Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
DMU is a mid-sized university with a compact campus right next to Leicester's historic castle quarter. The city centre is about a 10-minute walk away, and every hall the university offers is within walking distance, so you won't need a bus to get to lectures. It's known for creative, design and professional courses.
Leicester is one of the UK's most diverse cities and is relatively cheap. Hall rooms start at £95 a week, which is low for England. The campus can feel busy and urban rather than leafy. And because some halls are run by private companies, contracts and payment terms vary, so read the details before you book.
Known for
De Montfort University is 76th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 46, below 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 74 | Canterbury Christ Church University | 46.2 |
| 75 | Kingston University | 46.1 |
| 76 | De Montfort University | 46 |
| 77 | Leeds Beckett University | 45.8 |
| 78 | University of South Wales | 45.6 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
10th of 124 · Sustainability Score 68.8
35th of 124 · Nightlife Score 56.4
51st of 124 · Social Score 52.2
52nd of 124 · Inclusion Score 62.8
62nd of 124 · Societies Score 49.8
67th of 124 · Innovation Score 54.8
68th of 124 · Safety Score 41
79th of 124 · Affordability Score 51.9
86th of 123 · Happiness Score 42.2
100th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 39.3
102nd of 124 · Balance Score 35.2
109th of 124 · Freshers Score 40.5
109th of 124 · Value Score 32.1
108th of 122 · Careers Score 20.8
111th of 124 · Employability Score 20
Leicester as a student city
Ranked 34th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 53.7.
De Montfort University appears in 35 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 4th | of 59 | 143 |
| Economics | 6th | of 85 | 169 |
| Robotics | 4th | of 32 | 101 |
| Psychology | 14th | of 108 | 188 |
| Law | 13th | of 97 | 177 |
| Business and Management | 17th | of 114 | 201 |
| Politics | 12th | of 78 | 149 |
| Product Design | 7th | of 43 | 117 |
| Media and Communication | 13th | of 79 | 169 |
| Teaching | 13th | of 79 | 164 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature | 9th | of 54 | 128 |
| Software Engineering | 10th | of 58 | 136 |
| Marketing | 16th | of 88 | 169 |
| International Relations | 13th | of 71 | 140 |
| Human Resource Management | 11th | of 58 | 135 |
| Quantity Surveying | 7th | of 35 | 93 |
| Biomedical Science | 19th | of 93 | 161 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 16th | of 77 | 157 |
| Computer Science | 25th | of 102 | 172 |
| Criminology | 24th | of 94 | 167 |
| History | 20th | of 76 | 139 |
| Film Production | 23rd | of 87 | 167 |
| Fashion Design | 13th | of 49 | 118 |
| Cyber Security | 17th | of 58 | 127 |
| Linguistics | 8th | of 27 | 68 |
| Forensic Science | 10th | of 31 | 89 |
| Graphic Design | 23rd | of 68 | 135 |
| Nursing | 30th | of 85 | 143 |
| Electrical Engineering | 24th | of 67 | 121 |
| Pharmacy | 12th | of 32 | 76 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 23rd | of 60 | 114 |
| Architecture | 22nd | of 55 | 109 |
| Fine Art | 27th | of 58 | 119 |
| Social Work | 34th | of 67 | 125 |
| Accounting and Finance | 17th | of 30 | 162 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
De Montfort Students' Union (DSU) is based in the Campus Centre on Mill Lane. It runs over 100 societies, sports clubs and student-led services, along with Demon FM radio and The Demon student newspaper. The campus is in the middle of the city, so Leicester's bars, restaurants and shops are a short walk away. Leicester hosts big Diwali celebrations and a Caribbean Carnival, and the DMU Museum on campus is free to visit.
