Is the University of Nottingham good?

Are you thinking about going to the University of Nottingham? It’s a Russell Group uni, so it’s got a reputation. But, you may want to know what it’s truly like to be a student at UON. This article gathers information from current students who know the ins and outs of the uni. It also takes into account the university’s ranking when compared to other unis. So if you’re asking yourself ‘is the University of Nottingham good?’, keep reading to find out.

Overview of The University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham is a research-intensive university located in the city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands region of England. It was founded in 1881 and is consistently ranked among the top universities in the UK and the world. The University of Nottingham has campuses in Nottingham, China, and Malaysia. The main campus in Nottingham is set in a beautiful parkland and offers state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research. But if you want to study abroad, the university has options at its international campuses. Students can choose from a wide range of courses, including arts and humanities, engineering, law, medicine, science, and social sciences. There’s also options to study at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The University of Nottingham is particularly well-known for its research expertise in areas such as energy, global food security, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare.

Is the University of Nottingham any good?

To answer whether the University of Nottingham is good, let’s take a look at how it ranks. In the UK, the University of Nottingham is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities by major university league tables. In the 2022 Complete University Guide, the University of Nottingham was ranked 14th out of 130 UK universities. In the 2022 Guardian University Guide, it was ranked 19th out of 121 UK universities. And in the 2022 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, the University of Nottingham was ranked 18th out of 135 UK universities. It’s also the 7th UK uni for the best social life in the UK, and among the top unis with the most attractive students! Internationally, the University of Nottingham is also highly regarded. It is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings. In the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it was 98th out of 1,500 global unis. And in the QS World University rankings in 2022, it came in 84th out of 1000+. The University of Nottingham’s strong international reputation is also reflected in its performance in subject-specific rankings. In the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject, the University of Nottingham was ranked in the top 50 universities in the world for nine subjects, including English Language and Literature, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, and Veterinary Science. Overall, the University of Nottingham’s national and international rankings imply that it is a good university. But keep reading to go beyond the stats and find out what it’s like to be a student there.

The university campus

The main campus is the University Park campus, where the majority of student accommodation and teaching is. The other three campuses are Jubilee, where teaching for business, computer science and education degrees takes place, Sutton Bonnington, the home of biosciences and veterinary medicine, and Kings Meadow. You can travel for free between campuses on the hopper buses, so you don’t have to worry where your accommodation is located. The campus is very green and very hilly. It’s so, so pretty, but having to run up a hill in 5 minutes between classes is not fun. Top tip – bring a good pair of running trainers. 

Living on campus at the University of Nottingham

Your first year might be in halls. You may be in one of the non-uni affiliated accommodations, but the majority of first years will be on campus. UON has 28 accommodation options listed on its website, the majority of which are on or just off campus. Most of these are catered halls, meaning that your food is provided for you. There are also self-catered options if you’d rather cook your own food. There are quiet living blocks in Cripps Hall, Lincoln Hall and some flats in Albion house if that’s something that you would prefer. However, they aren’t that quiet in reality as you can still hear everybody else in the hall. But the quiet blocks themselves are generally pretty quiet.  Prices vary between each individual hall and room type – self-catered halls for this upcoming year are in the range of £130-£190 per week, with catered halls for more than £200+ a week. This might be expensive, but it does come with some benefits. Namely, a membership for the sports facilities on campus, the costs of breakfasts/dinners in halls, and your meal card. The meal card gives you £25 a week to spend on campus for lunches and it honestly might be the best thing about halls. It’s obviously real money, but it doesn’t feel like it! You can find more information on student accommodation in Nottingham in our guide.

The City

While the on-campus stuff is important, uni is about going out, meeting people and having fun! UON isn’t in the city centre like Trent is, but it’s super easy to get to it. There are a number of different bus routes that’ll take you from campuses to the city centre. There’s also the tram, which takes you right from the south side of campus into the heart of Nottingham. There are so many things to do in the city, from the Victoria Centre, Old Market Square and events in Motorpoint Arena. There’s some great nightlife, with many clubs and bars (check out this list for the best cocktail bars in Nottingham). 

Resources at the University of Nottingham

To decide whether the University of Nottingham is good, it’s important to think about available resources. There is a dedicated academic support team that can help you with your studies, as well as running sessions to help you with academic skills. There are support and wellbeing teams to help you with your mental health both within your school and faculty and on a uni-wide level. The ResX team is there to help you in halls with the transition to uni and runs events throughout the year, including barbecues, chocolate-making masterclasses and trips. The uni also has exceptional sports facilities that support your physical health. The cost of your halls of residence gives you a membership to access the university’s sports facilities: David Ross Sports Village on University Park or the sports centres on Jubilee and Sutton Bonington. You can still go when not in halls, but you have to pay £249 for the yearly membership. Top tip – if you buy it in September you get a £20 discount, and the cost of buying a membership decreases as the year goes on (right now in February it is £149 for the rest of this academic year). 

Students’ Union:

Like at any uni, the SU is at the heart of student life on campus. In its home in the Portland Building, you can find Portland Coffee Co., the perfect place for a mid-afternoon hot drink and brownie. There’s also Mooch, the best choice if you want to go out to a bar but don’t actually want to leave campus to do it. The SU is also home to over 300 student societies and 70 sports groups, ranging from American Football to Board Game Society to Musicality to Skydiving to Taylor Swift Society.  So, to answer the question, is the University of Nottingham good? Yes! UON is a great university and Notts is a great city. The uni provides a great all-around experience, and there’s always lots of things to do outside of studying. If you do end up coming here, you’ll want to know where to go. Check out this list for the ultimate Nottingham freshers guide.