Loughborough University has an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong links with industry, and unrivalled sporting achievement.

In 2006 full-time students voted Loughborough one of their top five universities in the new National Student Survey, and recently published league tables place Loughborough in the top six universities in the UK, confirming it as one of the country’s leading higher education institutions.
Loughborough is research-intensive. Its ethos from its earliest days has been to produce highly relevant research that solves real world problems to assist both business and industry, and improve people's quality of life. Nearly half of the University's income is for research, and its research partnerships and links with business and industry are the envy of other institutions.
The 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) recognised research of international excellence in all departments and in addition to eleven '5 grade' awards, the University was awarded the top '5* grade' for work in Built Environment, Sports Science and Social Sciences. Loughborough has also been awarded the highest level of funding per grant, of any UK university, by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The expertise of University staff in specific research areas is reflected in the fact that Loughborough is providing five Sub-Panel Chairmen for the RAE in 2008.
In recognition of its contribution to the UK Higher Education sector, Loughborough University research has been instrumental in the award of an unbeaten five Queen’s Anniversary Prizes: for its collaboration with aerospace and automotive companies such as BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls Royce (1994); for its work in developing countries (1998); for pioneering research in optical engineering (2000); for its world-leading role in sports research, education and development (2002); and for its outstanding work in evaluating and helping to develop social policy-related programmes (2005).
The quality of teaching at Loughborough is verified by exceptionally high scores awarded under the Government's independent assessment scheme, which have consistently put the University towards the very top of the Teaching Quality league tables. This was highlighted in the 2006 Sunday Times University Guide, in which Loughborough came second only to Cambridge in its teaching assessments.
To sustain this quality of teaching, the University has developed strong academic, guidance and welfare systems that support students throughout their education. Work placements, degree programmes sponsored by industrial consortia, and an ever-growing International dimension are all distinctive characteristics, while our industrial and professional partnerships contribute to the outstanding employment prospects of our graduates, who are consistently targeted by the UK’s top recruiters.
拉夫堡大学的前身可以追溯到1909年建立的拉夫堡学院。1966年取得大学的资格，现有全日制学生14，300多名， 其中约13%是海外学生。
拉夫堡大学位于英格兰中部，乘火车到伦敦只需90分钟左右。大学校园离镇中心很近，并有专门的公共汽车通往镇中心和火车站。校园是欧洲地区最大的大学校园之一，有大片的开阔绿地，风景宜人。

拉夫堡大学在2004年《泰晤士报：全英优秀大学指南》的排名中名列第10位，而且学校在教学质量方面经常排在前5名。拉夫堡大学还是英国仅有的两所四次荣获“高等与继续教育女王年度奖”的院校之一(该奖项设立于1994年)。
大学的科研实力也非常雄厚，许多系科都在由英国政府主持的研究评估中获得5分的优异成绩。大学由3个学院组成：工学院、理学院及社会科学与人文学院，各个学院都开设本科、讲授式硕士和博士课程。不少本科课程都安排选修一年的企业或职业培训。

校园内有大片的开阔绿地，花园、运动场所、教学楼和能容纳5,000多名学生的宿舍楼。
从校园到市中心可以乘公共汽车，也可以骑自行车，校园内外各主要道路都设有自行车道。
现代化的图书馆拥有超过六十万册的图书资料和其他电子书刊和杂志，学生可以全天24小时通过网络访问图书馆。图书馆里的计算机设备对全体学生免费开放。
大学设有一个医疗中心，学期期间24小时开放，全年都有值班医生处理各种急症。
拉夫堡以体育著称，校园里有大量的体育和健身设施，能满足开展50多种体育项目活动的需要。学校拥有一个具备奥运会标准的游泳池和田径场。校园内还有健身房、体育馆、室内羽毛球馆、篮球馆、体操馆、壁球场、网球场、全天候足球场、草地足球场、橄榄球场和板球场。
拉夫堡大学的学生会也是英国最大的学生会之一，它提供的服务包括牙医诊所、学生咨询、托儿所、银行和商店。
拉夫堡镇位于东Midlands地区的莱斯特郡（Leicestershire），是英格兰位置最居中的城镇之一。拉夫堡大学校园座落于乡村，挨着Charnwood森林（该地区被命名为自然风景异常优美区）。距离大学不远的皮克区（Peak District），为爱好步行、爬山和水上运动的学生提供了很好的去处。Beacon山适合于步行，有大面积的绿地，还可俯瞰拉夫堡镇、特伦特（Trent）和索尔（Soar）河谷地区。
虽然拉夫堡靠近一些主要城市，但它依然保留着小型集镇的媚力。它拥有众多的晚间和娱乐场所，包括一个多屏幕的电影院，剧院、夜总会、许多酒吧以及餐馆。集市很受学生欢迎，它销售一系列物品：衣服、工艺品和食品。商店有主要大街的知名店和小型专门店。
15世纪Bradgate宅的废墟曾是Lady Jane Grey（只当了九天的英国女王）的住址，它位于Bradgate公园。后者占地850英亩，是一群群红色、浅棕色鹿的生息地；这里很适于步行和骑自行车。