Cardiff Metropolitan University

Overview

Cardiff Metropolitan University is spread across three campuses in Wales's capital city, with around 12,000 students from 140 different countries currently enrolled. It was originally founded as the Cardiff School of Art & Design in 1865 and became an independent university from the University of Wales in 2011.

With five academic schools delivering professionally recognised degrees, together with impactful research and innovation, in art and design, business and management, education and public services, sport and health sciences, and technologies and engineering, Cardiff Met aims to be the capital of EDGE – a series of Ethical, Digital, Global and Entrepreneurial skills that seeks to give students the advantage to excel in their careers which are embedded in the curriculum of all the modern, innovative programmes on offer.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide named Cardiff Metropolitan University as Welsh University of the Year 2021. The accolade recognises Cardiff Met’s strong performance in this year’s National Student Survey, where the University featured in the UK top 40 for both satisfaction with teaching quality and the wider student experience. 

The University is well known for art & design, which performed very well in the most recent Research Excellence Framework. A National Indoor Athletics Centre compliments Sports at Cardiff, with 15 alumni competing in the 2012 London Olympics. The University also benefits from close links with industry and international universities such as the Samsung Art & Design Institute and the International College of Business and Technology in Sri Lanka, and the London School of Commerce.

Cardiff Metropolitan constantly performs well in the UK Student Satisfaction survey and, in the past, has been rated top in the UK for student experience, student support and living experience. 94% of recent graduates were in employment or further study upon completion of undergraduate study.

Services for International Students

The International Office is available year-round to assist with subjects such as accommodation, visas, finance and health. Personal or group-taught English language support is available for international students, either academically or in general.

As a driver of education and social transformation, the university works to ensure that every student can realise their full potential to their own and future generations. Cardiff Met has been ranked the best university in Wales for sustainability and top 12 University for Graduate Start-ups and number eight for Employability and Work Experience Satisfaction.

Facilities

Cardiff Met is home to the UK’s first purpose-built indoor athletics tracks which forms part of the National Indoor Athletics Centre. The facilities include the Clinical Skills Centre that allows a range of professionals to come together to provide an excellent learning experience for our students, both in a high-tech simulated environment, and one which offers student-led clinical services for the local community; Purpose-built workshops and studio spaces; On-site Hospitality Suite; Cutting-edge facilities and specialist labs for practical experience in electronics, automation, autonomous systems, and robotics (Eureka Centre); Opportunities to gain practical industry experience and many more. This gives our students a sector-leading opportunity to develop the skills required for the job market.

Ranking

• 66th in the Times University Guide 2025
• 82nd in the Guardian University Guide 2025

Nearly 88% of the University’s Sports research outputs were internationally excellent or world-leading in the REF 2021, while the percentage of Cardiff Met’s World Leading impacts in Art and Design rated us 5th in the UK, at 83%, with the remainder being Internationally Excellent.

Accommodation

There are currently almost 1,000 rooms available in university-owned accommodation with a further 700 available through university agreements with private halls of residence close to the campus. Some accommodation is reserved for international students. Most rooms on the Cyncoed Campus are catered, with self-catered and en suite rooms also available on campus. Accommodation near the Plas Gwyn campus is all en suite and self-catered, 3km from the centre of Llandaff.

Location

Cardiff Metropolitan University has three main campuses: the Cyncoed Campus, the Howard Garden Campus and the Llandaff campus, all of which are within 5km of Cardiff city centre. Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, about two hours west of London by train.

Cardiff is a modern and compact city, offering the benefits of a capital like London but for a fraction of the cost. Additionally, Cardiff is full of green spaces and parks and is near mountains and beaches, with great transport links to other major UK cities. Cardiff is one of the most affordable cities in the UK, with rental costs around 20% cheaper than London. The city caters for its large population of students offering a range of discounted products and services.

One of the largest cities in the UK, Cardiff features the greatest concentration of castles of any city in the world, as well as striking modern architecture like the Millennium Stadium and the Senedd. It also boasts a strong nightlife and cultural scene. Outside the city, Wales is famous for its rugged landscape and castles, from the coastline of South Wales to the mountains of the Brecon Beacons.