杜伦大学：英格兰第三古老学府，城堡里上课的顶尖名校
提起英国顶尖大学，很多人第一反应是牛津和剑桥。但在这两所之外，英格兰还有一所同样古老、同样采用学院制的大学，它把课堂搬进了世界遗产城堡，让学生在千年石墙间感受学术传承。这就是杜伦大学(Durham University)。
历史：从教堂学堂到正规大学
杜伦的学术根脉可以追溯到中世纪。早在12世纪，杜伦主教就在大教堂旁创办学校培养神职人员，这被视为杜伦大学最早的雏形。不过，真正以“大学”身份正式成立，要等到1832年。那一年，杜伦大学获得议会法案批准，成为英格兰仅次于牛津、剑桥的第三古老大学。建校初期规模很小，全校只有几十名学生，且绝大多数是准备成为神职人员的男生。此后近两百年间，杜伦经历了与纽卡斯尔分校的合并与拆分，也在1992年开辟了斯托克顿校区，逐步发展为今天拥有多个学院、学科齐全的综合性研究型大学。
特色专业：文科底蕴深厚，理工同样能打
杜伦的学科实力在各大排名中表现亮眼。根据2026年QS世界大学学科排名，杜伦共有22个学科进入全球前100，创下历史最好成绩。其中神学与宗教研究位列全球第4，考古学排在第5，地理升至第6。人文社科方向，古典学与古代史、英语语言文学、历史、法律都稳居全球前50。值得一提的是，杜伦的工程学来头不小——自1838年起就开始授课，是英格兰最早开展工程教育的大学。商学院同样国际化程度很高，学生来自上百个国家和地区。对于喜欢跨学科的学生，杜伦的自然科学和社会学联合荣誉课程也提供了灵活的选择。
杜伦最独特的体验在于它的学院制。学生不仅属于所在院系，也归属某个学院，学院负责住宿、社交和 pastoral care，这种制度让偌大的大学有了“小社区”的归属感。加上城堡和大教堂构成的世界遗产校园，在这里读书，确实有一种别处难寻的氛围。
Durham University: England‘s Third Oldest University Where You Can Study Inside a Castle
When people think of top UK universities, Oxford and Cambridge usually come to mind first. But there is another university in England that is just as historic and also operates a collegiate system—one where students attend classes within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That university is Durham.
History: From a Cathedral School to a Formal University
Durham‘s academic roots stretch back to the Middle Ages. As early as the 12th century, the Bishop of Durham founded a school next to the cathedral to train clergy, which is considered the earliest precursor to the university. However, it wasn’t until 1832 that Durham received its parliamentary act and officially became England‘s third oldest university after Oxford and Cambridge. In its early years, the institution was small—only a few dozen students, most of them men preparing for the clergy. Over the following two centuries, Durham went through a federal split with its Newcastle division and opened a Stockton campus in 1992, gradually growing into the comprehensive research university it is today.
Featured Subjects: Strong in Humanities, Competitive in Sciences Too
Durham performs strongly across global rankings. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, 22 Durham subjects entered the world‘s top 100—a record high for the university. Theology and Religious Studies ranks 4th globally, Archaeology 5th, and Geography rose to 6th. In humanities and social sciences, Classics and Ancient History, English Language and Literature, History, and Law all sit within the global top 50. Durham’s Engineering department has a particularly long pedigree: it began teaching the subject in 1838, making it the first in England to offer engineering education. The Business School is genuinely international, with students from over 100 nationalities. For students who prefer breadth, Durham also offers flexible programmes such as Natural Sciences and Combined Honours in Social Sciences.
What truly sets Durham apart is its collegiate system. Students belong not only to an academic department but also to a college, which handles accommodation, social life, and pastoral care. This structure gives a large university a genuine sense of community. Add the castle-and-cathedral estate that forms the campus, and studying here offers an atmosphere few other places can match.
