Education: A-Z of Universities - UMIST
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Your support makes all the difference.Age: 175 next year.
Address: Manchester city centre.
History: Founded as a mechanics' institution to train young fellas for the Industrial Revolution. Part of Manchester University from 1905 to 1994. Now completely independent.
Ambience: Campus site in the middle of the city, in the heart of Europe's biggest education zone. Main building, built in 1902, is art nouveau redbrick. The rest of the structures are modern concrete functional, lots of right- angles and glass. Rich city life on your doorstep - galleries, shops, Chinatown, Gay Village. Students on the clever and nerdy side - but fun- loving with it. They don't mind a pint or three.
Vital statistics: Highly rated research institute specialising in management as well as science, technology and engineering, though nowadays you can also study social sciences and arts. International reputation for science research. One-quarter of students are postgraduates. Twenty per cent of students are from abroad.
Added value: Shared accommodation, health, careers services with the University of Manchester. Part of its success is due to the employment record of its graduates, who are second only to Cambridge. Runs combined courses, such as mainstream subjects with environmental sciences and international business. Students have access to Europe's largest computer centre.
Easy to get into? Not really. ABB for optometry and management; BCC for materials; CCC for paper science.
Glittering alumni: Margaret Beckett, Cabinet minister; David Clark, Labour MP who lost his Cabinet job last month; Terry Leahy, head of Tesco; Keith Oates, numero uno of M&S; Keith Edelman, CEO of Storehouse Group; Karen Guerra, head of Colgate Palmolive UK; Ian Gibson, boss of Nissan Europe; Sir Arthur Whitten, first man to fly the Atlantic with Sir John Alcock in a converted Vickers bomber; Sophie Grigson, foodie.
Transport links: Main rail, bus and Metrolink stations a test tube's throw away.
Who's the boss? Mechanical engineer Professor Bob Boucher, a hands-on chap who runs marathons in less than three hours, and built his own house when he was at Queen's, Belfast.
Teaching: Rated 18 out of a maximum of 24 in language and engineering; 20 in paper science, textiles and aerospace engineering; 21 in corrosion and protection, and materials science; 22 in building, civil, electrical and chemical engineering, and instrumentation.
Research: Came six out of 101 in the research assessment exercise. Achieved tip-top 5* in corrosion and protection, materials science, management and total technology, and a 5 in biomolecular sciences, chemical engineering, instrumentation and analytical science, mechanical engineering, pure maths and process integration.
Financial health: In the red in 1995-96, according to Noble's Higher Education Financial Yearbook. Back into the black in 1996-97.
Night life: Student bars known for their cheap beer. Student union Underground is top local venue. Otherwise, try the city's clubs.
Cheap to live in: Reasonable. From pounds 39.12 for self-catering room in hall of residence. Private rents from pounds 38 a week.
Buzzword: Buzzing (pronounced with a Mancunian "u").
Next week: Warwick University.
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