York St John University

Overview

York St John University descends from two Anglican teacher training colleges, which were founded in York in 1841 (for men) and 1846 (for women). It was awarded university status in 2006 and is located on a single campus in the historic city of York. It currently has around 6,500 students enrolled.

As a result of the University’s continuing religious and teaching traditions, theology, nursing, life sciences and education are the most popular and well-known subjects. The Faculty of Arts performs well nationally and was recently awarded the National Centre for Excellence status in Creativity. The campus itself has recently finished a £91 million investment with further works planned.

Services for International Students

Airport and train station collections are available, with an international welcome programme running before the beginning of the term. The Global Campus Team also run frequent social events and trips throughout the term where you can have fun, join in cultural activities, meet new people and explore the UK.

The International team can offer advice with visas and immigration. As well as English support on a range of different levels and at different times, including pre-sessional courses, weekly discussion classes and in-sessional programmes.

Ranking

• 93rd in the Times University Guide 2025
• 96th in the Guardian University Guide 2025

58% of York St John research submitted for the REF 2021 was judged as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*), demonstrating a significant increase from 35% in 2014. The number of academic staff with significant responsibility for research submitted has more than doubled.

Accommodation

York St John guarantees University accommodation to all of our first-year students. We have rooms to suit a variety of budgets, and a mix of studio, ensuite and shared bathroom options. All of our sites are self-catered. All of our accommodation sites are within a 20-minute walk from our York Campus and close to the city centre. For added peace of mind, we offer 24-hour security support at our accommodation sites.

Location

Home to the stunning York Minster, York is a city where ideas come to life and choosing to study here means you will be living within a highly academic, fun and forward-thinking atmosphere. It is the perfect place for you to enjoy England at its best and to succeed in your academic and personal growth.

York’s public transport is well-connected to many major UK cities. London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool are all under 2.5 hours away, whilst the famous Yorkshire countryside and coast is easy to get to by bus or train.