In 1828, the University of Central Lancashire was founded in Preston as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge. ‘Ex solo ad solem’, or in translation, ‘From the Earth to the Sun’, has been its motto ever since – helping talented people from all walks of life to make the most of their potential.

Today the University is one of the UK’s largest with a student and staff community approaching 38,000. Internationally the University has academic partners in all regions of the globe and it is on a world stage that the first class quality of its education was first recognised. The University has an increasingly thriving campus in Cyprus delivering UCLan programmes and original research within a Central Lancashire environment and culture.

In 2010, the University became the first UK modern Higher Education institution to appear in the QS World University Rankings. In 2018, the Centre for World University Rankings estimated Central Lancashire to be in the top 3.7 percent of all worldwide universities, highlighting the progress the institution has made in providing students with real-world learning experiences and reflecting the institution’s broad pool of academic talent.