Leeds Beckett University (formerly
Leeds Metropolitan University and
Leeds Polytechnic) is a
public university located in
Leeds,
West Yorkshire, with campuses in the
city centre and in
Headingley. The university’s origins can be traced to 1824, with the foundation of the
Leeds Mechanics Institute.
Leeds Polytechnic was formed in 1970 and was a part of the Leeds Local Education Authority until it became an independent higher Education Corporation on 1 April 1989 and in 1992 the institution gained university status. The current name was adopted in September 2014.