Program Overview
Lancaster University is among the best in the UK. A top 15 university in the three major UK league tables, we are also highly ranked in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings. Located near the market town of Lancaster, England, students can enjoy the amenities of a city or venture into the nearby countryside for a taste of agrarian life. Lancaster University is surrounded by some of the most gorgeous landscapes the UK has to offer – with the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Morecambe Bay and the Forest of Bowland within easy reach. If you fancy a more urban experience, the cities of Manchester and Liverpool are an hour away and filled with shops, clubs and nightlife. If you fancy a bit of traditional British seaside fun, Blackpool, Morecambe and Lytham St Annes are all just a short journey away.
‘Welcome to Lancaster’ virtual tour: https://features.lancaster-university.uk/lancaster-university-virtual-tour/
Watch this video to learn more about studying abroad at Lancaster University: https://youtu.be/z3GJI09PRdk
Watch this video to learn more about Lancaster University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQpQZIfaJWs
Watch this video to learn about the city of Lancaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKNn09v9gTk
Learn more from the study abroad brochure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M4cB6H9dOnb2C0Tx4ZzMEQLpZ8Y37sHI/view?usp=sharing
Academics
Lancaster is ranked 10th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025, 12th in the UK by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, and 11th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2024.
Instruction is available in any field offered by the university to students with an appropriate background, including English, environmental science, business and management studies, politics and international relations, mathematics, computer science and the natural sciences. To browse courses offered at Lancaster, click here.
Instruction consists of lectures, discussions, tutorials, papers, laboratory work and examinations, with much more emphasis on the independent work of the student and on written papers than is usual at St. Olaf. Faculty advisors are available in all departments to assist students in planning programs, assist with evaluations and generally make the transition easier.
The normal load for the year is 32 US credits. The normal load for semester I [Michaelmas] is 12 US credits, but special permission may be given for students wishing to take up to 16 US credits. The normal load for January Term and semester II [Lent and Summer] is 16-20 US credits. Students studying away/abroad in the fall can bring up to 4.5 credits back to campus; students studying away/abroad in the spring with January Term can bring up to 5.5 credits back to campus.
Student Life
Lancaster University is a community of students, staff and graduates from across the globe, located on a beautiful 578-acre parkland campus providing the perfect space for high-quality teaching and pioneering research. Students in the Lancaster program are fully recognized students at the university and participate in its programs just as the British students do. While U.S. students are in the university, every effort is made to integrate them into the life of the university. Students can explore the historic city of Lancaster and take advantage of activities and events on campus and in the city, which range from concerts, theatre performances, sports, and a wide variety of clubs and societies.
Lancaster is everything a university should be. It's somewhere you can belong, a community to join with a collection of colleges that offer close-knit support, and a proud identity. Our campus is the complete setting for your life and your studies, with sports facilities, shops, places to relax and socialise, and study spaces to suit your mood.
Accommodations/Housing
St. Olaf students usually live in different colleges (combination dormitory and social organizations) with degree-seeking students and are not grouped together.
Click here for: Accommodation at Lancaster University; Lancaster University - Our Colleges
Lancaster University FactSheet 2025-2026
