Six Reasons to Study at Cranfield University

Cranfield University is the UK’s only exclusively postgraduate university offering specialist taught and research degrees in management, aerospace engineering, defence, environment, energy, manufacturing and the water sector. The University is famous for its international outlook, world-class facilities, unrivalled teaching quality and close links with industry.

Cranfield is considered the number one university in the UK for several specialist programmes, but is not listed in standard university ranking tables such as The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide as it is a postgraduate only university. 

Learn more about why you should study a masters at Cranfield University below, or start your UCAS application by booking a free consultation with SI-UK London today.

Why Study a Masters at Cranfield University?

1. Rankings and awards

• Cranfield is ranked number one in the UK for studying aerospace engineering and for transport and automotive postgraduates (HESA 2019)
• The University ranks in the top five in the UK for Engineering - Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing (QS World University Rankings 2020)
• It is top ten UK university for commercial research, consultancy and professional development (HESA 2019)
• Cranfield School of Management consistently ranks in the top ten for its MBA and executive education programmes (Financial Times rankings, the Economist rankings, Forbes MBA rankings and Times Higher Education/Wall Street Journal World University Rankings)
• Cranfield is a six times winner of the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education for its excellent teaching and research output

2. Teaching and research quality

• Cranfield’s teaching quality is independently assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and has received the highest recommendation that is given out by them
• Teaching at Cranfield focuses on developing superior skills informed by real-world practice
• Cranfield course content is informed by industry and is regularly reviewed by Cranfield’s industry clients and partners so that it meets the changing needs of the different sectors
• 81% of Cranfield’s research is recognised as ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ according to the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014)
• Cranfield offers an excellent student to staff ratio, one of the best in the UK, with one member of academic staff for every five students. This means students enjoy more individual attention and therefore gain the most out of studying an international degree

3. Academic staff

The staff at Cranfield comprises of internationally recognised academic experts, several of whom are also specialists in industry. This means international students enjoy the best of both worlds, combining theoretical knowledge and practical skills, and learning by solving real-world challenges. 

4. Infrastructure and facilities

International students at Cranfield enjoy access to unique, large scale, world-class specialist facilities which are unheard of at other UK universities. It is the only university in the UK and in Europe to have its own airport and runway, as well as a Crash Impact Centre, which is one of three FIA approved test centres in the world used for Formula One cars.

Many facilities at Cranfield are also front-line resources for the whole country, such as the National Flying Laboratory Centre and the National Reference Centre for Soils.

5. Links with industry

Cranfield University has strong links with industry, with 1,500 industrial partners located in over 40 countries. The programmes at Cranfield are informed by industry and equip graduates with the knowledge and skills relevant to today’s world. Partners include top brands and companies such as Jaguar, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Unilever and Coca Cola. 

6. Career and employability

• Cranfield has a Career Development Service which provides guidance, counselling and coaching as well as opportunities to help students launch off their personal career journeys
• Cranfield has an online career portal, Cranfield Symplicity, which regularly features jobs and employers who are interested in hiring the University’s graduates
• The University holds several networking events, conferences and workshops, career fairs and recruitment days, and regularly hosts guest speakers
• Cranfield graduates have access to one of the most influential 60,000 plus alumni communities in the world, with over 20 international alumni communities in countries such as India, China, Russia and Switzerland
• All students enrolled in programmes at Cranfield get to carry out real research for the University’s industrial partners through group projects as part of their thesis
• A whopping 97% of Cranfield graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation and are employed in famous organisations such as Oxfam, Unilever, Rolls Royce and Deloitte

Study at Cranfield University

Enhance your career prospects by applying to study a specialist postgraduate degree at Cranfield with SI-UK London. Book a free consultation to talk to our experts online or in-person today.