University halls cost £95–£180 per week (2026/27, 41–43-week contracts) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
For 2026/27, DMU offered guaranteed accommodation to UK first-year undergraduates who received a course offer through Clearing (from 13 August 2026). The room could be in DMU-owned halls or with an approved private partner, all within walking distance of campus. You had to book by the deadline in your offer letter, and DMU couldn't guarantee room type, price, location or a specific hall. The guarantee was first come, first served and subject to availability. For non-Clearing applicants, rooms are booked first come, first served once you hold a firm offer.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bede Hall | Edge of campus | shared bathroom | £95/wk | The cheapest option: 227 rooms in 7–10-bedroom flats, owned and managed by DMU. £3,908.57 for a 41-week contract. |
| New Wharf Hall | Edge of campus | shared bathroom | £118.50/wk | 215 rooms, DMU-owned and refurbished in 2020. Close to a large supermarket and the QEII Leisure Centre. NHS course students are usually placed here on longer contracts. |
| Liberty Park | Walking distance of campus | en-suite | £128/wk | Run by Unite Students. DMU has 150 rooms here, from £128 to £138 a week, on a 43-week contract. |
| The Grange | Leicester | en-suite | £136.50/wk | Run by Now Students. 50 silver en-suite rooms through DMU on a 43-week contract. |
| Castle Court | Edge of campus, near the city centre | en-suite | £138/wk | Run by Unite Students. 119 rooms through DMU at £138–£148 a week. Art and Design Foundation students are usually placed here. |
| Newarke Point | Near campus | en-suite or studio | £142/wk | Run by Homes for Students. En-suites from £142 a week. Four studios at £180 a week, the top of DMU's range. |
| The Glassworks | City centre, next to campus | en-suite | £165/wk | Run by Homes for Students, less than a 30-second walk from campus, with a gym and cinema room. 125 rooms through DMU. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Plenty of purpose-built private halls and flats within a few minutes' walk of lectures.
A popular area for shared houses just west of campus, with lots of cheap food shops.
Leafier and more residential, with independent cafés. Further from DMU and more popular with University of Leicester students.
Top tip
Book as soon as you have a firm offer: rooms are first come, first served and you pick a specific room online. You'll need a £200 booking payment, and you have to confirm within 30 days. Bede Hall and New Wharf Hall are DMU-run and don't need a guarantor. Private halls usually do, or they'll ask for the full rent upfront.
DMU estimates a student in halls needs about £800–£1,120 a month in total, with halls at £500–£650 of that. Hall rooms cost £95–£180 a week for 2026/27. Because campus is walkable, travel costs stay low. Watch the contract length as well as the weekly price: the cheapest halls run for 41 weeks and private ones for 43.
Getting around
Leicester is compact, and DMU says the city centre is only about a 10-minute walk from campus. All the halls it offers are within walking distance, so most students walk or cycle to lectures. DMU's own budget suggests £30–£50 a month for travel.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
De Montfort University is 76th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 46. Its strongest results are for sustainability (10th), nightlife (35th).
For 2026/27, DMU guaranteed a room to UK first-year undergraduates who got their offer through Clearing, provided they booked by the deadline in their offer letter. The room could be in DMU halls or with a private partner. Other students book rooms first come, first served once they have a firm offer, so it pays to book early.
For 2026/27, prices run from £95 a week at Bede Hall (shared bathroom) to £180 a week for a studio at Newarke Point. Most en-suite rooms cost £128–£165 a week. All halls are self-catered.
Not for the DMU-owned halls, Bede Hall and New Wharf Hall. The private halls DMU works with usually ask for one. Without a guarantor, you may have to pay the full year's rent upfront.
About a 10-minute walk, according to the university. All the halls it offers are within walking distance of campus too, so most students don't need public transport day to day.
HESA data for 2024/25 puts DMU at 23,155 students, including 17,340 undergraduates. That makes it a mid-sized university.
You pay a £200 booking payment when you choose your room online. Depending on the hall, it counts as advance rent or a damage deposit, and it's refundable if you cancel. You then have 30 days, or until a set date, to confirm.
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.
