Most festive universities in the UK

It’s that time of year when we celebrate all things Christmassy. Think mulled wine, cosy jumpers and walks in the snow. But what are universities doing about it? Well, we decided to find out by ranking which universities are the most festive in the UK, and which ones are a little more Scrooge-like.

Universities tend to be more focused on academia, careers, and all that serious stuff. But when December sets in, we’re all about how many carol services are they hosting, whether there are any Christmas trees in the foyer and how quickly can I make it to the nearest Christmas market after class.

There are lots of things that make Christmas festive. We gathered data together on some of the most important factors to rank which universities have the most Christmas spirit. These include things like how far are they from the nearest ice rink, or how far are they from the North Pole (aka Santa’s crib). And how likely are they to be covered in snow during December, how many pubs are nearby for an epic Christmas Eve, and finally, how long are they giving students off to party, rest, repeat over winter break?

How to use the table

Use the table to find out which university came out on top as the most Christmassy university in the UK (by total score) and which needed a good sprinkling of festive cheer.

Scroll across the table to see all the different factors we ranked each university for,  or use the arrows at the top of each column to find out which university is the best for each variable.

You can use the navigation bar to search for a particular university.

Most Festive Universities in the UK

Rank	University	Longest Christmas break (days)	Distance to the North Pole (miles)	Snowy days in December	Number of pubs per square mile	Closest Ice skating rink in Miles	Total Score
1	University of Dundee	24	2,317.53	4	9	0.37	210
2	Abertay University	16	2,303.11	4	9	0.12	206
3	University of Aberdeen	31	2,268.71	3	3	1.43	198
4	Edinburgh Napier University	30	2,352.40	7	5	1.49	197
5	Newcastle University	24	2,420.05	3	6	0.56	192
6	The University of Edinburgh	21	2,352.40	7	5	1.43	190
7	University of Stirling	38	2,340.95	3	1	1.80	189
8	University of Sunderland	18	2,424.03	2	4	0.25	187
9	Northumbria University, Newcastle	18	2,424.03	3	6	0.62	184
9	University of Bradford	24	2,501.78	3	3	0.19	184
10	University of Manchester	27	2,524.26	5	7	0.31	183
10	Robert Gordon University	28	2,268.57	3	3	2.42	183
11	Heriot-Watt University	25	2,355.37	7	5	2.42	180
12	University of the West of Scotland	24	2,377.96	6	5	2.11	177
13	Manchester Metropolitan University	22	2,523.94	5	7	0.56	176
14	University of Lincoln	20	2,540.64	3	7	0.06	173
15	University of Sheffield	30	2,434.96	0	2	1.74	172
16	University of Leeds	31	2,500.99	2	3	1.68	171
17	Queen Margaret University, Edinburg...	31	2,361.37	7	5	4.60	170
18	University of Glasgow	18	2,359.16	6	5	2.61	168
18	Nottingham Trent University	24	2,559.66	2	9	0.43	168
19	University of Salford	20	2,522.76	2	5	0.81	167
19	Glasgow Caledonian University	21	2,358.44	6	5	3.85	167
20	University of Hull	20	2,434.96	1	7	1.99	166
20	Lancaster University	28	2,486.72	2	1	2.11	166
21	University of York	18	2,489.74	2	2	1.49	165
22	University of Strathclyde	18	2,358.71	6	5	3.67	164
23	York St John University	22	2,489.74	2	2	2.17	160
23	De Montfort University	24	2,581.99	3	6	0.43	160
24	University of Leicester	24	2,582.58	3	6	0.43	159
24	University of Nottingham	31	2,559.67	2	9	1.55	159
25	Coventry University	32	2,597.52	3	5	0.43	158
26	Leeds Beckett University	15	2,500.90	2	3	1.68	157
26	Teesside University, Middlesbrough	18	2,434.96	3	6	2.73	157
26	Birmingham City University	36	2,592.23	2	4	0.62	157
27	University College Birmingham	24	2,592.23	2	4	0.19	156
28	Leeds Art University	15	2,500.58	2	3	1.99	154
29	Aston University, Birmingham	23	2,591.92	2	4	0.56	150
30	Leeds Trinity University	24	2,497.85	2	3	4.23	149
31	University of Birmingham	25	2,594.46	2	4	0.81	146
32	University of Oxford	43	2,642.53	4	0	0.25	145
33	Sheffield Hallam University	14	2,530.15	0	2	1.49	143
34	Liverpool Hope University	25	2,528.82	2	11	5.28	142
34	Durham University	29	2,434.34	3	1	8.08	142
34	University of Warwick	30	2,599.34	3	5	1.49	142
35	University of Huddersfield	24	2,512.08	9	3	6.71	141
35	University of St Andrews	27	2,325.70	2	1	15.10	141
