The inauguration of the university and the installation of Rowan Williams as chancellor took place in a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in December 2005.

[11] In 2007, the university attracted publicity due to its controversial policy forbidding civil partnership ceremonies to take place at its properties.

In October 2013, Rama Thirunamachandran joined the university and in March of the following year was officially installed as vice-chancellor and principal in a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral.

[19] The university's Canterbury Campus, at North Holmes Road overseen for many years by Bursar James (Jim) Blanthorn, is built on land which was once used for orchards and domestic buildings of the adjacent St Augustine's Abbey, part of Canterbury's World Heritage Site.

The nearby Grade II listed[22] former church of St Gregory, has been developed as a performance space for the university's choirs and musical ensembles.

In 2009, the university built Christ Church Sports Centre which houses health and fitness facilities for students and staff.

In April 2017, Canterbury City Council approved the university's plans for a new arts building on the North Holmes Campus.

Named Daphne Oram, the building officially opened in 2019, and provides a creative arts facilities and exhibition space.

The campus is home to the university's Centre for Health and Social Care and has been equipped with a mixture of teaching space, specialist facilities and staff offices.

The university's Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology is based at Meadow Road, in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

It was formerly based at the Salomons Estate and moved to its present location in October 2017; comedian, and former psychiatric nurse, Jo Brand officially opened the building.

In its citation, the assessment panel said that the university ‘consistently exceeds rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education’ and delivers ‘high-quality teaching, learning and outcomes for its students’.

In May 2018, the university won an International Green Gown Award for "Continuous Improvement: Institutional Change" in recognition of its commitment to sustainability and its progress in this area.

Canterbury Christ Church Students’ Union is based at the North Holmes road campus.

It offers support and advice services and runs campaigns to promote student health and wellbeing, sustainability and equality and diversity.

Varsity sports include football, rugby, lacrosse, netball, volleyball, swimming, dance, basketball, hockey and tennis.