• Back to default style

Why Choose St Mary's?

Just some of the good reasons to study at St Mary’s:

The best of both worlds!
St Mary’s is a modern, friendly University College offering the best of both worlds. With just under 4,000  students it’s easy to feel at home quickly, but we are big enough to offer you all the challenges and excitement of a full and rewarding student life.

Beautiful Campus
The buildings are steeped in history being set in the grounds of the original Strawberry Hill mansion, a world famous example of the Gothic Revival style.

The peaceful, self-contained campus also includes modern and well-resourced teaching blocks, accommodation, Learning Resources Centre and sport facilities. Click here to take a virtual tour of our campus buildings and facilities.

Location
We are located in a leafy part of South West London where a green space is never very far away. At the same time you have all the advantages of the busy towns of Kingston and Richmond close by and Central London is only 30 minutes by train.

Established Reputation and History
Established in 1850, we are respected as an established church University College with a reputation for high quality courses. We have a Catholic history but you don’t need to be Catholic to come here, we welcome students of all faiths and none.

Student Life
Our active Students Union and location mean we can offer you an exciting social life both on and off campus. The SU organises  all kinds of entertainment, from weekly events through to annual major occasions like Freshers Week and our Summer Ball. You can easily travel into London or to towns like Kingston and Richmond for cinema, clubs and theatres.

Support
We are renowned for our caring student centred approach and the level of support we give to students. Student Services, the Chaplaincy team and the Student Union work together to provide all the advice you might need, and to create our community atmosphere. In recent surveys we have come second in terms of student satisfaction out of all universities in London.

Sport For All
We have an excellent reputation for sport with numerous successes every year in team and individual events.

Our excellent facilities make us an excellent choice for all from talented and committed sports people through to those who play sport or keep fit for fun.

Flexibility
St Mary’s offers nearly 500 undergraduate degree programmes. Many subjects can be combined offering you flexibility and choice to shape your studies the way you want to.  We also offer PGCE programmes, masters programmes and a range of short courses.   

Quality
Recent results show that up to 52% of undergraduate students achieve a 2:1 or First Class Honours degree.

Our experienced and dedicated lecturers, many of whom are respected international scholars, are committed to their subject and to teaching. With good staff/student ratios they get to know you very well. 

“Best for Jobs”
We are able to offer you work experience modules and an excellent Careers Service to help you achieve your goals. We were proud to be ranked highly in league tables, with over 96% of graduates in employment or postgraduate study within six months of graduating.