36	University of Central Lancashire	24	2,503.64	5	2	6.34	140
37	University of the Arts London	31	2,658.87	3	7	0.06	139
37	University of Cambridge	46	2,611.73	3	6	1.93	139
38	London School of Economics and Poli...	32	2,659.09	3	7	0.19	137
39	University of Bolton	17	2,516.50	4	4	5.34	135
40	University of Gloucestershire	24	2,632.49	3	1	0.56	134
41	University of Cumbria	24	2,425.52	16	0	16.22	132
41	University of Greenwich	31	2,661.32	3	7	0.05	132
42	University of Liverpool	18	2,528.44	2	11	7.08	129
42	Oxford Brookes University	31	2,642.52	4	0	1.24	129
43	UCL (University College London)	24	2,658.43	3	7	0.56	128
44	King's College London, University o...	28	2,660.28	3	7	0.31	127
45	SOAS University of London	24	2,658.57	3	7	0.56	126
46	Anglia Ruskin University	14	2,611.49	3	6	1.49	125
46	Liverpool John Moores University	15	2,528.32	2	11	7.39	125
47	University of Chester	15	2,542.67	2	1	3.98	122
47	Harper Adams University	28	2,579.49	3	2	5.65	122
47	University of East London	38	2,637.06	3	7	2.73	122
48	City, University of London	21	2,659.51	3	7	0.75	118
49	Newman University, Birmingham	21	2,595.58	2	4	3.36	117
49	Imperial College London	22	2,660.10	3	7	0.75	117
50	University of Westminster, London	22	2,660.28	3	7	0.81	115
50	London Metropolitan University	24	2,656.49	3	7	1.80	115
51	Cardiff University	20	2,660.88	2	4	0.31	114
52	Edge Hill University	15	2,517.81	0	1	9.13	113
52	Queen Mary University of London	17	2,658.46	3	7	1.18	113
52	University of Bristol	18	2,662.92	2	9	0.31	113
53	University of Northampton	31	2,609.62	2	4	6.15	112
54	Glyndwr University, Wrexham	18	2,553.23	2	0	7.27	111
54	Goldsmiths, University of London	24	2,661.92	3	7	0.99	111
55	Bishop Grosseteste University	22	2,539.58	3	7	22.12	108
56	Cardiff Metropolitan University	21	2,660.38	2	4	1.18	105
57	Middlesex University	23	2,653.90	3	7	2.98	104
58	University of Derby	18	2,560.72	2	7	10.50	103
59	University of Worcester	11	2,614	2	8	4.23	101
60	Kingston University	24	2,668.26	3	7	1.43	99
61	Staffordshire University	14	2,555.34	4	7	19.64	98
62	University of Wolverhampton	14	2,592.35	3	7	8.02	98
62	Keele University	22	2,555.64	2	2	19.64	98
62	University of East Anglia UEA	29	2,589.83	3	10	35.60	98
63	London South Bank University	11	2,662.50	3	7	1.18	97
63	Solent University (Southampton)	18	2,700.99	1	8	0.31	97
64	Norwich University of the Arts	24	2,581.92	3	10	36.79	96
65	Brunel University London	18	2,657.16	3	7	4.16	92
65	St Mary's University, Twickenham	19	2,664.46	3	7	1.68	92
66	University of Hertfordshire	24	2,642.82	2	1	6.59	89
67	University of West London	15	2,659.61	3	7	2.73	88
67	University of Bath	18	2,668.40	2	1	1.12	88
67	University of Surrey	18	2,678.36	3	1	0.93	88
68	University of Chichester	18	2,705.36	2	1	0.50	87
69	Bristol, University of the West of ...	18	2,663.19	2	9	2.30	86
69	Bangor University	21	2,562.75	2	0	32.93	86
70	Buckinghamshire New University	25	2,651.24	2	1	7.27	85
71	University of Roehampton	18	2,663.09	3	7	2.67	83
71	University of Buckingham	31	2,625.89	2	1	15.29	83
71	University of Reading	31	2,663.18	2	7	5.28	83
72	University of Brighton	24	2,703.31	2	11	2.30	82
72	Royal Holloway, University of Londo...	31	2,664.82	3	7	4.60	82
73	Arts University Bournemouth	25	2,714.22	1	6	1.55	81
73	University of Suffolk	29	2,621.92	2	4	31.69	81
74	University of Sussex	22	2,703.31	2	11	2.36	79
74	Bournemouth University	22	2,712.40	1	6	1.62	79
75	University of Essex	31	2,634.26	2	1	26.78	77
76	University of Bedfordshire	14	2,625.55	2	3	9.32	76
76	Bath Spa University	22	2,668.75	2	1	2.36	76
77	University of Wales Trinity Saint D...	24	2,605.20	1	1	45.67	73
78	Royal Agricultural University	18	2,645.62	2	0	9.26	70
78	University of Portsmouth	18	2,708.46	1	10	2.42	70
79	University of South Wales	24	2,660.10	1	4	8.64	69
80	Swansea University	18	2,652.53	1	1	26.78	57
81	University of Kent	31	2,675.29	2	1	14.42	50
82	University of Southampton	21	2,699.18	1	8	9.01	49
83	University for the Creative Arts	18	2,679.79	2	1	7.58	46
84	University of Winchester	18	2,690.14	2	0	10.94	35
85	Canterbury Christ Church University	15	2,675.36	2	1	14.85	33
86	University of Exeter	24	2,713.74	1	6	32.75	29
87	University of Plymouth	20	2,737.84	1	4	73.94	15
88	Plymouth Marjon University	15	2,738.07	1	4	59.47	10
89	Falmouth University	17	2,753.45	1	0	103.77	5

