Colleges of Durham University so. Colleges of Durham University The Colleges of Durham University are residential colleges which are the primary source of accommodation and support services for undergraduates and postgraduates at Durham University, as well as providing bursaries and scholarships to students. They also provide funding and/or accommodation for some of the research posts in the University. All students at the University are required to be members of one of the colleges. Durham University has 16 colleges, of which University College is the oldest, founded in 1832. The newest college is Josephine Butler, founded in 2006. The last single sex college, St Mary's,
Colleges within universities in the United Kingdom degree awarding powers to most of the colleges, many of which have, since 2008, awarded their own degrees rather than London degrees. The University of London also has three Central Academic Bodies: the School of Advanced Studies, the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP), and the University of London Academy, which are under the direct control of the central University and are not considered colleges. In the University of Wales, colleges were the lower tier of institutional membership in the federal structure, below constituent institutions, following the reorganisation of the university in 1996. Prior to this, the member institutions