The college was established in 1893 near Chelmsford, Essex and teaches land, environment, animals, design and sport-related subjects.
This is the second milestone achievement in the space of a year for Writtle, which was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in March 2015 and means Writtle are able to provide their own degree courses from September 2017, instead of University of Essex validated degrees.
Dr Stephen Waite, who has been principal of Writtle since 2013, said: "This is a magnificent achievement and I am absolutely delighted with the outcome. Not only for ourselves, but also for the city of Chelmsford and the county of Essex as it will further enhance the profile of education within the region."
"It represents the successful culmination of a long arduous process that has involved the efforts of many colleagues. This recognition reflects our ambition as a high-quality provider of Further and Higher Education."
"We received a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted in our most recent inspection and now have ‘University College’ status, which reflects the quality of opportunities available to students who are considering studying with us."
"We are proud to offer a unique learning experience for our students and have invested in facilities to ensure we provide courses that are relevant to a modern and changing world. The demand for and importance of skilled graduates within the sector is continually on the rise and this is closely linked to current topics such as the population growth, the pressures of feeding of our planet and ensuring it has a sustainable future. That is one of the key messages we aim to promote to students and their parents."
"We already have a fantastic track record of producing high-profile and award-winning alumni who go on to achieve great things in their chosen industry. I am very excited about the future for Writtle."
Chair of governors Julia Smith added: "As Chair of the Board of Governors and on their behalf, we are extremely proud of this achievement for Writtle and this is a credit to the efforts of all the staff, very ably led by Dr Waite.
"Today is a milestone in our history and our new title and status reflects our direction of travel, being the culmination of quite a journey over recent years. I would also like to congratulate and thank all of our colleagues, staff and fellow Governors on this fantastic achievement. Writtle has a very bright future."
Writtle, which has had a partnership with the University of Essex for a number of years, will have its final intake of students for degrees validated by the University of Essex this September.
