Shaping the future of Barrow

Shaping the Future of Barrow

3D render of the Barrow Learning Quarter from a birds-eye perspective of the front of the building.

Under construction the University of Cumbria Barrow campus taking shape pictured in July 2024

View from the roof of the University of Cumbria Barrow campus being constructed in July 2024

A workman driving a piece of machinery working on the University of Cumbria Barrow campus under construction in 2024

The University of Cumbria Barrow campus under construction

Under construction University of Cumbria Barrow campus is taking shape pictured in October 2024

Overview

In line with our Towards 2030 strategy, it is our long-term, strategic intent of being a university in Barrow and for Barrow.

We are breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities to address the skills need of county and region, and aligning to the significant national and international role Barrow-in-Furness has in the UK’s infrastructure.

A collaborative creation, our new University of Cumbria Barrow campus welcomes its first students in September 2025. This is in partnership with BAE Systems, Westmorland & Furness Council, Furness College and others including local businesses.

The campus signifies the benefits and value of higher education for learners, businesses and the area.

Symbolic of the birth of Barrow as a university town, our campus is at the heart of the new Barrow Learning Quarter.

Barrow Learning Quarter will transform the educational landscape; namely offering new and enhanced opportunities for local people and learners who want to progress through further and higher education.

Offering a university campus and a new skills hub for sixth form students, the Barrow Learning Quarter will help upskill and reskill the workforce now and in the future.

The Learning Quarter is part of a Barrow-wide programme of seven innovative projects funded by UK Government under the #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal. Together, they will help transform the Barrow area and ensure it thrives as a great place to live, work and study.

Our campus and expanding provision in academic teaching and research will support Barrow’s future economic, skills, cultural and social development, expanding people’s understanding of the town’s vital role in the UK’s future plans for growth, energy, defence and security, and public services.

Opening

Covering 2.76 hectares, our University of Cumbria Barrow campus is welcoming its first students on site in September 2025.

Discover our courses here

Impact

Our new University of Cumbria Barrow campus is a symbol of the growth plans that many are working on, in and for Barrow-in-Furness.

With its famed submarine and maritime skills and expertise, Barrow is one of the UK’s most significant advanced manufacturing centre and one of the country’s key industrial locations.

We and our partners - including those within Brilliant Barrow and Team Barrow - have shared ambitions. Namely, to grow and develop to meet the needs of the region and those who live, work and study in it and ensure that Barrow has the infrastructure in place so that the town can meet the future skills needs of employers.

As part of the Barrow Learning Quarter, our campus allows for a joined-up approach from secondary education into employment, further and higher education.

The Barrow Learning Quarter will improve prospects for those, particularly young people, growing up in the area, helping to increase the numbers entering higher education and seeking careers.

It will transform educational outcomes and help retain young Cumbrian talent and graduates with much-needed higher-level skills for our region.

Our academics are working with partners in the area to identify and co-create a range of university-level and degree programmes for learners that are inclusive and accessible for all. The first programmes focus on undergraduate opportunities to study Mechanical Engineering and Adult Nursing, with more to follow.

Together with our growing innovative research offering, Barrow will also benefit from our expertise and programmes in postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), particularly in areas such as health, supply chain and logistics, and Project Management.

Design

Inspired by its location and links to Barrow’s history, the campus design incorporates a two-storey building with curved roof line, reminiscent of the surface of a submarine.

With its waterside position overlooking Buccleuch Dock, the design incorporates glazing to maximise natural light into the building; social space and green infrastructure; and adaptable and specialist teaching spaces.

We look forward to adding to the vibrancy and vitality of Barrow and wider region.