Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes University is a public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The university was named after its first principal, John Henry Brookes, who played a major role in the development of the institution. Oxford Brookes University is predominantly based at a campus in Headington, Oxford. A second campus is located in Swindon. Two campuses located on the outskirts of Oxford, the Wheatley campus (originally Lady Spencer-Churchill College) and the Harcourt Hill campus, closed in 2024 and 2025 respectively, with all activities moving to Headington. Oxford Brookes University started in 1865 as the Oxford School of Art, located in a single room on the ground floor of the Taylor Institution at St Giles', Oxford. In 1870 the School of Science was added and in 1891, under the administration of the City Council's Technical Instruction Committee, it was renamed the Oxford City Technical School, incorporating the School of Art, which remained distinct. Plans were made to relocate to the former Blue Coat School for Boys on St. Ebbes.