Who we are and what we do

Information about the University, its structure, functions, locations, and contacts.

How the University was established

The University of Liverpool was originally founded as University College, Liverpool in 1881. The University as we know it today was set up in 1903 following the granting of a Royal Charter.

Read more about our history.

Legal and corporate framework

The University is an exempt charity under the terms of the Charities Act 2011 (HMRC charity exemption number X7758). Read more about the University’s charitable status.

How we are governed

Our governing documents can be found in the Governance section of our website. Our governance structure is laid down in our Royal Charter (PDF, 33KB)Statutes (PDF, 44KB), and Ordinances (PDF, 341 KB) from which both Council and Senate derive their powers. 

The University’s governance is overseen by the Council. The Council is also the Trustee Board, and its members are the trustees of the University. It has 22 members with a lay majority. Elected and appointed members serve for renewable three-year terms.

Organisational structure

The University is made up of:  

Location

Our Knowledge Centre campus, also known as the city centre campus, is our main campus, located in Liverpool.  This is where most teaching and research is done. We also have a major campus in Leahurst, Cheshire, where our veterinary students and services are found. Our third campus is our Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU) campus, located in Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province, China. This campus was constructed following the formation of a partnership between the University and Xi’an Jiaotong University, which primarily allows students from both the UK and China to study overseas as part of their course. Learn more about our campuses.

View directions to the main campus, parking, accommodation and information for disabled visitors.

Contact details

How to find contact details for our colleagues and departments:

Organisations linked to the University

Information relating to organisations which the University has responsibility for, those it works in partnership with, those it sponsors,and companies wholly owned by it.

Student activities

Read more about the operation and activities of Liverpool Guild of Students.  The Guild of Students is a separate organisation and is not required to disclose information under the Freedom of Information Act. 

Gender pay gap reporting

We publish a Statutory Gender Pay Gap Report, as required by the Equality Act 2010. The report also includes the Ethnicity Pay Gap, People of Colour Pay Gap, Disability Pay Gap, and Sexual Orientation Pay Gap using the same calculation methodology and data sample. 

Page last reviewed: 26 February 2025

Back to: Legal & Governance