University of Liverpool opens Bengaluru campus, 300 students in first batch

By TUF News Desk · Published 16 October 2026 · 3 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

Nearly 300 students began classes this week at a UK university in Bengaluru. The University of Liverpool officially opened its campus at Alembic City in Whitefield on October 15, becoming the first Russell Group university to set up in Karnataka.

The opening puts one more big name on the growing list of foreign universities teaching in India. For students, the pitch is simple: a Liverpool degree without leaving the country.

First Russell Group campus in Karnataka

The campus sits in Whitefield, Bengaluru’s largest IT corridor. University officials describe it as purpose-built, with smart classrooms, research and innovation spaces, specialised laboratories, collaboration hubs and Bloomberg terminals.

The opening was attended by University of Liverpool Vice-Chancellor Tim Jones, Karnataka’s Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool FC legend Robbie Fowler, a university alumnus.

What students can study

The Bengaluru campus has started with an initial portfolio of programmes in Computer Science, Game Design, Business Management, Accounting and Finance, and Biomedical Sciences. Vice-Chancellor Tim Jones has said the university will add two to three new programmes each year, with psychology among the courses under consideration.

Biomedical sciences has drawn the strongest response from the first cohort. Jones told Business Standard this reflects Bengaluru’s strong life sciences ecosystem.

Half of the first cohort is from Karnataka. The rest come from 21 other Indian states, along with a small number of international students from around 11 countries.

The bigger picture

Jones has set a target of 10,000 students within ten years, up from the inaugural batch of about 300. The university points to its experience in China as the model. Its joint institution there, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, opened in 2006 with 164 students and has since grown past 26,000.

Liverpool is not the only foreign university betting on India. The University of Western Australia is starting classes at its Chennai campus this month. The trend follows the UGC’s 2023 framework that lets foreign higher-education institutions open campuses in India.

For students weighing a new campus, the checks are the same as for any university: how the degree is awarded, who is teaching, what the full cost looks like, and what the first batches go on to do. Our guide on how to choose a university in India walks through those questions.

The University of Liverpool has published its official announcement with details of the opening.

Frequently asked questions

When did the University of Liverpool open its Bengaluru campus?

October 15, 2026. The inaugural cohort of nearly 300 students began their studies at the Alembic City campus in Whitefield, Bengaluru.

What programmes are offered at the Bengaluru campus?

The initial portfolio covers Computer Science, Game Design, Business Management, Accounting and Finance, and Biomedical Sciences. Two to three new programmes are planned each year.

Is this the first UK university campus in Karnataka?

It is the first campus in Karnataka by a Russell Group university, the association of 24 leading research universities in the UK.

What is the university’s growth plan for Bengaluru?

Vice-Chancellor Tim Jones has said the campus will scale from about 300 students to 10,000 over ten years, adding new programmes each year.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: The University of Liverpool, PTI via ThePrint, Business Standard