Durham University

Name

Durham University

Legal name

The Warden, Masters and Scholars of the University of Durham

Website

https://dur.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1837

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Research university
• Undergraduate programmes
• Postgraduate degrees
• Executive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition Fees: Home undergraduate tuition fees set at the UK government maximum of £9,250 per year, payable for every year of the course including placement and study abroad years.
2. Foundation Programme Fees: Foundation year tuition fees of £5,760 for classroom-based subjects and £9,535 for laboratory/ractical subjects in 2025/26 academic year.
3. Postgraduate Tuition Fees: Taught and research master's programmes generating revenue with varying fee structures based on programme and residency status.
4. Research Grants and Funding: Substantial research income from UK research councils including EPSRC, as evidenced by £7 million MoSS programme grant and £9.99 million quantum simulation programme.
5. Charitable Status and Endowments: University operates as an educational charitable corporation under Royal Charter RC000650, with 18 identified paragraph 28 charities. Receives donations and manages endowment investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Durham University is a collegiate research university delivering undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes (taught and research), a Foundation Year, and executive education through Durham Edge. It supports a global student community of around 20,000 across 17 colleges and conducts research across physics, engineering, biosciences, and social sciences, supplemented by research council grants and industry partnerships.

Product overview

Durham University is an educational institution offering undergraduate, postgraduate (taught and research), foundation programmes, and executive education through Durham Edge. The university operates through a collegiate system with 17 colleges and provides access and participation programmes for widening participation. Research activities span multiple disciplines including energy, quantum science, data science, and health sciences, supported by various research institutes and centres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programmes Full-time undergraduate degree programmes across arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, engineering, and business delivered on-campus through Durham's 17 colleges and academic departments; home tuition fees capped at £9,250/year.
• Foundation Year Programme One-year Foundation Programme preparing students for undergraduate study, with classroom-based subjects at £5,760 and laboratory/practical subjects (Biology, Computer Sciences, Archaeology, Geography, Sports Science, Psychology) at £9,535 in 2025/26.
• Postgraduate Taught and Research Degrees Master's and doctoral degree programmes (PhD) with varying fee structures by programme and residency status, delivered through Durham's academic departments.
• Durham Edge Executive Education Executive education hub connecting academic expertise with business needs through professional upskilling programmes, including AI and finance/accounting training delivered with industry partners.
• AI Skills Centre of Excellence A training hub delivering practical and responsible AI skills to students, staff, businesses, and the public sector, established in partnership with Microsoft as part of the North East AI Growth Zone.
• Young Regulators Development Programme An annual two-week training programme delivered in Kuala Lumpur for early-career capital market regulators from ASEAN and IOSCO member countries, delivered in partnership with Securities Commission Malaysia.
• University Research and Grant-funded Programmes Research activities spanning quantum simulation, molecular science, sustainability, AI, neglected tropical diseases, and other disciplines, funded by grants from UK research councils and partners including EPSRC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% first-class degree achievement rate (2024-25)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Durham University partnered with Microsoft at London Tech Week 2026 to establish an AI Skills Centre of Excellence, the first of its kind. The collaboration supports students, staff, businesses, and public sector in developing practical and responsible AI skills, contributing to the North East AI Growth Zone initiative.
• Durham County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership with Durham County Council for Durham Innovation District development at Aykley Heads. The project includes redevelopment of County Hall and aims to create thousands of jobs, attract investment, and leverage the North East AI Growth Zone initiative.
• NESCA (North East Space Communications Accelerator)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026NESCA distributed almost £490,000 across 13 space communications projects, with five led by women researchers at Durham, Northumbria, and Newcastle universities. Durham projects span optical intersatellite links, crop surveillance, launch-vehicle communications, and CubeSat technology.
• Forth UKsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Cumbria-based engineering company Forth UK appointed as industry partner to FARMAR project, a four-year international project coordinated by Durham's Department of Computer Science, awarded €1.79 million through Horizon Europe. Forth will prototype ground vehicles and drones that learn from real farming practices.
• Low Carbon North: Sustainable FuturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Regional partnership launched in North East England to strengthen workforce for growing low carbon and offshore wind industries.
• SagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Expanded AI and digital skills partnership with Sage Group plc, a $2.6 billion enterprise software company. Partnership encompasses joint curriculum development, research projects, internships, and professional upskilling programmes through Durham Edge executive education hub, targeting the North East England AI Growth Zone.
• IIT Madras (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership to establish a research center in Durham, UK through IITM Global Research Foundation. Collaboration aims to advance joint research, academic, and innovation initiatives across UK and Europe, focusing on sustainable technologies and healthtech.
• Snowfox Discovery LtdsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Durham University researchers co-founded Snowfox Discovery Ltd to commercialize natural hydrogen exploration research. Scientists from Oxford, Toronto, and Durham developed systematic exploration strategy for locating natural hydrogen deposits, estimating 6 trillion tons globally.
• MusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Collaboration agreement with Muse development partner and Durham County Council to develop the Durham Innovation District at Aykley Heads. Project aims to create 4,000 jobs and 38,468 square metres of commercial floorspace, positioning the district as a national hub for research and innovation.
• Securities Commission MalaysiastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Two joint initiatives including Young Regulators Development Programme (annual two-week training 2025-2027 in Kuala Lumpur) and Islamic Capital Market summer school for early-career capital market regulators from ASEAN and IOSCO member countries.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Oxford: Top UK research university and Russell Group member with comprehensive graduate and professional schools; most direct comparator to Durham on prestige, research intensity, and collegiate-style structures.
• University of Cambridge: Russell Group research university operating a college system that is structurally analogous to Durham's, competing for the same international undergraduate and postgraduate talent pool.
• Imperial College London: Russell Group STEM-focused university with strong industry partnerships; comparable on research grant scale, employer reputation, and post-Brexit positioning in UK R&D ecosystem.
• University College London (UCL): Large London-based Russell Group university competing with Durham for international postgraduate students, research grants, and QS global ranking position.
• University of Edinburgh: Russell Group research university of similar scale and age, with comparable international student mix and QS ranking band; key peer for UK-wide benchmarking.
• University of Manchester: Large Russell Group university in northern England with strong research income and industry partnerships, comparable on Russell Group funding scale and post-industrial regional economic impact thesis.
• University of Leeds: Russell Group university of similar scale in northern England; partner on the MoSS research programme and direct comparator on widening participation and regional employer pipelines.
• University of Warwick: Russell Group university known for graduate employability and research intensity; comparable on business school positioning, employer reputation, and postgraduate training programmes.
• Newcastle University: Russell Group university and North East neighbour sharing the regional talent pipeline and the North East AI Growth Zone agenda; direct competitor for students and research grants in the same region.
• King's College London: Russell Group university participating in the same national quantum simulation consortium and competing for similar postgraduate research talent in London and the South East.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/durham_uni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DurhamUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/durhamuniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/durham-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/durhamuniversity
• TikToktiktok.com/@durhamuniversity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durham University