Based in Worcester, England, the Institution of Worcester is a public university in the United Kingdom. The institution, which has been around since 1946, received university status in September 2005. The sole university serving the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire is Worcester. The University of Worcester, which is well-known for its teaching degrees, was one of the universities with the greatest improvements in research in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework rankings, moving up 32 spots. Leading-edge research in the fields of history, art and design, health, education, biological science, psychology, sport, geography, archaeology & environmental studies, and English language & literature has been done by Worcester researchers.