Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Durham is a collegiate university in a small, historic city. Every student belongs to one of 17 colleges, from the Bailey colleges by the cathedral to the newer Hill colleges up towards the science site. Your college is where you live in first year and where much of your social life, sport and formals happen.
The flip side is the price and the size of the place. College rooms are expensive, at roughly £185 to £300 a week for 2026/27, and many are catered whether you like it or not. Durham is also small, so nightlife is limited compared with a big city. If you want tradition and community, it's a great fit.
Known for
Durham University is 1st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 61.5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham University | 61.5 |
| 2 | University of East Anglia | 61.2 |
| 3 | University of Exeter | 61.2 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
1st of 124 · Value Score 83.7
1st of 124 · Balance Score 63.1
3rd of 124 · Innovation Score 72.7
7th of 124 · Freshers Score 71.7
7th of 124 · Safety Score 67.6
8th of 124 · Affordability Score 70.8
10th of 124 · Employability Score 44.3
10th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 70.6
12th of 122 · Careers Score 42.3
13th of 124 · Societies Score 66.1
19th of 124 · Inclusion Score 73.6
19th of 123 · Happiness Score 62.1
26th of 124 · Sustainability Score 63.1
43rd of 124 · Social Score 54.2
67th of 124 · Nightlife Score 48.1
Durham as a student city
Ranked 11th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 60.8.
Durham University appears in 38 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 1st | of 108 | 220 |
| Computer Science | 1st | of 102 | 234 |
| Law | 1st | of 97 | 207 |
| Electrical Engineering | 1st | of 67 | 170 |
| Biochemistry | 1st | of 60 | 172 |
| Civil Engineering | 1st | of 58 | 160 |
| Business and Management | 2nd | of 114 | 240 |
| Music | 1st | of 56 | 159 |
| Biology | 1st | of 51 | 155 |
| Criminology | 2nd | of 94 | 216 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | 1st | of 45 | 139 |
| Marketing | 2nd | of 88 | 209 |
| Film Production | 2nd | of 87 | 215 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2nd | of 77 | 201 |
| International Relations | 2nd | of 71 | 165 |
| Geography | 2nd | of 63 | 160 |
| Economics | 3rd | of 85 | 184 |
| Statistics | 1st | of 27 | 94 |
| English Language and Literature | 2nd | of 54 | 145 |
| Philosophy | 2nd | of 54 | 143 |
| Politics | 3rd | of 78 | 174 |
| Sports Science | 3rd | of 78 | 192 |
| History | 3rd | of 76 | 173 |
| Chemistry | 2nd | of 44 | 144 |
| Sociology | 4th | of 86 | 202 |
| Classics | 1st | of 20 | 86 |
| Teaching | 4th | of 79 | 180 |
| Accounting and Finance | 2nd | of 30 | 200 |
| Archaeology | 2nd | of 28 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 5th | of 61 | 147 |
| Anthropology | 2nd | of 24 | 88 |
| Geology | 2nd | of 21 | 87 |
| PPE | 3rd | of 31 | 98 |
| Environmental Science | 5th | of 47 | 127 |
| Primary Education | 7th | of 59 | 150 |
| Engineering (General) | 5th | of 30 | 94 |
| Theology and Religious Studies 2026 table | 3rd | of 10 | – |
| Bioinformatics 2026 table | 10th | of 10 | – |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Social life at Durham revolves around the colleges. Each has its own bar, common rooms, sports teams and events, and college rivalries are a big part of the fun. On top of that, Durham Students' Union runs over 200 societies, and the university says 85% of students take part in sport, music, theatre, volunteering or enterprise. The city itself is small, with pubs and a few clubs. For a bigger night out, Newcastle is about 15 minutes away by train.
