The University of Buckingham (UB) is an independent, non-sectarian, research and teaching university located in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It was originally founded as Buckingham University College in the 1970s and received its Royal Charter from the Queen in 1983. The University's funding regime is not like that of other UK universities, but rather is on the model of many US universities, as it does not receive state funding via HEFCE. It has formal charity status, as a non-profit making institution dedicated to the ends of research and education. Buckingham offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees through five 'Schools' (or faculties) of study. It is ranked 21st out of the 116 universities in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2012 (see the section on League Tables below). The Schools of Law and Science are situated in the upper campus; the river-side campus covers Humanities, Business, Social Sciences, Biomedical science, and Education. As the University is expanding, it has acquired a new site on the west side of the river, hence increasing the capacity of the river-side campus as a whole.