Our History since 1878

In our history we have grown from a women's teacher training college in north London to a global university supporting over 37,000 students and apprentices across London, Dubai, and Mauritius.

1878: Building our foundations

Our story begins with St Katherine's College, one of Britain's first teacher training institutions. Located in central north London, our founding college established our commitment to serving local communities and preparing graduates for the future.

1901: Connecting work and learning

The Ediswan Institute, another founding college, opened in 1901 to educate factory workers. In 1904, the thermionic valve was developed there, later crucial to Colossus, the world's first electronic computer that cracked German code during World War II.

Image credit: © Steve Simmons UK | Adobe Stock

1963: Combining the classroom with experience

Enfield College of Technology, also a founding college, launched one of the first BA Honours in Business Studies with integrated work placements. The course responded to growing demand for practical and industry-centred learning, with eight women and around 50 men enrolled.

Image: © Henry Grant Collection/London Museum.

1968: Fighting for students' rights 

Hornsey College of Art, which also became part of Middlesex, was known for its progressive approach to art education. Students occupied campus for six weeks in a protest over funding for their Students' Union, leading to important education reforms across the UK.

Image credit: Associated Press / Alamy.

1973: Joining the polytechnic movement 

Our founding colleges merged to create Middlesex Polytechnic. Our new institution was part of a movement towards a new kind of education that emphasised career-focused courses and made learning accessible for more local people.

Image credit: © Henry Grant Collection/London Museum

1992: Becoming Middlesex University 

After nearly 20 years, Middlesex Polytechnic became Middlesex University. We maintained our commitment to education for all, skills-based learning and strong links to our community — values that continue to define us today.

1996: Prize winning research and discovery

We won three Queen's Anniversary Prizes, the highest honour in UK higher education, for pioneering Higher and Further Education (1996), advancing Education Technology (1998), and our ground-breaking Flood Hazard Research Centre (2000).

2005: Going global on three continents

Our community expanded internationally, opening our Dubai campus in 2005 and Mauritius campus in 2009. Our campus in Malta was open from 2013 until 2022. We now have more than 35,000 students around the world.

2011: Creating one London campus

Our Grove building opened in 2011, housing state-of-the-art creative facilities. In 2013, we consolidated all our London teaching onto a single campus in Hendon, bringing our University community together in one place.

2017: Investing in advanced facilities

We opened the Ritterman building in 2017, with the UK's first cyber factory, and a high-tech healthcare and sports science training centre in 2022 at StoneX Stadium, home of Saracens Rugby, that uses VR, AR and simulation to teach professional skills.

2021: Responding to the pandemic

During COVID-19, we supported the NHS and our local community through award-winning initiatives. We trained staff who delivered over 1.8 million vaccinations, contributed to more than 40 research projects and produced PPE on campus.

2024: Entering a new era

Professor Shân Wareing became our first female Vice-Chancellor in April 2024, just over 100 years after Miss Gowan became the first Lady Principal of St Katherine's College. We refreshed our Strategy 2031 to chart our future direction across our campuses.

2025: Winning awards from students

Students voted us London University of the Year in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025, recognising how we support students and prepare graduates for their careers. Our facilities also won a gold award for the best in the UK.