The University has a turnover of over £525 million a year, around 6,200 members of staff and over 16,000 undergraduates and over 7,600 postgraduates, based in its five campuses across the city of Southampton and one in Winchester in the south of England. In 2012, the University opened a campus in Malaysia offering students the chance to study for engineering degrees across both countries.

Southampton is one of the UK's top research universities, with 33% of its research rated world-leading and a further 51% rated internationally-excellent in the most recent UK-wide assessment of the quality of research in UK universities. It attracts talent from across the globe with 35% of its academic staff and 29% of its students from outside the UK.

Through world-leading research and enterprise activities, Southampton connects with businesses to create real-world solutions to global issues. It works with partners around the world to offer relevant, flexible education, which trains students for jobs not even thought of.

One of its most renowned academics is Professor Sir David Payne, who pioneered the optical fibre technology that provides the backbone to the Internet and modern telecommunications. Every time you use the Internet, your mobile phone or an ATM you are using technology developed at Southampton.