University of South Wales

University of South Wales

Prifysgol De Cymru
Former names	University of Glamorgan, University of Wales, Newport
Type	Public
Established	11 April 2013 (origins 1841)
Chancellor	Rowan Williams
Vice-Chancellor	Julie Lydon
Administrative staff	3,234
Students	25,265 (2015/16)
Undergraduates	20,840 (2015/16)
Postgraduates	4,425 (2015/16)
Location	Wales
Campus	Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd
Affiliations	University Alliance
Website	southwales.ac.uk

The University of South Wales (Welsh: Prifysgol De Cymru) is a university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport.

The university can trace its roots to the founding of the Newport Mechanics' Institute in 1841. The Newport Mechanics' Institute later become the University of Wales, Newport. In 1913 the South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines was formed. The school of mines was later to become the Polytechnic of Wales, before gaining the status of University of Glamorgan in 1992. The name for the new merged university was chosen following a research exercise amongst interested parties and announced in December 2012 by the prospective vice-chancellor of the university, Julie Lydon.

At formation it was reported that the university had more than 33,500 students from 122 countries and was then the sixth largest in the United Kingdom and the largest in Wales. However the Office of the Independent Adjudicator stated that, in 2013, the number of students was 29,875 The Higher Education Statistics Agency reported student total numbers of 25,265 for the 2015/16 academic year. Therefore during the 2014 to 2015 academic year University was the 19th largest in the UK and the 2nd largest in Wales, after Cardiff University, when measured by the number of enrolled students. However following the decline in student numbers reported by the HESA for the academic year 2015/16 the University ranking declined to the 18th largest in the UK and the 2nd largest in Wales when measured by student numbers.

Source:- The Higher Education Statistics Agency

The university is part of the University of South Wales Group comprising the university, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Merthyr Tydfil College.