Which university is the most festive?

In first place on our list of the most festive universities in the UK is the University of Dundee. It has a total of 207 points overall, despite not ranking first for any of the variables on their own. It did share third place for the most number of pubs per square mile, ranking fourth place for the closest position to the North Pole, and sixth place for the highest number of snowy days in December.

There’s clearly something in the eggnog in Dundee because Abertay University in Dundee also ranked highly in second place. Similarly, lots of Scottish universities fared well, including the University of Aberdeen, Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Stirling and Robert Gordon University all making the top 10.

Other universities in the ten most festive universities in the UK include Newcastle University in fifth place, the University of Sunderland in eighth place, Northumbria University and the University of Bradford in joint ninth place, and the University of Manchester in joint tenth place with Robert Gordon University.

We all know Scotland is all about tradition, culture and whisky, meanwhile, Newcastle really comes alive at this time of year and Manchester has some of the UK’s best Christmas markets. So it’s hardly surprising our most festive universities in the UK mainly come from these cosy, wintery cities.

Which are the least festive universities in the UK?

Sadly, there are some universities that might need a little more tinsel and fairylights to ignite the festivities. The least festive was Falmouth University in Cornwall. It’s not obvious why, but it may be something to do with the lower number of pubs and ice rinks around, being furthest away from Santa’s home in the North Pole, being one of the places least likely to see snow, and having a comparatively shorter winter break. Overall, Falmouth generally came out last or among the last for all factors.

Second-least was Plymouth Marjon University, followed by the University of Plymouth, University of Exeter and Canterbury Christ Church University. 

Which universities are most likely to see snow this December?

If you’re the type of person who loves the snow, then you’ll no doubt be interested to know which unis are most likely to have a white Christmas. We used Weather25.com to find out how many days each city in the UK was expected to see snow in the Christmas month of December.

Incredibly, Carlisle, home to the University of Cumbria, is expecting 16 snowy days this year! That’s by far the most out of the university cities listed. Following that is the University of Huddersfield, predicted to have 9 snowy days, and then the four Edinburgh universities in our table that may see up to 7 days of snowfall that month.

