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Solent Unviersity Southampton logo
Solent Unviersity Southampton logo

Our history

Solent has been a university since July 2005, but it has a long and complex educational history.

Incorporated as an independent higher education institution in 1989, the University's origins can be traced back to a private School of Art founded in 1855. Mergers between Southampton College of Art, the College of Technology and the College of Nautical Studies at Warsash laid the foundations for what is now Solent University.

A brief history of Solent University

Since becoming a university, Solent has helped over fifty thousand students from all walks of life to make the most of their potential. Guided by four Vice-Chancellors in turn, the University has changed dramatically over the past ten years – from campus improvements to the latest state-of-the-art facilities.