Hartpury University and Hartpury College, formerly Hartpury College, is a provider of further and higher education which describes itself as specialising in the "agriculture, animal, equine, sport and veterinary nursing" sectors.^[3] The university and college is set in a 360-hectare estate located in Hartpury, near Gloucester, in Gloucestershire, England.^[4]

The college was established in the post-World War II era of the late 1940s, as an agricultural college with 50 students.^[5] The college remained relatively unchanged until 1990, when a rapid expansion programme started with the provision of a larger variety of further education courses.^{[citation needed]}

Hartpury's link with the University of the West of England (UWE) began in 1997 when Hartpury was awarded Associate Faculty status.^[6] In 2017, Hartpury was granted ‘Taught Degree Awarding Powers’ (TDAP),^[7] and in the same year was awarded the Teaching Excellence Framework Gold award.^[8]

Hartpury College gained full university status in 2018 and changed its name to Hartpury University and Hartpury College.^[9][10] Today, the institution offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses to higher education level students based in the UK and overseas.

In February 2024, actor Martin Clunes was named as the inaugural Chancellor for both Hartpury University and Hartpury College.^[1]

The Bee Shelter, Hartpury formerly stood in the grounds of the college. The Victorian structure, known as a bee bole, was moved to the churchyard and is a Grade II* listed building.^[13]

The college has an alumni association, with membership extending to former students from both Further and Higher Education programmes, as well as current and former members of staff.^[17]

In June 2017, the college expelled one student and suspended several others following a police investigation into images circulated online and on social media depicting students from Hartpury College apparently killing a fox cub and posing with a dead cat.^[18][19][20]

The College and Gloucestershire police both issued statements concluding they were satisfied the killing of the fox was not an act of cruelty, and that one of the students, who was training as a gamekeeper, had killed the animal to end its suffering after it had been hit by road traffic. The police declined to take further action.^[21][22]