Staff and students at St Chad’s College are looking forward to welcoming you to the University on 14 February, 20 March and 27 April 2024. Come along to a session in College to get a sense of what undergraduate life at St Chad’s is all about. We are looking forward to meeting you and showing you around our College! Until then, we hope you find the information provided here useful as you begin to explore the Durham Colleges.

Have you applied for a St Chad’s College scholarship?

A range of scholarships are available at St Chad’s for students who hold an offer from Durham University. The deadline for applications is Sunday 21 April 2024 and full details, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the College webpages HERE.

Welcome from The Principal, Dr Margaret Masson

With around 500 undergraduates and 150 postgraduates, St Chad’s is the smallest college in Durham and has high levels of engagement across all year groups. Our students enjoy a strong sense of community, with friendships across all years, a stimulating programme of college conversations, discussions and lectures, and the beauty of our old historic buildings right across the road from Durham’s magnificent cathedral.

Founded in 1904 on principles of justice and inclusion we welcome students from all backgrounds, ethnicities and nationalities and have a range of bursaries and scholarships available to support those in financial need. Do take a look at our website to find out more and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Better still, come and visit if you possibly can.

Welcome from The JCR President, Maddi Aldam-Gates

First things first, congratulations on your offer from Durham! Now that you’re an offer-holder, you’ll have to begin thinking about which college, and therefore which ‘JCR’, you hope to join; a very exciting task! Don’t worry if it also seems daunting – take your time and ultimately try to enjoy this process – in the end you will have a great time wherever you end up.

JCR stands for ‘Junior Common Room’, which describes the collective community of undergraduate students at St Chad’s. As JCR President, and a 3rd year Chad’s student myself, I was elected to represent and lead this group of undergraduates. Confusingly, ‘JCR’ also refers to an actual physical common room/lounge in our main college building, which is a cosy, welcoming space for student members of the JCR to gather.

Being a member of the JCR offers loads of opportunities to get stuck into student life at college level. We have 40+ sports and societies to get involved with, a thriving student bar (arguably the best in Durham…!) exciting balls every year, music events to participate in and attend, and weekly gowned formals, among other unique social events. This is all overseen by student leaders, such as myself – which you’ll also have the chance to become as a Chad’s JCR member.

But what’s the vibe at Chad’s?

I might be biased, but I think Chad’s is a fantastic place to spend the next stage of your life. Being the smallest college in Durham, we celebrate a welcoming, friendly atmosphere where our human size means that everyone can get involved. Friendships emerge between students from various backgrounds and year groups, fostering the community feel that makes us such a special college. This means that Chad’s basically thrives through student engagement, passion and proactivity, relying on gaining new students each year who will throw themselves into college life; either through being a leader or a keen team player willing to take part.

With that in mind, best of luck with the rest of the process, and I hope you enjoy your visit. Whatever you do, and wherever you go, I have one piece of advice: make the most of it!

Take a virtual tour of St Chad’s

As you begin to think about your College preferences and consider which Colleges you might prioritise for a visit as part of your Post-Offer Visit Day, you may like to take a look at our virtual tour video below.

Visit Day Schedule

The College will be open to offer-holders and their accompanying family and friends from 9.30 am – 12.30 pm on 14 February, 20 March and 27 April. During this time, you will attend a brief welcome and information session with College staff, take a tour of the College’s buildings and facilities guided by a current student, and have the opportunity to learn more about the wide array of sports, music, arts, volunteering, and social opportunities on offer at St Chad’s.

9.30 am/10 am/10.30 am/11 am/11.30 am/12 noon – Each 30 minute session will include a Welcome and information session (10 minutes) with a member of College staff followed by a College tour (15 minutes) guided by a current St Chad’s College student.

During this tour you will be able to see many of the communal areas of the College. Unfortunately it is unlikely that we will be able to show visitors accommodation as part of the visit as our students will be in residence. However, photos of our accommodation are available on our accommodation pages of this website.

9.30 am – 12.30 pm: A chance to speak to current students about undergraduate life at St Chad’s and Durham University.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may well be wondering what distinguishes St Chad’s College from other Colleges at Durham University. Well, we are the smallest of the Durham Colleges, are just 30 metres away from Durham Cathedral, have the largest library collections of any College (with seven libraries in St Chad’s!), and are home to the only student-run bar in the University! Take a look at our FAQs to find out more about our people, ethos and community in addition to information about some of the practical aspects of College life such as catering, accommodation and facilities.

How can I find out more about St Chad’s?

We are looking forward to welcoming you early in 2024 at one of the Post-Offer Visit Days. However, if you have questions before then, please contact the Vice Principal, Dr Victoria Brown, or the Academic Office Administrator, Susan Mather, via chads.admissions@durham.ac.uk.

If you are planning to attend one of the Post-Offer Visit Days and have specific access requirements, we are very happy to arrange a call with you to ensure we are able to make your visit as smooth and enjoyable as possible.