Colchester Campus
Home to 13,000 students from more than 130 countries - truly the world in one place.
Welcome to our Colchester campus
Get to know what Essex is really like without leaving the comfort of your home.
Your time at Essex will be full of opportunities to meet new people, try new things and develop new skills. Your success is at the heart of everything we do.
Our Colchester Campus is the largest of our three sites, it is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
Set within the 200-acre award-winning beautiful parkland – Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England’s oldest recorded development.
We have over 165 sports and societies to join, a bustling street market to enjoy, on-campus shops and entertainment, you’ll never be stuck for something to do at the University of Essex.
Home to a range of plants and wildlife including some extraordinary and historic trees, this picturesque paradise can only be appreciated fully in person.
World-famous painter John Constable immortalised Wivenhoe Park in his 1816 painting which hangs in Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art.
Much of the landscape is older still, from medieval oaks to the grand Wivenhoe House of 1758.
Today, the campus comprises 18 major habitats, with many notable species among its 2,800 trees. Our three artificial lakes provide homes for carp, cormorants, and kingfishers, while the 220 acres of grounds sustain a rich variety of fauna, flora, and fungi.
Explore the city
The city of Colchester is ideally located just 50 miles North-East of London. It is near to the coast of East Anglia, on the border with Suffolk.
Colchester might be the UK’s oldest recorded settlement, but in 2022 it was made one of the UK’s newest cities.
Our wonderful city is home to a thriving cultural and social scene – with independents bars, cafes and restaurants providing our students with plenty to do.
Further afield, Essex has more coastline than any other county in the UK, providing our students with wonderful opportunities for activities and days out.
The city also benefits from good transport links to the surrounding counties on the South East coast of England and is just a 50 minute train ride to London Liverpool Street and an even shorter journey to Stratford.
The Students’ Union
When joining Essex, you’ll become an automatic member of the Students’ Union. This means you’ll help decide what gets stocked in our stores, what drinks we serve in our bars, and what we campaign for together. Whatever you want to do, we’re here to make it happen. Nothing is too big or small.
Our SU provides a range of different spaces for you to enjoy from evening activities in our bars and clubs to a range of different day time spaces such as our own Cinema, and hangout space.
Over 75% of our staff are students. We’re a family of around 350 full-time, part-time and student staff across 3 campuses and it’s a place where you can be who you are and be proud.
Our ambition is to come together to celebrate and promote diversity. You’ll be expected to work hard, play hard and all the stuff in the middle too. If that sounds like a bit of you, then come on in. We can’t wait to meet you.
Find out more about the Students’ Union.
Student accommodation
We know that for some, moving away from home may seem like a daunting prospect. That's why at Essex we try our hardest to help you settle in, starting by guaranteeing accommodation for all of our students for the duration of their course (subject to conditions).
Here's a breakdown of our accommodation options to choose from:
The Copse
Ideal for those who like a bit of luxury, students can choose to live in an ensuite or a studio.
University Quays
Perfect for undergraduate or postgraduate students seeking a living space away from the bustle of campus.
Wolfson Court
Nestled in nature on the north side of campus offering a quieter option as one of the smallest residences, located at the heart of campus.
South Towers
A fresh and friendly option at Essex, with flats of up to 16 people, it’s a great place to make friends for life.
North Towers
Our most iconic accommodation at Essex, centrally located at the heart of campus.
The Houses
A popular choice here at Essex. Nestled away from the busy centre of campus, this tranquil spot is the perfect place to study, hang out with friends, and feel at home.
South Courts
Surrounded by green space in a community that feels like its own little village, located right next door to our sports centre, it’s the ideal choice for sports enthusiasts or gym goers.
The Meadows
Embrace the perfect blend of countryside living with the convenience of campus and city facilities. The Meadows boasts its own social pavilion with a common room, shop, and launderette.
The Meadows Townhouses
A homely and mature feel with a traditional house layout including a large kitchen and social area on the ground floor.
Athlete Village
Achieve your peak performance as a member of our community of athletes and sports performers by staying at our Athlete Village.
The Pastures
A modern space to unwind, study, and create lasting memories. Located on the edge of campus you have the benefit of easy access to the city and just a short walk to your classes and university activities.
Thinking of commuting? Our campus also has great facilities for commuting students.
