Deciding where to go to university can be tough. You’ll want to know which universities rank the highest for student satisfaction, nightlife and perhaps even the prettiest campus. But, what about safety? Using the most recent crime rates for university cities and towns published by the Complete University Guide, we’ve identified the most dangerous universities in the UK.
Check out the slideshow to find the top 10 dangerous unis, or read more about them below.
Which UK universities are based in the most dangerous areas? According to the latest crime data, London School of Economics and Political Science tops the list for 2024, with a crime score of 62.8 incidents per 1,000 residents — including high levels of theft. City-based institutions such as Liverpool John Moores University, Aston University, and Birmingham City University also feature prominently. These rankings are based on university location, not campus safety itself — but they do reflect the wider risks students might face living in urban centres. To compare, check out our guide to the UK universities with the happiest students for a more holistic view of student life.
10. Southampton Solent University: 39.7
In position 10 on our list, we have Southampton Solent University. This university scored particularly highly for violence or sexual crime, but lower for robbery and burglary. All together that gave it a combined score of 39.7 incidents per 1000 residents, which made it into this spot on the list. Considering some of the other most dangerous unis, it’s not as bad when you look at incident rates. It’s not exactly great either.
9. London South Bank University: 43.8
Following on in our list of the most dangerous universities in the UK in 2024 is London South Bank University, a public research university located in Elephant and Castle. Yet again, according to the data, students of this institution can experience relatively high levels of theft. Its total score comes in at 43.8 incidents per 1000 residents
8. SOAS University of London: 44.3
In 8th position is SOAS University of London, which has quite a high crime incident rate of 44.3. It has relatively high levels of theft and robbery, something to consider when choosing which area to live in. However, these crimes do come with the territory when living in London.
7. King’s College London: 44.9
Like other students at London universities, KCL students have to face relatively high levels of burglary and theft. The violent and sexual crime is fairly high, but not dissimilar to that of SOAS (13.3 to 12.7).
6. University College London: 46.1
This university is fairly high up on this list due to the high levels of theft in the student areas. Be sure to pick your student accommodation carefully as crimes such as robbery and burglary are fairly common.
5. Teesside University – 48.5
Teesside University in Middlesbrough sits in the fifth position on our list. There is a big jump between UCL and Teesside University. UCL has 13.3 violent and sexual crimes per 1000 residents, Teesside has 39.8. That being said, it does experience less theft, burglary, and robbery than UCL.
4. Liverpool John Moores: 49.2
In number four, we have Liverpool John Moores University. The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees including degree apprenticeships. While its robbery and burglary scores are lower than others, its rate of violence or sexual crime gives LJM a total score of 49.2.
3. Birmingham City University: 52.1
Birmingham’s reputation does precede it, and unfortunately we have the stats to back it up. BCU owes its position on this list to the high levels of robbery and violent/sexual crimes in the student areas. Pick your accommodation wisely if this university is your number one choice.
2. Aston University: 56.1
Another Birmingham university has made it to this list. Aston University students are faced with slightly higher levels of violent and sexual crimes than their Birmingham City University counterparts. However, the levels of theft, robbery, and burglary are relatively similar.
1. London School of Economics and Political Science
And drum roll, please… In first position and officially ranked the most dangerous university in the UK is LSE. This research university joins its other London University counterparts on this list. The reason LSE finds itself in number one is largely due to the high levels of theft (36.5). The levels of violent and sexual crime are comparatively lower than those in second and third place. That being said, keep an eye on your bag on a night out!
For more information on how the table is calculated, visit the CU website. Whilst this list compiled the most dangerous student areas and universities, it may interest you to know, that the top five institutions with the lowest recorded crime rates are also shown in this data. Harper Adams University, St Mary’s University, University of Roehampton, Falmouth University, and Royal Agricultural University are statistically the safest universities in the UK.
Whether this changes your decision on where to attend university or not, do take note of each university’s security measures and stay safe wherever you are!
FAQs
Which UK university is ranked the most dangerous in 2024?
Answer: LSE is ranked as the most dangerous university in the UK for 2024. This is driven by high rates of violence, sexual offences, and robbery in the surrounding areas.
What are the top 5 most dangerous universities in the UK?
Answer: LSE, Aston University, Birmingham City University, Liverpool John Moores, and Teesside University are ranked the top 5 most dangerous universities in the UK. The student areas of these universities experience high levels of robbery and violent and sexual crimes.
Are crime rates higher at city-based universities?
Answer: Unsurprisingly, city-based universities have higher levels of crime in their student areas. This explains why Birmingham and London universities feature quite highly on this list.
Which UK universities are considered the safest?
Answer: Harper Adams University, St Mary’s University, University of Roehampton, Falmouth University, and Royal Agricultural University are statistically the safest universities in the UK!
Key Takeaways:
- City-based universities generally have higher levels of crime than town-based universities, such as Falmouth.
- London and Birmingham universities have higher crime rates in their student areas.
- Choose your accommodation wisely. Pick your student area based on how safe they are.
- Take the appropriate security measures in accordance with the crime rates of your student area.
- LSE’s student areas are ranked most dangerous.
FAQs on the Most Dangerous UK Universities
Aston University is ranked as the most dangerous university in the UK for 2024, with a crime score of 298.5 incidents per 1,000 residents. This is driven by high rates of violence, sexual offences, and robbery in the surrounding area.
The five most dangerous universities based on local crime rates are Aston University, Birmingham City University, London School of Economics (LSE), Liverpool John Moores University, and Teesside University.
These rankings use official local crime statistics, focusing on the number of violent crimes, sexual offences, robbery, and burglary per 1,000 residents. The data reflects the surrounding area of each university, not just the campus itself.
Yes. Universities located in large cities like London, Birmingham, and Liverpool tend to have higher crime rates due to the general risks associated with urban living. Students in these areas are advised to take extra safety precautions.
Some of the safest universities include St George’s University of London, Harper Adams University, Falmouth University, Royal Agricultural University, and Rose Bruford College. These have the lowest crime scores, often below 30 incidents per 1,000 residents.
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