University of Northampton is a publicly owned institution based in the UK. Founded in 1975, it employs approximately 2,900 individuals. The university operates as a public higher education provider, originally formed in 1975 as Nene College of Higher Education through the amalgamation of several training colleges. It gained university college status as University College Northampton in 1999 and full university status as the University of Northampton in 2005, and is specifically based in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England.