It has two principal campuses: one in the centre of Coventry where the majority of its operations are located, and one in Central London which focuses on business and management courses.

Across the university there are 11 research centres which specialise in different fields, from agroecology and peace studies to future of transport.

[9] The name Lanchester gave the institution a certain degree of obscurity (it was often confused with both Lancaster and Manchester), notably when none of the contestants on the BBC Radio 4 general knowledge show Brain of Britain could give its correct location.

In July 2017, the university announced Margaret Casely-Hayford as its new chancellor, replacing Sir John Egan.

In September 2019, Coventry purchased the 22-acre farm Ryton Organic Gardens from the charity Garden Organic, who remains on site as a tenant along with the Heritage Seed Library and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme '5-Acre CSA' sitting alongside the university's own Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience.

The Hub is the home of the Coventry University Students’ Union, student support services, a bar/nightclub, a food hall and food outlets which are catered by Sodexo[24] In September 2012, a new £55 million engineering building was opened, with facilities such as a full-scale Harrier jump jet, a wind tunnel and flight simulators.

[27][28] The opening of the buildings marks the first stage of a £160 million redevelopment plan of the campus phased over 15 years.

[34] Coventry has adopted a policy of naming its buildings after people or organisations with a significant local or regional impact.

These include former Coventry-based automotive company Armstrong Siddeley; Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry; Coventry-based automotive pioneer Frederick Lanchester; Victorian novelist, critic and poet George Eliot; the father of the bicycle industry James Starley (building demolished in early 2020); former MP for Coventry East and political journalist Richard Crossman; artist Graham Sutherland; and founder of the Morris Motors automotive manufacturer William Morris.

[32] The College of Engineering, Environment & Science has a former RAF Harrier T.4 aircraft, tail number XW270, used as a teaching aid.

[38] The part-time nature of many of the courses delivered means classes can run at atypical times, such as evenings and weekends.

Located in the former Dagenham Civic Centre, the campus focuses on "high quality, low-cost, career-focused" education, which is flexibly structured to fit around students’ lives.

[12] The campus operates out of University House, 109–117 Middlesex Street in the City of London, almost 100 miles southeast of Coventry.

[44] Coventry University is headed formally by the Chancellor, a largely ceremonial role, currently Margaret Casely-Hayford.

These subsidiaries are together known as the Coventry University Group, and deliver education, business support, partnership and consultancy, and serious game development to local and national organisations.

[57] The university cited the variable fee structure in explaining the rise in applications received for 2012 compared to the previous year, despite an overall national fall.

Subject strengths in The Complete University Guide 2020 rankings include Food Science (7th),[66] Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism (13th)[67] and Drama, Dance and Cinematics (20th).

[68] The Guardian 2015 rankings include Architecture (16th),[69] Building and Town and Country Planning (7th),[70] Design & Crafts (15th),[71] Drama & Dance (19th),[72] Mechanical Engineering (19th),[73] Film Production and Photography (1st),[74] Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism (5th),[75] Mathematics (19th),[76] Media & Film Studies (12th),[77] Nursing and Midwifery (9th)[78] and Social Work (10th).

[82] The People & Planet Green League 2013, a UK ranking based on environmental and ethical performance, placed Coventry 43rd, gaining a 'First Class' rating.

The project, which enables student performers to rehearse and perform remotely using telepresence technologies won Gold in the Arts and Humanities category at the 2016 Reimagine Education Awards and won double Golds in the Arts and Humanities and Hybrid Learning Categories at the 2018/19 Reimagine Education Awards.

In the awards' 50th anniversary year, Coventry University has been commended in the International Trade category in recognition of its 'continuous achievement' since 2009.

Facilities provided through partnerships Coventry has with private companies, such as Unite, Liberty Living and Derwent Living,[95] include Liberty Park (shared with the University of Warwick), Trinity Point, Paradise Place, Sherbourne House, Callice Court and Raglan House.

It is headquartered in The Hub and has a variety of membership services including supporting more than 100 sports clubs and societies, a free advice centre and a volunteering department.

[98] Coventry annually competes with the University of Warwick in a series of formal and informal varsity matches over a number of different sports.