rooms to go round for all first-years who wanted them in the past two years. Prices range from £6,948 to £7,164 for the limited number of self-catered rooms on a 36-week contract, rising to £7,308 to £9,360 for catered accommodation.
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What’s new?
A new Land Laboratory Teaching Centre is under construction after the RAU won £5.8m in funding from the Office for Students. It will house facilities that provide real-world training for the farmers of tomorrow in issues such as climate change, biodiversity and food security. The university will also replace ageing existing accommodation, which will be demolished to create a new green space at the heart of the Cirencester campus. Four new degrees within the university’s tight course portfolio broaden the institution’s appeal. A new foundation degree in equine management has been introduced to help address key shortages of staff in stables and training yards, while a foundation degree in residential estate agency beginning in September 2025 is the first of its kind. A further foundation degree in business and enterprise and a new degree in environment and sustainability also admit their first students this month.
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Admissions, teaching and student support
A reduction of eight Ucas tariff points (equivalent to one A-level grade) is made to students who qualify for a contextual offer. Broad eligibility criteria include being a student from one of 17 link colleges around the UK (mostly land-based institutions); living in a postcode among the 40% that send fewest people into higher education; being from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background; coming from a military family; or having been in care. The university focuses its outreach work on rural areas of deprivation close by in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The RAU’s numerous foundation years and foundation degrees offer an alternative admissions route for those with lower qualifications. All students have a personal tutor for advice and guidance, and the university has a Developing Academic Skills module to help students in areas such as time management, academic writing and referencing, and critical thinking. Academic staff get basic training in how to respond to students suffering from stress and wellbeing issues, and there are daily drop-in sessions or bookable appointments with a mental health coordinator for those experiencing difficulties. The university subscribes to the TalkCampus peer-to-peer support platform which offers online mental health resources and chat options.
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Royal Agricultural University
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