University halls cost £169–£308 per week (2026/27 new undergraduate rooms, 39-week contracts; catered prices include the catering charge) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
The university says: "All new undergraduate students are guaranteed an offer of University accommodation." Accommodation preferences are collected through a separate preference form, emailed to all firm and insurance offer holders (on 8 June 2026 for 2026 entry), and it stays open until August. You don't have to accept the offer, but if you decline it or miss the acceptance deadline the university can't guarantee another one. Preferences don't guarantee a particular college, site or room type.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Cuthbert's Society | Bailey (city centre) | twin, standard shared bathroom or en-suite | £169/wk | The cheapest option on the price list: a self-catered twin room at £6,596.85 for 39 weeks. Single standard rooms are £185 a week. Some catered rooms are also available. |
| Stephenson College | Upper Hill | standard shared bathroom, shared en-suite or en-suite | £185/wk | Self-catered. A standard room is £7,217.24 for 39 weeks; en-suite rooms are £217 a week. |
| South College | Upper Hill | premium standard plus or en-suite plus | £208/wk | One of Durham's newest colleges. Self-catered, with en-suite plus rooms at £226 a week. |
| Josephine Butler College | Upper Hill | en-suite | £217/wk | Self-catered, all en-suite: £8,473.26 for 39 weeks. |
| University College (Castle) Catered | Bailey (city centre) | wide mix, from twin rooms to studios at New Kepier Court | £250/wk | Durham's oldest college, with rooms in the castle itself. Self-catered studios at New Kepier Court cost £250 a week; catered rooms range from £260 to £308 a week. |
| Hatfield College Catered | Bailey (city centre) | twin, standard, shared en-suite or en-suite | £252/wk | Catered college on the Bailey. Twin rooms from £9,810.41 for 39 weeks including catering; en-suite rooms are £300 a week. |
| St Aidan's College Catered | Upper Hill | twin, standard, en-suite or en-suite plus | £252/wk | Catered. Its en-suite plus rooms are among the most expensive on the list, at £308 a week. |
| Collingwood College Catered | Lower Hill | standard, shared en-suite or en-suite | £267/wk | Catered college. A standard room is £10,430.80 for 39 weeks including catering. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
A popular student area close to the railway station and the city centre, full of terraced shared houses.
Just east of the Market Place, handy for the city centre and the Bailey.
A bit further out to the south-west and quieter, with a walk or bus into town.
Top tip
Apply for your course first: the accommodation preference form is emailed to firm and insurance offer holders in early June, so you don't need to apply separately before then. Look at the 2026/27 price list before you fill it in, because catered and self-catered colleges differ by up to about £3,200 a year. If you'd rather pay less, say so in your preferences, but remember preferences aren't guaranteed. For second year, start looking early: the university's housing hub warns that the city centre is in demand and often more expensive.
Durham's college rooms aren't cheap. For 2026/27, a 39-week room costs £169–£308 a week, and the catered price includes £3,213.57 for meals (21 meals a week in term). That works out at about £5.10 a meal. Getting around is cheap, though: most students walk, and under-22s pay £1 for a bus single in the North East. Private rents near the city centre are in high demand.
Getting around
Durham is compact and walkable: the university says most students travel on foot. Bailey colleges are about 10–15 minutes' walk from the centre, and the Hill colleges about 20–30 minutes. Buses run every 15 minutes past the colleges on South Road. In the North East, under-22s pay £1 for a bus single or £3 for a regionwide day ticket.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Durham University is 1st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 61.5. Its strongest results are for value for money (1st), work-life balance (1st), innovation (3rd).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Durham University places highest for Psychology (1st of 108), Computer Science (1st of 102), Law (1st of 97), Electrical Engineering (1st of 67). Across our awards, it also stands out for value for money.
Yes. Durham is one of the 24 Russell Group universities.
Not directly. You're allocated a college through the university's membership allocation process. You can give accommodation preferences on a form sent to offer holders in June, but the university says these don't guarantee a particular college, site or room type.
Yes. All new undergraduates are guaranteed an offer of university accommodation, as long as they say they want one on the preference form. If you decline the offer or miss the deadline, the university can't promise another.
For 2026/27, new undergraduate rooms on a 39-week contract range from about £169 a week (a self-catered twin) to about £308 a week (a catered en-suite plus). Catered prices include a catering charge of £3,213.57 for the year.
Catered colleges give you breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week in term (about 21 meals a week), at about £5.10 a meal. Self-catered colleges are cheaper on paper, but you buy and cook your own food.
It's a small city, so the scene is mostly college bars, pubs and a few clubs. Newcastle is around 15 minutes away by train if you want bigger nights out and gigs.
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.
