Liverpool Hope University (abbreviated LHU) is a public university with campuses in Liverpool, England. The university grew out of three teacher training colleges: S. Katharine's College (originally Warrington Training College), Notre Dame College (originally Our Lady's Training College), and Christ's College. Uniquely in European higher education, the university is ecumenical, the only one in Europe, with Saint Katharine's College being Anglican and Notre Dame and Christ's Colleges being Catholic. The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, David Sheppard and the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Worlock (who gave their names to the university's Sheppard-Worlock Library) played a prominent role in its formation. Its name derives from Hope Street, the road that connects the city's Anglican and Catholic cathedrals, where graduation ceremonies are alternately held.
The university is a research and teaching intensive institution. It has gained recognition for its teaching.
In 2023, it achieved an overall Silver rating in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), and rankings in teaching-focused league tables is comparable with lower-performing Russell Group universities.
Former Vice Chancellor Gerald Pillay summarised the university as a liberal arts college-style environment where "[students are] a name, not a number." Its "small and beautiful" ethos has been contrasted with the larger neighbouring University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
