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A world top 100 university

We are ranked 85th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, rising nine places from last year. We rank 49th for Employer Reputation, and joint 24th for Sustainability.
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Global Futures Summer School

Get a taste of university life with a ten-day residential where you'll explore Durham, engage in subject taster sessions, and experience collegiate life first-hand, all while developing the skills and confidence for academic study in the UK.
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Discover Durham Tours

Join us to learn more about our unique collegiate system, ask any questions you have about student life, and explore the beautiful city that we feel so lucky to be able to call home.
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Inspiring Excellence Scholarships

Recognising outstanding international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Register your interest now.
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A top UK university

We are ranked in the top ten across all three major UK league tables. In the latest 2027 UK league tables, we rank sixth across The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, Guardian University Guide and Complete University Guide.
Smiling person looking up and to the side while standing among bookshelves in Palace Green Library. A high ceiling and upper floor windows are visible at the top of the photo. The person has dark curly hair, wears a beige coat and holds an thick open book.
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Research impact at Durham

We conduct innovative and impactful research to transform lives and make a difference, globally and locally: research to empower and inspire.

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Durham honorary graduate Navi Pillay awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Durham honorary graduate Navanethem (Navi) Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
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New early-career fellowship to explore the Universe

We have launched a new fellowship to give a talented early-career researcher the freedom to explore the most ambitious ideas in astronomy and cosmology.
The Ogden Centre at Durham University with a projection of the solar system projected onto its outer walls.

£23.7m investment to drive innovation, growth and opportunity across North East England

Four major innovation projects in North East England – all involving or connected to Durham University – are to receive a total of £23.7 million to develop new technologies, create jobs, and support economic growth and opportunity across the region.
Vivid red circuit board featuring intricate microchip patterns and connections.

The Traitors: the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

Twenty-two people enter a castle with the intention of lying, trusting, murdering and banishing each other. The format of the Traitors is now well established, but the celebrity version of the show highlights some interesting psychological biases which Dr Paddy Ross of our Department of Psychology explores.
A stylised image of a large group of male and female celebrities standing in church pews.

Durham joins partners to shape future clean energy skills in North East England

The development of a new £25 million institute that will strengthen North East England’s role in leading the green energy sector has taken a major step forward.
Colleagues at the ground-breaking ceremony

Durham MBA rises 20 places in QS ranking

Durham University Business School's MBA has risen 20 places to joint-70th in the world in the QS Global MBA and Business Masters Rankings 2027.
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Study reveals new insights to support victim-survivors of financial abuse

Financial abuse affected victim-survivors' have lower savings, higher debt and miss more payments. These are the findings of a major new study involving PhD student Karen Perrirer, Money Advice Plus-Innovation Manager for Debt and Economic Abuse, from our Sociology department.
A person with head in their hands looking a bank statements and money on the table

Menopause can challenge women leaders but increase empathy, study finds

Women leaders experiencing menopause may feel psychologically depleted, but they can also become more empathetic towards colleagues, according to research from Durham University Business School.
Women working in an office environment

Alice Oseman: the power of human connection and looking forward to a completely blank page

At just 32 years old, author, illustrator and screenwriter Alice Oseman (English Literature, St John’s College, 2013-2016) has built an exceptional career.
Alice Oseman in striped top, with long red hair, looking to her left

Celebrating our newest graduates at Summer Congregation 2026

Thousands of our students have celebrated their achievements during Summer Congregation 2026, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site venue of Durham Castle and Cathedral bathed in glorious sunshine for their graduation ceremonies.
Students at summer congregation
  • Using a radar satellite to track emperor penguins in winter is changing our understanding of the species

    Knowing emperor penguins' movements during the polar winter could help support future conservation efforts. Dr Grant Macdonald, in our Department of Geography, explains how for the first time freely available satellite radar images are giving us a year-round view of their movements and improving our understanding of their response to a changing environment.
    An emperor penguin chick looks directly at the camera as an adult emperor penguin lies on the ice behind it.
  • Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security

    The UK government is considering approving a licence for the Jackdaw gasfield, but would it answer Britain’s energy security problem? Or are there other ways to use the North Sea to reduce bills, increase energy security and create jobs in clean energy storage? Durham Energy Institute experts Professor Stuart Jones and Professor Jon Gluyas, Emeritus Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture & Storage, both Department of Earth Sciences, and Dr Andrew Crossland, Department of Engineering, take a look.
    An offshore oil and gas rig stands in the sea against a cloudy and dark skyline.
  • What happens to a society when it stops asking what is meaningful, just or worth preserving?

    The Humanities took centre stage in the House of Lords as Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE, from our Department of Classics and Ancient History, celebrated the launch of three new books exploring the impact and relevance of Classics in the modern world.
    Image shows the front cover of the three books

Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security

The UK government is considering approving a licence for the Jackdaw gasfield, but would it answer Britain’s energy security problem? Or are there other ways to use the North Sea to reduce bills, increase energy security and create jobs in clean energy storage? Durham Energy Institute experts Professor Stuart Jones and Professor Jon Gluyas, Emeritus Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture & Storage, both Department of Earth Sciences, and Dr Andrew Crossland, Department of Engineering, take a look.
An offshore oil and gas rig stands in the sea against a cloudy and dark skyline.

What happens to a society when it stops asking what is meaningful, just or worth preserving?

The Humanities took centre stage in the House of Lords as Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE, from our Department of Classics and Ancient History, celebrated the launch of three new books exploring the impact and relevance of Classics in the modern world.
Image shows the front cover of the three books

Celebrating mentorship excellence: MBA Mentor of the Year announced

Durham MBA alumnus Chris de Jong has been named our Business School's 2025-26 MBA Mentor of the Year.
Chris de Jong smiling outside of Durham Cathedral

National honour for our Oriental Museum’s globally significant Japanese collections 

The Japanese collections at our Oriental Museum have been awarded Designated Collection status by Arts Council England, recognising their national and international significance. 
Oriental Museum

Upcoming events

Durham Book Festival 2026

Friday 9 October 2026 - Sunday 11 October 2026
5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
The Gala Theatre and other locations across Durham City
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Find Your Direction After Durham

Wednesday 21 October 2026 - Wednesday 21 October 2026
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Online only
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David Galloway Annual Education Lecture 13 October 2026

Tuesday 13 October 2026 - Tuesday 13 October 2026
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Collingwood College, Penthouse Suite, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LT
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Extraterrestrial Life and Science Fiction Cinema: an anthropological perspective

Tuesday 20 October 2026 - Tuesday 20 October 2026
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Cosin's Hall, Seminar Room, Palace Green, DH1 3RL
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From our Student Blogs:

From India to Durham

Wondering what it's like to move to Durham as an international student? Find out how Politics and International Relations student Era found community through her course, college, and extra-curricular roles.

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Durham and Microsoft open AI Skills Centre of Excellence

We have opened a new AI Skills Centre of Excellence in partnership with Microsoft. We have opened a new AI Skills Centre of Excellence in partnership with Microsoft. The Centre will bring together expertise, training and support for people to develop essential AI skills, for staff, students and across North East England.

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