BPP University

BPP University stands in central London as a private for-profit institution specialising in law, accountancy, business, nursing and technology. It began in 1976 as an accountancy school founded by Alan Brierley, Richard Price and Charles Prior, who used their initials for the company name. The school expanded into legal training and opened regional centres in cities such as Leeds and Manchester. In 2007 it became the first private provider in the UK to gain degree-awarding powers. By 2010 it was renamed BPP University College of Professional Studies and in 2013 it received full university status. The university’s growth reflects its role in professional education and the controversies that have accompanied it. In 2009 American education group Apollo Global bought BPP for about $607 million. In 2013 the University and College Union criticised the award of university title to a for-profit body. By 2018 the law school’s undergraduate programme had shrunk from 665 students in 2014 to 105, leading to programme reviews and campus closures. In 2021 private equity house TDR Capital acquired BPP for £700 million. Visitors to BPP’s London sites find modern teaching facilities organised into four schools: Business, Law, Technology and Nursing. The main campus is in the Waterloo area, close to transport links and the South Bank. Students and staff work in classrooms, lecture theatres and specialist labs designed for professional training. The university also runs apprenticeship programmes with firms such as Grant Thornton and Mazars. Despite its urban setting, the campus provides focused spaces for study and collaboration.