The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England, UK. With more than 30,000 students and 3,000 staff, it is the largest provider of higher education in the South West of England.
The institution was known as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1969; it received university status in 1992 and became the University of the West of England, Bristol. UWE Bristol is made up of several campuses in Greater Bristol. Frenchay Campus is the largest campus in terms of student numbers, as most of its courses are based there. The city campus provides courses in the creative and cultural industries and is made up of Bower Ashton Studios, Arnolfini, Spike Island, and Watershed. The institution is affiliated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and validates its higher education courses.