Who we are
York St John is a modern university characterised by a strong commitment to social justice and deep links into local communities.
Situated in the centre of York, with a postgraduate campus in London’s dynamic East India Dock, the University is making an important and lasting contribution to widening educational participation and enabling economic development across the region and beyond.
In 2023, York St John was awarded Gold for student experience in the Teaching Excellence Framework and Silver for student outcomes, resulting in an overall award of Silver as an institution.
Originally founded in 1841 as a teacher training college, York St John has a long-standing history of supporting the communities it serves.
Its academic courses are carefully designed in partnership with employers to help meet many of the key skill gaps across our nation’s workforce and it has an active role in championing entrepreneurship, supporting both student-led and local businesses to flourish.
Students and staff work closely with local organisations, charities and businesses to share knowledge and address the challenges faced by our society. They provide accessible and vitally needed services to the community including counselling, legal advice, and wellbeing support. Research led by the University’s Institute for Social Justice and Institute for Health and Care Improvement is making considerable strides in improving lives in the region, and beyond, in pursuit of authentic social justice and healthy communities.
The University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, alongside a number of degree apprenticeships, across its six academic schools.
With a strong sense of community on its campuses, York St John a consistently popular choice for students from many different backgrounds. Feedback from its students in the 2023 National Student Survey saw the University ranked first in the North East of England, and 19th in the UK, for overall positivity about their students’ studies.
Robust support systems, and a commitment to supporting everyone to achieve their potential underpin the learning experience at York St John with 72% of graduates going on to secure professional jobs or progress into further study.
Campus locations
studying with us
Our founding year