The Anglia Ruskin University was established in 1858 at the heart of the modern-day campus in Cambridge. The University includes a number of colleges and institutes as part of ARU including the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) and the Essex Institute of Higher Education.

The University has a number of partner institutions in the UK and overseas including ARU London, where students study subjects including business, law, and finance at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The ARU received a number of prestigious awards such as: - The Gold award for the quality of our education in the Teaching Excellence Framework, a UK-wide review of university teaching standards. - Received The Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2021, which recognizes outstanding work by UK universities and colleges that show the highest levels of quality and innovation and delivers significant public benefit. - Named as one of the top ten UK universities for education, social work, and sports science courses in the Guardian League Table 2023.