HBA Competitors

Birmingham City University is dedicated to transforming the prospects of our learners, inspiring them to become makers and doers. We are an integral part of the city in which we are based, with courses shaped by the needs of industry and partnerships with some of the country's leading employers. The University focuses on practice-led, knowledge-based learning, providing access to cutting-edge facilities and real-world experience. We benefit from around 50 professional accreditations and have a well-established reputation for delivering in-company training and development programmes. Our teaching staff come from and maintain their links with industry, ensuring you are given an insight into the latest thinking. We are constantly looking for new ways to enhance the learning experience, with inspiring visiting lecturers and learning environments that are designed to replicate the workplaces you aim to enter. We even give you the chance to gain work experience in real roles around the University, through our student employment scheme. The work undertaken by our research staff and research students is not only enriching our courses, it is literally shaping the world. In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, which measures universities’ research performance, 90% of Birmingham City University’s total submission was judged to have delivered ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact externally. We have been pioneering vocational education in the city since 1843, through a series of predecessor institutions. Having achieved University status in 1992, we changed our name to Birmingham City University in 2007, reflecting our commitment to, and pride in, our home city.

We’re the top university for working with business through Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, ranked 14th for international outlook in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and ranked 12th in the UK In the Guardian University Guide 2026. We’re also in the top 100 universities worldwide for action on poverty, tackling inequalities, promoting responsible consumption, protecting marine environments and climate action in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025. And we’re in the UK top 10 for research power in five subjects according to Times Higher Education. University of Essex Alumni and Friends Our alumni are invited to join our University of Essex Alumni and Friends official group for professional networking opportunities.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland(RCS) is a place like nowhere else, powered by performance, its people and their passion. Founded in 1847, Scotland’s national conservatoire is a global leader in performing arts education, consistently ranked in the top ten of the QS World University Rankings. Specialist tuition across music, drama, dance, production, film and education under one roof creates an environment where artists move between disciplines, immersed in a culture of creativity and collaboration that sparks bold new work and ways of thinking. Students learn from the best at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where they work alongside award-winning teaching staff, industry experts and internationally acclaimed guest artists. And as the only conservatoire in the country, RCS is uniquely placed to partner with the nation’s leading artistic companies to provide one-of-a-kind learning experiences. Here, students grow into the artists they want to be, where they’re encouraged to develop not just their art but their power to use it.