List of fictional British and Irish universities

Many books and other works of fiction are set in, or refer to, fictional British or Irish universities.[1][2] This list includes identifiable fictional universities or other institutions appearing to offer degree-level qualifications, and which are located in Britain or Ireland or, in a few cases, are extra-terrestrial institutions with clear British or Irish connections. Individual Oxbridge colleges are not included as there are separate lists of these.

University nameCreatorComments
University of BantshireAnonymousParody website and Twitter feed commenting on UK Higher Education, described as "the Banksy of the education social media world".[3][4][5]
Borchester UniversityvariousName used to disguise a university which was the subject of Angela Thody's 2012 study of emeritus professors.[6][7][8] The University is also used as an example in a variety of teaching materials for language learning.[9][10] Borchester is the fictional county town of fictional Borsetshire, in the English Midlands, scene of the long-running BBC Radio series The Archers.
The University of Bums on SeatsCynicalbastards.com"Formerly Peckham Polytechnic". A satirical invention reflecting the changing UK Higher Education system, online since at least 2001.[11][12]
Burston Central UniversityChris Cooper (pseudonym)Also the associated "University College of North Burston". Not to be confused with "The University of Burston" (established 1863) in the same town. Setting of The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished. Burston is 4 hours' drive from Prestatyn but otherwise unlocated.[13]
University of BurstonChris Cooper (pseudonym)Established 1863 and not to be confused with Burston Central University in the same town. Featured in The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished.[13]
Christminster UniversityThomas HardyJude's destination in Jude the Obscure, based on Oxford[14]
Clyde UniversitySea of Souls scriptwriterClyde's Department of Parapsychology is the Glasgow setting for this BBC TV series written by David Kane. Jordanhill College, Glasgow, was used to represent the university in exterior shots.[15][16]
Dartmouth UniversitySam Bain and Jesse ArmstrongThe former university of main characters Mark and Jeremy in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show.
University of EdgestowC. S. LewisIn the novel That Hideous Strength; had four colleges: Bracton College, Northumberland College, Dukes College, St. Elizabeth's College.[17] Lewis described the fictional Edgestow as a small university town more beautiful than either Cambridge or Oxford.[18]
Felpersham UniversityThe Archers scriptwritersUniversity in the fictional cathedral city of Felpersham in Borsetshire, attended by several characters from the long-running BBC radio series The Archers.[19][20]
Fibchester UniversityNational Union of StudentsSubject of case studies in NUS training courses[21][22]
University of GallifreyDoctor Who scriptwritersLocated on fictional planet Gallifrey, source of the Thirteenth Doctor's doctorate; created by the BBC so undoubtedly a British institution. Merchandise available on eBay and Etsy indicates that it was established in 1963 and known as "Time Lord Academy".
University of GloucesterDavid LodgeSetting of Thinks ... (ISBN 0-436-44502-6)[23] Not to be confused with the real University of Gloucestershire.
University of HilldeneRuth RendellAlma mater of Burden's daughter Pat in Inspector Wexford; filmed at Southampton[24]
University of InverdoonEric LinklaterThe protagonist of Linklater's semi-autobiographical White Maa's Saga attends medical school at this Scottish university, either identified as University of Aberdeen or set in a town which is "a thinly veiled combination of Aberdeen and Inverness".[25][26]
King's University, also known as King's College DublinEilís DillonDublin based setting for novels including Death in the Quadrangle (Faber, 1956; republished 2009 ISBN 978-1601870445)[27][28]
Kirke UniversityCampus scriptwritersSetting for the semi-improvised sitcom Campus[29]
University College LimerickDavid LodgeEmployer of a character in Small World (ISBN 0-436-25663-0)[30]
Lowlands UniversityAndrew DaviesSetting for A Very Peculiar Practice[31] Possibly based on Warwick.[1]
Manchester Medlock UniversityFresh Meat scriptwritersSetting of TV comedy series Fresh Meat[32] The Medlock is a river in Greater Manchester.
University of MaximegalonDouglas AdamsAlthough not known to be located in Britain or Ireland this establishment comes from the decidedly English imagination of Douglas Adams as part of the BBC Radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and can thus be considered to be a British institution.[33]
University of North YorkshireSusan ParryNear Harrogate. Features in the novel Grand Depart (2013, Viridian Publishing, ISBN 978-0956789143) and other books by the same author, as the employer of central character Dr Millie Sanderson.[34]
University of NorwichMichael FraynIn the 1986 film Clockwise, written by Frayn and directed by Christopher Morahan, headmaster Brian Stimpson (Cleese) sets off to deliver a speech at this fictional university[35] (not to be confused with the University of East Anglia established 1963 in Norwich, or Norwich University of the Arts which gained university status in 2013). Scenes depicting the university were filmed at King Edward's School, Birmingham and the University of Birmingham.[36]
Poltowan UniversityNicola K. SmithSet in a fictional town somewhere west of Falmouth, Cornwall, this university is the setting for Smith's 2019 novel A Degree of Uncertainty (Compass, ISBN 978-1912009411) featuring tensions between students and residents.[37]
Poppleton UniversityLaurie TaylorNether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton are real villages just outside York. Also used by HESA as an example in official documentation[38][39]
Rummidge UniversityDavid LodgeSetting of the Campus Trilogy: Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work "A thinly-veiled portrait of Birmingham".[40]
St Luke's University, BristolDoctor Who scriptwritersFictional university where the Twelfth Doctor taught and Bill Potts worked, first appearing in series 10, episode one The Pilot. Filming used the buildings of Cardiff University.[41]
St Rule's UniversityMargaret OliphantSetting of Oliphant's 1896 short story "The Library Window", based on University of St Andrews.[42]
St Sebastian's UniversityAnonymousSetting of A Campus Conspiracy (ISBN 9780954758677), published anonymously in 2006 but attributed to Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok.[43][44]
Scumbag CollegeThe Young Ones scriptwritersCollege attended (or not) by the four flat-sharing students in 1980s BBC TV series The Young Ones, written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer. A highlight was the four's appearance as the college's team on University Challenge confronting Footlights College, Oxbridge.[45][46]
Skerryvore UniversityJames BridieA Scottish university, the setting of Bridie's 1939 play What Say They?, which was adapted into the 1952 comedy film You're Only Young Twice.[47][48] Skerryvore is an island off the west of Scotland, 12 miles (19 km) beyond Tiree.
Unseen UniversityTerry PratchettSet in Discworld, but with characteristics of a very English institution.[49]
Watermouth UniversityMalcolm BradburySetting of The History Man; "bears more than a passing resemblance to the University of East Anglia"[50]
Wetherton UniversityReginald HillThe local university is mentioned in some episodes of Dalziel and Pascoe, the BBC TV series set in fictional Wetherton, Yorkshire.[51][52]
Wetwang UniversityYorkshire Post columnist?Wetwang is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire[53]
Wrottesley PolytechnicHoward JacobsonSefton Goldberg, the central character of Jacobson's 1980 novel Coming From Behind, is an unhappy lecturer at this English polytechnic "somewhere in the debased and deteriorating Midlands".[54][55] Inspired by Jacobson's experiences as a lecturer at Wolverhampton Polytechnic.[56]

