University of Derby

What University of Derby does

The University of Derby is a UK public higher education institution chartered in 1992, with operational roots in the Derby Lonsdale School of Art established in 1851. It serves more than 25,000 students and approximately 3,000 staff across a multi-campus footprint comprising Kedleston Road, Markeaton Street, and One Friar Gate Square in Derby, the Devonshire Dome campus in Buxton, and a new site in Chesterfield. The institution delivers undergraduate degrees (BA, BSc, FdA, FdSc), postgraduate programmes (MA, MSc, PhD), part-time online courses via the University of Derby Online (UDO) platform, short courses and CPD, degree apprenticeships, and doctoral research across disciplines.

Revenue is generated from four principal streams: tuition fees (domestic undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students across full-time, part-time, and online modes), research grants and contracts from government bodies, research councils, and industry partners, student accommodation in university-managed halls, and commercial activities covering business services, training, apprenticeships, and employer partnerships. Disclosed turnover is £180m, with a wider £300m+ annual contribution to the East Midlands regional economy. The technical stack is described as standard HE infrastructure: online learning platforms, library systems (Primo, Leganto), and virtual tour capabilities. No proprietary software, API surface, or AI platform is documented in the input.

Customer acquisition runs through open days, clearing, direct-to-consumer digital marketing, and an event-driven GTM supported by school and college outreach, employer partnerships (Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Google, Amazon, NHS, McDonald's, ICE, National Gallery, Unipart, Chesterfield FC), and community-led engagement such as the Chancellor's Entrepreneurs' Club. The University holds TEF Gold (2023), was named UK University of the Year 2027 by Uni Compare, and reports a 94% graduate work/further-study outcome alongside a 97% student recommendation rate, signalling sustained quality positioning within the UK post-1992 university segment.

Name

University of Derby

Legal name

University of Derby

Website

https://derby.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of Derby is a UK public university serving 25,000+ students across Derby, Buxton, and Chesterfield campuses, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, online, apprenticeship, and research programmes underpinned by named employer partnerships and TEF Gold teaching quality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Postgraduate degrees
• Professional development
• Distance learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, postgraduate, and international student tuition fees across full-time, part-time, and online study modes
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from government bodies, research councils, and industry partners for collaborative research projects
3. Student Accommodation: Revenue from university-managed halls of residence offering various room types and price points for students
4. Commercial Activities: Revenue from business services, training programs, apprenticeships, and commercial partnerships with regional employers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

University of Derby is a public higher education institution offering undergraduate degrees (BA, BSc, FdA, FdSc and integrated masters), postgraduate degrees (MA, MSc, PhD), online and part-time courses, short courses/CPD, and degree apprenticeships. Teaching is delivered across campuses in Derby, Buxton, and Chesterfield, supported by student accommodation, careers services, and an industry-integrated learning model involving partners such as Rolls-Royce, Toyota, NHS, Google, and Amazon.

Product overview

The University of Derby is a higher education institution offering a portfolio of educational programmes across multiple delivery formats. The core offerings include undergraduate degrees (BA, BSc, FdA, FdSc), postgraduate degrees (MA, MSc, PhD), online courses, short courses/CPD, degree apprenticeships, and research degrees. The institution operates through a multi-campus model (Derby, Buxton, Chesterfield) and complements its academic provision with student accommodation services and the Chancellor's Entrepreneurs' Club for enterprise development. The university also provides business services to industry partners including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, and NHS, bridging academic learning with professional practice through placements and collaborative research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chancellor's Entrepreneurs' Club: A hand-picked community of ambitious students providing direct access to top entrepreneurs, mentoring from industry leaders, live business challenges, skills workshops, and networking opportunities.
• Games@Derby
• UDO (University of Derby Online)

