Birmingham City University is a university in Birmingham, England. Initially established as the Birmingham College of Art with roots dating back to 1843, it was designated as a polytechnic in 1971 and gained university status in 1992. With more than 60% of its students coming from Birmingham and the surrounding areas, Birmingham City University’s vision is to be the University for Birmingham. It has one of the most diverse, disadvantaged student populations of any British university with 54% of its UK full-time first degree entrants being of Black, Asian and minority ethnicity and 40% being from neighbourhoods in the bottom quintile of Index of Multiple Deprivation.