Sport at our Colchester Campus
We are renowned for our research on the benefits of Green Exercise and we practise what we preach. We know that exercise improves your mental well being, can help you keep calm during those stressful exam periods and boosts performance in your studies.
From our 18-hole disc golf course to our 250 metre climbing wall, we've got all interests covered. With our all-weather tennis court and vast indoor facilities, it's a year-round thing too!
We have something for everyone from informal drop-in Active sessions to easy to follow learn-to sports courses. Essex Sport is our university run scheme that connects all of our amazing sports facilities, for athletes and occasional exercisers.
First, there’s the gym, home to over 160 fitness stations, on-site parking, machines with TV and audio systems and 300 fitness classes every month! Then there’s our 250-metre climbing wall with bouldering and top roping facilities to take your fitness levels to the top. Plus over 20 indoor courts, including basketball, volleyball, squash, netball and futsal.
The best part is, all students living on the Colchester Campus in 2025-26 get an Essex Sport Silver membership included!
Performance sport
Elite sports athletes can explore our range of performance sports to empower you to achieve your athletic goals and academic success. We offer undergraduate and post-graduate scholarships and bursaries for regional, national or international level players in our focus sports and other disciplines.
Find out whether you could be eligible for a sports scholarship or cash bursary, plus a range of additional benefits. Register your interest here.
Find out more about competitive sports at Essex, from BUCS fixtures to national/international pathways within our professional Essex Rebels teams.
We are committed to supporting and developing high performance athletes competing across our focus sports; basketball, volleyball, tennis, football and other individual/team sports.
Our holistic approach and comprehensive support include top-notch coaching, cutting-edge facilities and a community of passionate athletes.
Scholarship students can stay in our Athlete Village accommodation. Applications to stay here are managed through our Performance Sport team.
Study abroad
You can study, work or volunteer at one of our partner institutions around the world. If you’re a visiting study abroad student, come and experience academic life in the UK, the Essex way.
Opportunities at Essex go beyond our vibrant county... With many of our degrees, we offer placement years and years abroad. You can study, work or volunteer at one of our partner institutions around the world.
Find out more about Essex abroad.
Life on campus
With its lively, state-of-the-art facilities and a close-knit international community, Colchester is the perfect environment for living and learning.
At the University of Essex we offer a series of extra-curricular activates to enhance your career outcomes. Our Careers Service team offers a variety of different services and support sessions to ensure you are making the most of your time at the University.
Food and Drink on Campus
If you love food as much as we do, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s a priority at our Colchester Campus. You’ll never run out of choice, from quick grab and go outlets to more formal bookable dining.
Essex Food believes in affordable, traceable, sustainable, seasonal, locally-sourced, fresh and healthy food and drink – that’s why we are proud to call ourselves Ethics Food, as we strive to ensure all our customers have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to a sustainability and ethical food future.
Our library
The Albert Sloman Library provides all students on our Colchester campus with the opportunity to study and research every hour of the day. We provide 24/7 term-time access, computer spaces and over a million books for our student community.
The Library & Cultural Services team provide referencing and study support. Our library is also home to one of only two functioning Paternoster lifts in the UK!
Ready to make your application?
Undergraduate applications
You can apply to us through UCAS, the UCAS code for Essex is ESSEX E70. Our individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend campuses are ‘L’ and ‘S’ respectively. There is no campus code for Colchester – please leave this blank in your application.
Full information on how to apply to us can be found on our website.
Postgraduate applications
Applications to study with us can be made directly to us via our Application portal.
Current student? We’ve made applying for Masters study as straightforward as possible for our current students with our new fast-track application form, now live on your myEssex student portal.
You may also be eligible for our Alumni Loyalty Discount, which provides a discount of up to 33% on tuition fees. If we can offer you a place, we’ll automatically consider you for this award.
Information on how to apply to us can be found on our website:
Chat to our students online
There are some questions only students can answer, Unibuddy is a chat platform that you can ask our students and staff your questions directly.
Find out more about your subject
Explore our undergraduate courses, postgraduate Masters and research degrees by subject, and find the perfect programme for you.
Fees and finance
University fees can be confusing to get your head around. But, we are here to help with this. Our Admission Team will help you with your fee status when you apply.
Funding
We offer lots of funding opportunities to support students. Browse our full range of scholarships and bursaries before applying to see what you might be eligible for.
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