Before it became Portsmouth University in 1992, this institution had been a school of arts and science, a technical institute, a municipal college and Portsmouth Polytechnic. Its campuses are based in and around the great marine city of Portsmouth, with its close links to the Royal Navy. In fact, many Portsmouth graduates go on to make careers in defence: the university, just behind its near neighbour Southampton, is one of the industry's larger suppliers of graduate labour.

  Degrees are a strong suit for Portsmouth - about 8% of undergraduates are studying them and a larger number take language courses. Those studying French or Russian, for example, have the opportunity to study overseas for a year and there are many reciprocal relationships with continental universities.

The Guildhall campus in the centre of the city is the focus of student union activities, with three bars whose capacities range from 300 to 1,100. The union claims to run five club nights a week and some halls of residence even have their own bars.

  It comprises  five faculties: the Faculty of Business and Law, the Faculty of Creative  and Cultural Industries, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,  the Faculty of Science and Health, and the Faculty of Engineering. The  university offers a wide range of degree programs, from bachelor's to  doctoral degrees, covering over 430 distinct fields of study. 

  There are over 31,000 students, including approximately 5,200 international students from over 150 countries and regions. UoP is recognized by the QS World University Rankings, where it achieved a  five-star rating in 2022, and is ranked in the 631-640 band for the 2025  edition.