Guildford College of Further & Higher Education

Guildford College is the largest in Surrey, with two campuses at Stoke Park and Merrist Wood and over 24,000 students aged between 16-70+. We offer over 1,000 vocational, academic and leisure courses from foundation to degree level in a broad range of subject areas, designed to help our students improve their career prospects, learn new skills, train to re-enter the job market, prepare for university and develop new interests.

The Campus at Stoke Park dates from 1939 when it opened as a technical college. Since that time the curriculum has expanded considerably and now offers courses in A Levels, art and design, business, computing, construction, engineering, electrical and motor vehicle, food and hospitality, hair and beauty, health and care, languages, media, performing arts, teaching, travel and tourism. Stoke Park Campus features a learning resource centre, new state-of-the-art business suite, new hair and beauty salons, new travel centre and air cabin crew room, construction workshops, art and design studios, drama and dance studios and industry standard training kitchens. We are the only College in Surrey to have two Centres of Vocational Excellence, in Travel & Tourism and Finance & Accounting.

Merrist Wood Campus takes its name from the local woodlands and issued its first prospectus in 1945 when the first students enrolled for courses in agriculture and horticulture. The 400-acre estate now specialises in land-based programmes including animal care, arboriculture, countryside, equine, floristry, garden design, golf, horticulture, landscaping and sports turf. Resources include woods, wetlands and grasslands, the largest indoor riding arena of any college in the country, an animal care centre, floristry and garden design studios and horticultural nurseries. The Campus is well known for its many successes at the Chelsea Flower Show and for the landscaping and aboricultural work students have undertaken locally, nationally and internationally.

Our students are provided with comprehensive support in the form of tutorials, learning support, careers advice and welfare services. Extra-curricular activities include year-round activities, events, sports and fundraising and a health and fitness centre at Stoke Park and at Merrist Wood, squash and tennis courts, multi-gym, sports pitches, cross country courses and recreation areas.