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degrees (BA, BSc, FdA, FdSc and integrated masters) Full-time undergraduate degrees from foundation level through bachelors and integrated masters, designed for students completing secondary education and combining academic study with industry placements via partners such as Rolls-Royce, Toyota, NHS, Google, Amazon, and McDonald's.
• Postgraduate Degrees (MA, MSc, PhD) Postgraduate taught programmes (MA, MSc) and research degrees including PhD opportunities for graduates seeking advanced study, specialised research expertise, and career advancement.
• Online Courses Part-time online courses delivered via University of Derby Online (UDO) for flexible study any time and any place, targeting working professionals and remote learners.
• Short Courses and CPD Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses aimed at career advancement, skills improvement, and career change, available to working professionals.
• Degree Apprenticeships Earn-as-you-learn degree apprenticeship programmes delivered in partnership with regional and national employers, combining work-based training with academic study.
• Research Degrees (PhD and doctoral programmes) Doctoral and research degree programmes across academic disciplines, with supervisor expertise spanning areas such as the Institute of Carbonomics, Aquatic Research Facility, and Games@Derby.
• Business Services Commercial services for employers covering research and innovation collaboration, funding access, talent recruitment and training/development, including Research and Innovation, Funding, Talent and Recruitment, Training and Development, and Facilities hire.
• Student Accommodation University-managed halls of residence offering undergraduate, postgraduate and international student housing under an annual contract, with all-inclusive bills, WiFi up to 250Mbps for 25 devices and 1Gbps wired service, and a Residence Life Programme; priced for 2026-27 at £128.59/week for a Premium Standard Room.
• Games@Derby Collaborative games community where Game Art, Game Design and Game Programming students and staff work together like a real game studio to share ideas and build games.
• Chancellor's Entrepreneurs' Club Exclusive hand-picked community providing students with direct access to top entrepreneurs, including Visiting Professor Theo Paphitis, through mentoring, live business challenges, skills workshops, and networking opportunities with business partners and alumni.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of graduates in work or further study within specified timeframe
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Infinity Technology Group LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Collaborates with EMCCA, Derby City Council, and University of Derby on the £1.5m Infinity Prototyping Centre (IPC) project to transform the former Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Expected to create 11 jobs and support high-precision manufacturing for the nuclear supply chain.
• Chesterfield FCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Strategic Partnership Agreement providing students with industry experience opportunities including work placements, live project briefs, and behind-the-scenes access to the League Two football club. Collaboration aims to benefit students, the club, and the wider Chesterfield community through skills development and regional economic growth.
• Rolls-RoycecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Major employer partner in the £10m government-backed Team Derby partnership to drive economic growth. Focuses on rail, aerospace, nuclear, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy sectors.
• AlstomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Major employer partner in the £10m government-backed Team Derby partnership focused on rail and advanced manufacturing sectors.
• ToyotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Major employer partner in the Team Derby partnership. Toyota Manufacturing UK leads consortium exploring lightweight two-seater electric vehicle with integrated solar PV.
• UNESCO Global Network of Learning CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026University of Derby appointed to coordinate the UK UNESCO Learning Cities Network for 2026-2027, representing 12 Cities of Lifelong Learning and part of a wider network of over 350 locations across 75+ countries. Derby leads the UK network following Swansea University.
• UnipartcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Three-year Strategic Partnership agreement to create student opportunities, drive regional sustainable growth, and develop skills for sustainable supply chains. Includes fully-funded PhD studentship, graduate schemes, student placements, and collaborative research aligned with the Institute of Carbonomics.
• East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecured £1.5m investment for Infinity Prototyping Centre project. Led the £10m Team Derby government-backed partnership for economic growth in Derby.
• Derby City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner in the Infinity Prototyping Centre project and broader regeneration initiatives.
• Theo PaphitiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisiting Professor of Entrepreneurship and Dragons' Den investor. Collaborates on Chancellor's Entrepreneurs' Club providing exclusive mentoring from industry leaders, live business challenges, skills workshops, and networking opportunities with business partners and alumni.
• Devonshire GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Cavendish, Earl of Burlington, Chair of The Devonshire Group serves as University Chancellor. Strategic partnership with Chatsworth House mentioned in regional development context.
• EarthScale Climate Tech AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner12-month UK-wide climate tech accelerator led by Imperial College London. University mentioned as part of network but not as formal partner.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Northampton: East Midlands post-1992 institution of similar size, competing for overlapping regional applicants and following a comparable TEF-rated, career-focused strategy.
• University of West London: Post-1992 London university of similar scale and TEF Gold profile, notable because Derby's Vice-Chancellor previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor there, indicating close structural and strategic similarity.
• Nottingham Trent University: Largest and most directly comparable peer: a post-1992 East Midlands university of similar scale (~30k students) competing for the same regional applicant pool and employer-led positioning.
• Coventry University: Large West Midlands post-1992 institution with comparable TEF ratings and a comparable model combining high graduate employment claims with significant international recruitment.
• Staffordshire University: Neighbouring Midlands post-1992 university with comparable size and a similar emphasis on industry partnerships, technical skills and widening participation.
• De Montfort University: Leicester-based post-1992 university with similar size (~20k students), post-1992 heritage and emphasis on employability and industry engagement in the East Midlands.
• Oxford Brookes University: Long-established post-1992 university with comparable scale and a similar focus on professionally oriented undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
• Sheffield Hallam University: Post-1992 university in the neighbouring South Yorkshire region with similar scale (~30k students) and a teaching/employability-led value proposition versus Russell Group peers.
• Anglia Ruskin University: Post-1992 university of comparable scale and TEF profile, operating across multiple campuses in the East of England with a similar applied, employability-focused positioning.

Broad incumbents

• University of Leicester: Research-oriented East Midlands university and broader incumbent; competes for higher-tariff applicants in the same regional labour market, anchoring demand for the segment Derby serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DerbyUni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UniversityofDerby
• Facebookfacebook.com/derbyuni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-derby
• Instagraminstagram.com/derbyuni
• TikToktiktok.com/@derbyuni

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Derby