Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
AUB is a small, specialist arts university with fewer than 4,000 students on a single campus in Wallisdown, on the border of Bournemouth and Poole, right next door to Bournemouth University. Everything here is creative: film, animation, fashion, fine art, architecture, acting, modelmaking and more. You'll be surrounded by people who make things.
First years live in AUB halls, either on campus or in town around the Lansdowne area, so the beach and Bournemouth's nightlife are close at hand. The trade-off is size: there's no big campus-wide social scene of the kind you'd get at a large university. Halls are mid-priced at £185–£263 a week.
Known for
Arts University Bournemouth is 16th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 55.9, above the UK median of 48.5. Our rankings are built around the student experience, combining employability, freshers experience, happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies. That means big research names don’t automatically top the table. See how we score universities.
Marker shows the UK median across all ranked universities.
| Rank | University | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | University of Lincoln | 56.4 |
| 15 | University of the West of England | 56.3 |
| 16 | Arts University Bournemouth | 55.9 |
| 17 | Newcastle University | 55.9 |
| 18 | University of Worcester | 55.9 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
8th of 123 · Happiness Score 68.1
13th of 124 · Innovation Score 66.9
15th of 124 · Sustainability Score 67
16th of 124 · Freshers Score 65.1
21st of 124 · Wellbeing Score 64
24th of 124 · Social Score 63
34th of 124 · Societies Score 60.3
37th of 124 · Balance Score 47.9
42nd of 122 · Careers Score 35.4
45th of 124 · Nightlife Score 53.9
48th of 124 · Employability Score 33.4
48th of 124 · Affordability Score 58.3
48th of 124 · Safety Score 47.2
54th of 124 · Value Score 48.3
104th of 124 · Inclusion Score 38.8
Bournemouth as a student city
Ranked 22nd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 55.7.
Arts University Bournemouth appears in 13 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Art | 4th | of 58 | 159 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 9th | of 60 | 137 |
| Performing Arts | 6th | of 37 | 106 |
| Graphic Design | 12th | of 68 | 153 |
| Costume Design | 2nd | of 10 | 48 |
| Marketing | 20th | of 88 | 163 |
| Media and Communication | 18th | of 79 | 158 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 12th | of 52 | 121 |
| Interior Design | 11th | of 36 | 79 |
| Photography | 14th | of 44 | 91 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film Production | 34th | of 87 | 153 |
| Fashion Design | 21st | of 49 | 105 |
| Architecture | 27th | of 55 | 100 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Life at AUB revolves around studios and making, with the students' union (AUBSU) running clubs and societies, course reps and events, and a residential life programme (AUB ResLife) for everyone in halls. Because AUB sits next door to Bournemouth University, Bournemouth's bigger student scene is on hand too. Off campus, Bournemouth town centre has the bars and clubs, and the long sandy beaches are a big part of life here.
University halls cost £185–£263 per week (2027/28, bills and Wi-Fi included; 42–51-week contracts) (2027/28 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
AUB doesn't publish a formal accommodation guarantee. Its halls are for first-year students (and Foundation Diploma students moving on to year 1), and you can book once you've firmly accepted an offer. Rooms are released in waves. For 2027/28 entry, the first wave opens on 1 March 2027 and the second on 16 June 2027, and more rooms are released as availability changes. On-campus halls are allocated as bookings come in and are usually the first to go.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madeira Road | Lansdowne, Bournemouth town centre | en-suite in cluster flats of 6 or 8; a few studios | £185/wk | The cheapest option. Opened in 2014, it has 374 en-suite rooms and 4 studios, about five minutes' walk from Bournemouth town centre. A single en-suite is £7,770 for 42 weeks in 2027/28. |
| Campus Halls | AUB campus, Wallisdown | en-suite in cluster flats, plus studios | £214/wk | 299 rooms in three blocks, right on campus, so you can walk to the studios. These are the most popular halls and are allocated as bookings arrive. Studios cost £243 a week (51 weeks). |
| Home Park | Bournemouth | en-suite in 5-, 6- or 7-bed cluster flats; silver, gold and premier studios | £214/wk | The biggest hall: 437 rooms and 17 studios over 10 floors, with an on-site gym, cinema and creative workspace. Contents insurance is included. For 2027/28, AUB is offering first-year bookers a free annual bus pass. Bronze en-suite £214, silver £232, studios £243–£263. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Popular with students from both AUB and Bournemouth University, with plenty of shared houses and a busy high street.
Lots of shops and takeaways, with good buses to campus and the town centre.
Close to the shops, nightlife and beach, and near the train station.
Top tip
Book early. On-campus halls go first, and booking within 48 hours of firmly accepting your offer (or of the first room release, if your offer came before March) gets you a £200 early-bird discount. You'll pay a £250 deposit when you book. If you're on a full maintenance loan with household income of £25,000 or less, check whether you qualify for AUB's £1,000 accommodation bursary for first years in halls. For second year, AUB points you to its Studentpad listings of accredited landlords.
Hall rents for 2027/28 run from £185 a week at Madeira Road to £263 for a premier studio at Home Park, with utility bills and Wi-Fi included. Contents insurance is extra except at Home Park. A UNIBUS annual pass costs £319. AUB didn't publish a full living-cost estimate that I could find, so budget for food, materials and going out on top of rent.
Getting around
Campus is on Wallisdown Road, next to Bournemouth University. Morebus services 6, 17 and 36 run from Bournemouth's Travel Interchange (the train and coach station) to campus in about 10–15 minutes, and the UNIBUS U1 runs from Holdenhurst Road. With a student ID, UNIBUS singles cost £2.10, and an annual pass covering UNIBUS and morebus Zone A is £319. Beryl bikes and cycle lanes are an option too.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Arts University Bournemouth is 16th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 55.9. Its strongest results are for student happiness (8th), innovation (13th), sustainability (15th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Arts University Bournemouth places highest for Costume Design (2nd of 10). Across our awards, it also stands out for student happiness.
Both, sort of. The campus is in Wallisdown, which is officially in Poole (postcode BH12 5HH), on the edge of Bournemouth and right next door to Bournemouth University. Two of AUB's three halls are in Bournemouth town, and one is on campus.
AUB doesn't publish a formal guarantee, but its halls are reserved for first-year students. You can book once you've firmly accepted an offer. For 2027/28, rooms are released from 1 March 2027 and 16 June 2027. On-campus rooms go fastest, so book early.
For 2027/28, an en-suite in a cluster flat costs £185 a week at Madeira Road and £214 at Campus Halls or Home Park, with studios from £214 to £263. Utility bills and Wi-Fi are included. There's a £250 deposit, and a £200 early-bird discount if you book quickly.
No. All three halls are self-catered, with shared kitchens in cluster flats or private kitchens in studios.
Campus Halls is on site. From town, the UNIBUS U1 runs from Holdenhurst Road, and morebus services 6, 17 and 36 run from the Travel Interchange, taking about 10–15 minutes. Singles cost £2.10 with a student ID, and an annual pass is £319. For 2027/28, AUB is offering first-year bookers at Home Park a free annual bus pass.
Only creative subjects: film production, animation, acting, fashion, costume, makeup and prosthetics, fine art, illustration, graphic design, photography, games art, architecture, modelmaking, creative writing and more. Bournemouth Film School is part of AUB.
About this guide. Rankings data comes from the Unifresher Rankings 2027 (methodology). Facts, hall prices and costs come from the university and official sources listed below. Last updated 23 October 2026.
