The University of Kent at Canterbury was granted a Royal Charter on 4 January 1965, officially opening its doors later that year with its first cohort of around 500 students on 11 October 1965, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, became its first Chancellor in 1966.

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Ranking & Award

• Global Rankings (2025–2026) : Times Higher Education (THE) World Rankings 2025:  Ranked between 351st–400th globally Times Higher Education (THE)

• QS World University Rankings 2026: Placed at 397th worldwide—a slight drop from 380th in 2025

• Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU / ShanghaiRanking): Consistently in the 401–500 band globally from 2022 to 2024 

• Times Higher Education (THE) World Rankings 2025: Ranked between 351st–400th globally Times Higher Education (THE)

• 1971 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): Awarded Gold, the highest standard for teaching quality in the UK

• 2017 Times Higher Education Awards: Won Outstanding Support for Students Recognized for high research intensity in the REF and strong student support