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University of Sussex

4.65 Rating
126 reviews
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About

The University of Sussex is a leading research-intensive university in the lively city of Brighton on the South Coast of the United Kingdom, located one hour away from London.

Ranked in the world's top 150 universities and top 20 in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2020), the University has both an international and local outlook, with staff and students from more than 100 countries and frequent engagement in community activities and services.

Situated in rolling parkland of the South Downs National Park and just a few minutes from Brighton - which has been ranked as the UK's happiest city for students (Student Living by Sodexo) - the campus combines award-winning architecture with green open spaces.

Sussex offers a multi-disciplinary Direct Enrol Study Abroad Semester and Year Program, with over 1,000 modules on offer, as well as the Sussex Undergraduate Summer School offering over 30 modules designed, delivered and taught by Sussex faculty across the summer.

Website
www.sussex.ac.uk
Founded
1961
University of Sussex
City:
Brighton
Students:
17,300
International Students:
5,000

Qualifications

Min. SAT Score:
1300
Min. ACT Score:
26
Min. Age:
16
Additional Items:
  • Transcript
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement
  • Language Requirement (English)
Further Information

How to Apply

Application Steps
  • Choose your course
  • Check our academic entry requirements
  • Check our English language requirements
  • Apply through UCAS
  • Check fees, funding and support
  • Receiving your decision
  • Confirming your place
Apply Now
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Community Photos

Sussex Campus
Brighton
Langfords
At Sussex
South Downs National Park is adjacent to the campus and provides a beautiful route to Lewes
Located on Falmer Hill, the library has a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful views over the campus
One of my favorite locations in Brighton
Carousel on Brighton Pier
The Lanes
A carousel at Brighton Beach
A visit to Seven Sisters
North Laine
Picture of the underground in London.
Hike along the Seven Sisters cliff.
Friends by Brighton Pier
Trip to Barcelona

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Reviews

Default avatar
Julia
21
Female
Russia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

Life Sciences

Feb 23, 2023

It was an incredible experience. I really enjoyed all of the teaching modules. Accommodation on campus is also a good option. Due to the strikes, some of the lectures were canceled, unfortunately. The only thing that bothered me was rebuilding of roads and blocks, it was noisy and inconvenient some times. Prices are quite high, but reasonable. I would recommend buying most of the groceries in big supermarkets in Brighton, as coop on campus is too expensive. I would definitely recommend to study here.

Pros
  • Knowledge
  • Campus
  • Location
Cons
  • Strikes
  • Prices
Default avatar
Natalia
20
Female
Malta
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Summer School at the University of Sussex

Sussex Review

Jan 24, 2023

In terms of academics, it is challenging but sufficient resources are provided to offer students’ success. The university has a friendly environment and everyone feels welcome. Housing was overall okay, there were problems with appliances and electricity.

Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for your review Natalia.

By Jon Bowditch on February 2, 2023
Default avatar
Jada
21
United States
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

Sussex Review

Jan 24, 2023

Studying at the university of sussex was made to be overall such an easy experience. With such a stressful event such as studying abroad for the first time, the Sussex staff made the transition very easy and offered any support that you might need as well. The academics matched that level of enjoyment too. The diversity of people that you are able to meet at Sussex is unmatched. The housing is clean and overall a really great experience. Overall I would say that the ease of it all is what makes Sussex great.

Pros
  • Community life
  • Night life
  • Diversity
Cons
  • Travel to main city
  • Not for city lovers
Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for your review Jada. Great to hear that you enjoyed your time with us!

By Jon Bowditch on January 26, 2023
Default avatar
Swan
Singapore
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester

Jan 24, 2023

A university that embraces students from diverse backgrounds. I come from an Asian university where there is a more conservative culture. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that there are toilets that accommodate to a greater diversity of gender identifiers. Additionally, there is a strong culture that emphasises on students’ well-being. This is very encouraging because it is my first time coming to a school where I feel valued as a student. I appreciate the university very much for that and I recommend others to come as well

Pros
  • Welcoming
  • Beautiful scenery
  • Helpful staff
Cons
  • Wish that there was more food variety served on campus
Free cake from the university!
Response from University of Sussex

Great to hear your positive review Swan. All the best for the future.

By Jon Bowditch on January 26, 2023
Default avatar
Andrea
24
Female
Mexico
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

My semester abroad at Sussex

Jul 31, 2022

Being able to study abroad in the midst of a global pandemic didn’t seem possible after many cancelled applications and I’m forever thankful we were given this opportunity despite everything.

The people of the University of Sussex (staff, teachers and students) make this an unforgettable experience and are there for you every step of the way. I really appreciated having professors from all over the world and meeting people from many different cultures in class, the language cafe or the events hosted by Sussex abroad.

Brighton is an amazing city to live in a a student and the University really makes sure you have all the resources available to have the best living experience.

Pros
  • Beautiful city
  • Lovely and open minded people
  • Excellent academic level
Cons
  • Weather
  • Seagulls haha
  • You won’t want to leave
Response from University of Sussex

It's really great to hear you enjoyed your time at Sussex.