Meanwhile, three northern universities based in Ormskirk and Sheffield are predicted to be completely snow-free. Edge Hill University, Sheffield Hallam and the University of Sheffield are most likely going to be lacking that winter wonderland postcard-perfect Christmas. Cities like Falmouth, Plymouth, and Exeter are also expected to be mainly snowless, which might explain their overall poor rankings in our table of the most festive universities in the UK.

Which university has the most pubs for a fun Christmas?

Whether you’re heading out for drinks with mates on Christmas Eve, planning on some good roasts, or want to catch the sport on Boxing Day, a pub is an essential Christmas component. They’re usually all cosy and warm, and have more Christmassy and festive environments than bars. We found how many pubs each university city has per square mile according to Liberty Games’ research. Obviously, the higher the number of pubs per square mile = the better!

So which are the most festive universities when it comes to the best selection of pubs? In joint first place were universities all based in Brighton and Liverpool, including University of Sussex, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Brighton, University of Liverpool, and Liverpool Hope University. If you’re a student in Brighton or Liverpool, you’re in a great position for festive fun at your local.

On the other hand, if you’re a student in Oxford, Cumbria, Wrexham or Winchester for example, you might find it slightly harder to get yourself down the pub. These cities are among a few where the number of pubs per square mile was zero! On the bright side, the few pubs scattered around these areas might be full of all fellow students so you’ll be able to celebrate all together.

Which are the most festive universities for ice skaters?

If you love doing something active, or just feel like Christmas isn’t Christmas til you’ve glided along the ice, then these universities are bound to bring you joy. One of the factors we ranked universities for being the most festive was their proximity to an ice-skating rink.

We searched each UK university using Google Maps and then found the nearest listed ice rink. The University of Greenwich came out on top as the best university for ice skating. It’s right by Queen’s House Ice Rink making it easy for students to hop across and unleash their inner Michelle Kwans or Nathan Chens. Or perhaps you’re not even that good but just enjoy getting Christmassy by putting on the blades each year.

Both the University of the Arts London and University of Lincoln also came in second place, being extremely close to Patinoire, followed by Abertay University and London School of Economics in third and fourth place respectively.

Meanwhile, no ice rinks were found in the vicinity of Falmouth University or Plymouth universities. This possibly also contributes to their total scores.

Which university gives its students the longest Christmas holiday?

By searching on each university’s website to find their dates for winter break, we found which universities were the most festive and generous to students. They were ranked by number of days off, with the highest number of days receiving the highest score and vice versa.

According to the University of Cambridge’s website, students get 46 days off. The autumn term, known as the Michaelmas Term, finishes on Friday 1st December 2023, and the Lent Term resumes studying on the 16th January 2024.

Following Cambridge is rival University of Oxford. Students here are given a break of 43 days. It’s probably due to how hard Oxbridge are, so if you’re attending a prestigious uni like these – you’ll definitely be using some of that winter break to rest your mind.

Also making the top five universities with the longest break are the University of Stirling and University of East London (joint third), Birmingham City University (fourth), and Coventry University and LSE (joint fifth).

Which university is closest to Santa?

Of course, this isn’t something universities have much control over. However, we wanted to measure how close universities were to the North Pole, seeing which unis Santa was likely to visit first. We used a distance calculator to find the distance for all listed universities and the North Pole, ranking them in order of lowest number of miles.

It’s no surprise that Scottish universities came out on top here, with Robert Gordan University taking the top spot overall. Sadly, this meant Falmouth University was the furthest away and therefore at the bottom of the table.

Methodology

We gathered unique research combined with various data sources to find out which is the most festive university in the UK. The sample included 126 universities across the UK, excluding those with incomplete data. An index was created for each variable (number of snowy days, duration of Christmas break, number of pubs per square mile, proximity to an ice rink, and distance to the North Pole) and each university was given a score based on their position in the list per variable. Two variables (proximity to an ice rink, and distance to the North Pole) were reverse-scored, whereby the lower proximity = higher scores.

Finally, we used the summation of these scores to provide an overall rank for universities to see which were the most festive. Data was collected and analysed in November 2023.

Last Updated on November 23, 2023

Published on November 22, 2023