The University of Buckingham was founded in 1976. It is the only independent University in the United Kingdom to hold a royal charter, which gives it the power to award its own degrees. From the outset its primary aim has been to focus on the teaching of students, at a time when government has decided that research should be a university’s primary goal (though of course Buckingham has significant and growing research strengths too).

Buckingham is a thriving and challenging academic community, dedicated to excellence. However it remains a university on a human scale: with just under a thousand students on campus it is a place where nobody is lost in the crowd and friendships are quickly made. It has one of the best student to staff ratios in UK and its professors and lecturers are as involved with students as is humanly possible. Thus it is not surprising that it heads the league tables of student satisfaction.

In the year 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, Buckingham ranked the top university in the National Student Survey in the categories of teaching, assessment and feedback, academic support, organization and management, learning resources, personal development and overall satisfaction by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

The University Guide 2011 published by The Guardian has ranked The University of Buckingham (UB) 2nd in the category of Business and Management Studies.

The Complete University Guide: University League Table 2010-11 published by The Independent has ranked the University of Buckingham (UB) 20th out of more than 100 UK universities!

The value of a Buckingham degree is acknowledged throughout the world. Although the University is independent, it voluntarily undergoes inspection by the QAA - the body which monitors standards in all UK universities.