By Jon Bowditch on August 9, 2022
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Programs

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Christine Huang

Program
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

Why did you choose this program?

Sussex was not on my radar. I originally looked into a third party program at University College London because I wanted to be in a big city while also having easy access to other countries. I applied, but I did not get in, so my school recommended the University of Sussex, which is relatively close to London in a cool city called Brighton.

I have never heard of Brighton but kept an open mind because I knew I really wanted to study abroad in England.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Sussex provided a lot more support for me than I thought. Sussex was a direct enrollment where it did not provide the hand-holding that many other study abroad programs had (arranging all your housing and trips and forcing all the American college students to be together so they become friends), so I initially worried I would not have much support. Fortunately, the school provided a coach bus for the visiting students arriving at Heathrow Airport.

The university also has a "Buddy Scheme Society" where international students get paired up with a local student who would acclimate them to the new lifestyle. I was not sure how I would be able to make friends in a direct enrollment study abroad program, so I took advantage of that and met a super nice girl. This was a great way to meet the locals.

Meals were not free, so I had to pay for lunch at the school or buy my own groceries.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don't make it your #1 priority to leave Brighton and go to other places in Europe.

Before I came to Sussex, I thought studying abroad in Europe was all about cramming in as many weekend trips as possible to see how many countries you can visit in a semester. Traveling to another city is great for a change of pace, but I got so much more from getting to know Brighton and immersing myself in the English (and European) culture through meeting people from all around the world. Coming home, I realized this is the true study abroad experience.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Living off-campus, I took a 40 minutes bus to the university.

Many of my classes had a lecture and a seminar component. In the lectures, all the students enrolled a course in sitting in a huge hall listened to the professor teach. The students were assigned a time to have their seminar, which consists of group work and discussions. It is a hands-on component of the coursework.

I was fortunate to not have classes on Friday. This gave me time to catch up on homework so I can make time for fun.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was how I would be able to balance my studies with having fun.

I thought that during weeks when I had many deadlines, I would be so drowned in my studies I would not have time to have fun. What helped was I always had the mindset that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that you should have fun during this relatively short time period because you will look back on those memories rather than the nights you spent cranking through your papers.

No matter how busy I was, I always made sure to carve out time for hanging out with my friends, exploring Brighton, or going on a short trip.

Do you have a favorite story you'd like to share?

During my time abroad, I had many rituals with my friends that brought me close to them because we would have fun together. My favorite one was riding the bus to the university every Wednesday morning together with two of my friends because we all had our classes at the same time. It was a 40-minute ride and we would spend the arduous trek having intensive conversations whether they were goofy or insightful. This brought me close to them.

The take-home message here is that the best memories are often not what you would think they are. While I really enjoyed going out with my friends for partying or sightseeing, what stood out to me were the times when I just talked to my friends because that was when I formed my strongest bonds.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Jon Bowditch

Program
Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton
Job Title
Global Mobility Officer (Inbound)
I began working at the University of Sussex in 2015. After 3 years in the Postgraduate Admissions department I moved to the Global Engagement team where I supported Sussex students going on a semester or year abroad, as well as Summer Schools programmes. In August 2021 I took up my current role a the Global Mobility Officer (Inbound). Along with my colleagues Sara and Louise, I look after all the incoming visiting and exchange students to the university.
Jon Bowditch

How many students attend your university?

17,000 in total. This includes 5,000 international students from 145 countries

Please outline any qualifications to get accepted to your university (minimum SAT scores, GPA, age, transcripts, language etc.)

Students need to have completed at least one year of higher education and have a minimum of 2.8 GPA out of 4. There is also an English language requirement (further details can be found here).

What is the international student experience like at the University of Sussex?

Students will experience our beautiful green campus. Sussex us the only UK university to be located in a national park. We are also only 10 minutes from the vibrant cosmopolitan city of Brighton & Hove which is home to a great arts scene as well as our fantastic beach. The campus is just an hour from London by train too.

The university prides itself on it's international outlook. Students will therefore find a very inclusive environment with the opportunity to mix with not just students from the UK but also around the work.

When should international students start the application process for the University of Sussex?

For the Autumn Semester the deadline is 1st April. For Spring it will be 15th October.

How long does the application process take?

The application is quite simple to complete so should not take students long to complete. We also try to get back to students as soon as possible regarding the outcome of their applications.

What is the academic experience like at your university compared to other international universities? What surprises students most?

I think our campus and location really stands out compared to other universities in the UK. We have the perfect mix of a great city that's very lively but easy to get around, and also the tranquility of beautiful countryside. If that isn't enough we also have a fantastic beach! We are also have great connections to the rest of the UK as well as Europe, with Gatwick airport just 30 minutes away.

In addition to this, students can select from over 1,000 classes from 9 different schools, so the range of subjects is huge.

What is living in Brighton like for international students?

Brighton and Hove is a fantastic city for an international student. There are an abundance of independent shops, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. There is also a great arts scene which incorporates theater, film, music and comedy.

The city is very vibrant and cosmopolitan and is renowned for it's inclusivity. We may be known as 'London by the sea', but we are much easier to get around than the capital, so students can easily explore the delights which are on offer.