Anglia Ruskin University - Chelmsford Campus Chelmsford UK 2024

ARU is an innovative global university with students from 185 countries coming to study with us. We've once again been named as one of the top 350 institutions in the world in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 – and one of the top 40 universities in the UK.

Our story starts in 1858 when the art critic, patron and philanthropist John Ruskin opened the Cambridge School of Art. The art school grew to become Anglia Ruskin University, shortened to ARU, and it’s still at the heart of our modern-day campus in Cambridge.

Over the years, a number of colleges and institutes have become part of ARU. They include the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) and the Essex Institute of Higher Education (formerly the Chelmer Institute – itself formed from the Mid-Essex Technical College and the Brentwood College of Education). At first, these colleges combined to become Anglia Polytechnic, and then Anglia Polytechnic University in 1992.

Chelmsford Campus
You’ll find our campus nestled down by the river in the city’s University and Innovation Quarter, just a short stroll from the lively centre. The campus is made up of striking, modern buildings that house state-of-the-art facilities to support teaching of the courses we offer.

Compact enough to explore and enjoy at your leisure with a great mix of independent stores, high street retail, restaurants, bars and cafes, we know why Chelmsford was voted one of the top ten places to live in the UK.*

Chelmsford has a rich history as the birthplace of broadcasting and one of the first Roman settlements in Britain. Today it offers a warm welcome with a vibrant feel that’s the perfect base to explore the wider Essex and Suffolk counties, and the capital city of London which is just 30 minutes away by train.

Our campus: past, present and future
We’ve been around since 1893 when we started with adult further-education classes. In 1904 a foundation stone was laid in Market Road by Lord Rayleigh, which marked the start of our journey to create purpose-built further education buildings in Chelmsford – and we’ve never looked back.

We’ve continued to invest and grow to become the modern University we are today delivering work-ready graduates. Just some of the highlights of the campus today include:

• Our new School of Medicine, which is training a whole new generation of doctors
• One of the largest business schools in the East of England, based in the award-winning Lord Ashcroft Building
• High-quality study facilities – lecture theatres of course, but also mock hospital wards and our medical science SuperLabs
• The university library and open access computer area
• Restaurant, cafés and plenty of outdoor space
• Arise Chelmsford, an innovation centre to support businesses that are just starting out
• a range of services including our Students’ Union, medical centre, gym, ARU Temps, and finance and accommodation offices.