Cranfield University

Cranfield University is a specialist public postgraduate research university in the United Kingdom, internationally renowned for its strengths in engineering, technology, management, and applied sciences. It was founded in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics and gained full university status in 1969 as Cranfield Institute of Technology, before adopting the name Cranfield University. Cranfield is unique in that it only offers postgraduate education, focusing on master’s, doctoral, and advanced professional programmes with practical research and industry applications. The university has two main campuses: Cranfield Campus in Bedfordshire, near the Cranfield village. Shrivenham Campus in Oxfordshire, specialising in defence and security in collaboration with the UK Defence Academy. The main campus includes its own research airport (Cranfield Airport), used for teaching and advanced experimentation in aviation and technology. Cranfield emphasises industry engagement and research excellence, partnering with global corporations and governments to give students real‑world experience. In academic research, 88% of Cranfield’s output was classed as world‑leading or internationally excellent in the UK Research Excellence Framework, demonstrating its research impact. The university also houses the Cranfield School of Management, one of Europe’s distinguished business schools with highly regarded MBA and management programmes. Students come from over 170 countries, creating a diverse international community where collaborative research and professional practice are prioritized. Although Cranfield is not ranked in general undergraduate university league tables (because it only offers postgraduate education), it ranks highly in specific subject areas such as engineering, aerospace, and management.