Unifresher university guides · 2027

UK university guides

Find your university, see exactly where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027 and why, then dig into its best subjects, halls, living costs and student life.

Universities ranked: 123
Subject tables: 93
Awards: 16
Cities: 73

Top 10

The best UK universities for 2027

Our overall ranking puts the student experience first, combining employability, freshers experience, happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies. How we rank universities.

#1Durham UniversityDurham · score 61.5 #2University of East AngliaNorwich · score 61.2 #3University of ExeterExeter · score 61.2 #4University of St AndrewsSt Andrews · score 59.5 #5University of SussexBrighton · score 59.4 #6University of BathBath · score 58.7 #7Lancaster UniversityLancaster · score 58.6 #8Swansea UniversitySwansea · score 58.5 #9Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham · score 57.9 #10Leeds Arts UniversityLeeds · score 57.3

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Search by university or city, or sort the list. Every university links to its full Unifresher guide.

125 universities

UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027
Rank	University	City	Score
1	Durham University	Durham	61.5
2	University of East Anglia	Norwich	61.2
3	University of Exeter	Exeter	61.2
4	University of St Andrews	St Andrews	59.5
5	University of Sussex	Brighton	59.4
6	University of Bath	Bath	58.7
7	Lancaster University	Lancaster	58.6
8	Swansea University	Swansea	58.5
9	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham	57.9
10	Leeds Arts University	Leeds	57.3
11	University of Bristol	Bristol	57.3
12	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester	56.9
13	University of Reading	Reading	56.6
14	University of Lincoln	Lincoln	56.4
15	University of the West of England	Bristol	56.3
16	Arts University Bournemouth	Bournemouth	55.9
17	Newcastle University	Newcastle upon Tyne	55.9
18	University of Worcester	Worcester	55.9
19	Keele University	Newcastle-under-Lyme	55.8
20	Norwich University of the Arts	Norwich	55
21	University of Leeds	Leeds	54.6
22	University of Nottingham	Nottingham	54.6
23	University of Oxford	Oxford	54.6
24	University of Cambridge	Cambridge	54.5
25	Royal Holloway, University of London	Egham	53.9
26	University of Glasgow	Glasgow	53.9
27	Northumbria University	Newcastle upon Tyne	53.7
28	University of Liverpool	Liverpool	53.4
29	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth	53.4
30	York St John University	York	53.4
31	Bath Spa University	Bath	53.1
32	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool	52.8
33	University of the Arts London	London	52.7
34	Cardiff University	Cardiff	52.6
35	University of Southampton	Southampton	52.6
36	University of Surrey	Guildford	52.5
37	University of Warwick	Coventry	52.1
38	Cardiff Metropolitan University	Cardiff	52
39	University of Sheffield	Sheffield	52
40	Falmouth University	Falmouth	51.9
41	University of Strathclyde	Glasgow	51.9
42	University of Plymouth	Plymouth	51.7
43	Harper Adams University	Newport	51.5
44	University of Winchester	Winchester	51.5
45	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth	51.4
46	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen	51.3
47	London School of Economics and Political Science	London	51.1
48	Royal Agricultural University	Cirencester	51.1
49	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh	51
50	University of Brighton	Brighton	51
51	Lincoln Bishop University	Lincoln	50.9
52	Robert Gordon University	Aberdeen	50.4
53	University of Salford	Salford	50.4
54	Oxford Brookes University	Oxford	49.8
55	Liverpool Hope University	Liverpool	49.7
56	University of Birmingham	Birmingham	49.7
57	University of Buckingham	Buckingham	49.5
58	Bangor University	Bangor	49.1
59	University of Essex	Colchester	48.8
60	University for the Creative Arts	Canterbury/Farnham	48.7
61	University of Leicester	Leicester	48.6
62	University of Dundee	Dundee	48.5
63	University of York	York	48.5
65	Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield	47.8
66	University of Kent	Canterbury	47.8
67	Glasgow Caledonian University	Glasgow	47.6
68	University of Derby	Derby	47.2
69	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh	47
70	St Mary's University, Twickenham	Twickenham	46.9
71	University of Gloucestershire	Cheltenham	46.7
72	Aston University	Birmingham	46.5
73	University College London	London	46.3
74	Canterbury Christ Church University	Canterbury	46.2
75	Kingston University	Kingston upon Thames	46.1
76	De Montfort University	Leicester	46
77	Leeds Beckett University	Leeds	45.8
78	University of South Wales	Pontypridd	45.6
79	King's College London	London	45.4
80	Coventry University	Coventry	45.3
81	Queen Margaret University	Edinburgh	44.9
82	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield	44.7
83	Heriot-Watt University	Edinburgh	44.6
84	University of Manchester	Manchester	44.5
85	University of West London	London	44.4
86	Queen Mary University of London	London	44.3
87	University of Sunderland	Sunderland	44.2
88	Birmingham City University	Birmingham	44
89	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield	44
90	University of Chester	Chester	43.9
91	University of Stirling	Stirling	43.5
92	Anglia Ruskin University	Cambridge	42.9
93	University of Greenwich	London	42.8
94	University of Hull	Hull	42.7
95	University of Wales Trinity Saint David	Swansea	42.7
96	Teesside University	Middlesbrough	42.4
97	Leeds Trinity University	Leeds	42.2
98	University of Northampton	Northampton	41.8
99	City St George's, University of London	London	41.7
100	Brunel University London	Uxbridge	41.6
101	Imperial College London	London	41.2
102	University of Bradford	Bradford	41.1
103	Abertay University	Dundee	41
104	Solent University	Southampton	41
105	University of Staffordshire	Stoke-on-Trent	41
106	University of Cumbria	Carlisle	40.6
107	University College Birmingham	Birmingham	40.5
108	University of Chichester	Chichester	40.5
109	Wrexham University	Wrexham	39.9
110	University of Westminster	London	38.5
111	University of the West of Scotland	Glasgow	37.9
112	Birmingham Newman University	Birmingham	37.3
113	University of Suffolk	Ipswich	37.2
114	SOAS University of London	London	37
115	University of Lancashire	Preston	36.9
116	Middlesex University	Middlesex	36.2
117	University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton	35.6
118	University of Bedfordshire	Luton	35.5
119	University of East London	London	34.7
120	London South Bank University	London	34.4
121	University of Roehampton	London	34.3
122	Buckinghamshire New University	High Wycombe	33.5
123	Goldsmiths, University of London	London	27.8
124	London Metropolitan University	London	27.3
–	Edge Hill University	Ormskirk	–
–	Loughborough University		–

Rankings from the Unifresher Rankings 2027. A dash means the university is in our subject or award tables but not the overall table.

FAQs

University rankings FAQs

What is the best university in the UK for 2027?

Durham University is ranked first in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, followed by University of East Anglia and University of Exeter.

How are the Unifresher university rankings worked out?

We combine eight student-focused categories (employability, freshers experience, student happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies) into a weighted overall score out of 100, using published data such as graduate outcomes, satisfaction, continuation, safety and cost of living.

What does each university guide include?

Each guide shows the university’s overall rank and category scores, how it does in all 16 Unifresher Awards and every subject table it appears in, plus an honest overview, halls and prices, living costs, student life and FAQs.

Why does a famous university rank lower than I expected?

Our rankings focus on the student experience rather than research prestige or entry tariffs, so universities that score well on satisfaction, wellbeing, social life and value can outrank bigger names.

UK university guides

The best UK universities for 2027

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