Note that the red brick university in which Kingsley Amis sets Lucky Jim is unnamed.

References
  1. Walker, David (21 July 1997). "Sex, drugs and the dons". The Independent. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. Greatrix, Paul (24 November 2015). "An all new ranking of (fictional) universities". Wonkhe. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
    Greatrix, Paul (7 December 2018). "The all new 2019 fictional universities ranking". Wonkhe. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
    Greatrix, Paul (26 June 2020). "All made up: It's the shiny new 2020 fictional universities ranking". Wonkhe. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  3. Davidson, Eleana (17 September 2019). "The Bantshire Effect". EduRank. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  4. "Home page". The University of Bantshire. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  5. "Roaring success for the Marjon lion in the World University Mascot Rankings". www.marjon.ac.uk. Plymouth Marjon University. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  6. Reisz, Matthew (2 February 2012). "Research intelligence - The emeriti seizing a late licence to roam". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  7. Thody, Angela (September 2011). "Emeritus professors of an English university: how is the wisdom of the aged used?". Studies in Higher Education. 36 (6): 637–653. doi:10.1080/03075079.2010.488721. S2CID 145620359.
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  11. "University of Bums on Seats - Welcome". cynicalbastards.com. Retrieved 2 March 2020. and "University of Bums on Seats - Welcome". 2001. Archived from the original on 24 January 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2020. Several new editions of the university newsletter "Skidmark" were added between these dates.
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  32. Hogan, Michael (29 March 2016). "A gifted cast and sharp humour made Fresh Meat special". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  33. Adams, Douglas (1985). The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts (1st American ed.). Harmony Books. p. 65. ISBN 9780517559505. Retrieved 4 March 2020. ... a quiet young student at the University of Maximegalon...
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  56. International who's who of authors and writers, London: Europa Publications, 2003, p.271

See also
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