Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Falmouth is a specialist creative university on the Cornish coast. Most courses are taught at Penryn Campus, which it shares with the University of Exeter, and some art and design courses are based at the smaller Falmouth Campus in town. First years live on or near campus, in Penryn or in Falmouth town, and the beach is never far away.
It's small and fairly remote. Big cities are hours away, and you'll rely on buses and the branch train line between Falmouth, Penryn and Truro. Halls aren't cheap either: most rooms cost around £180–£260 a week, though shared rooms at Glasney start at about £150. If you want to make things by the sea, it's a special place.
Known for
Falmouth University is 40th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 51.9, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 52 |
| 39 | University of Sheffield | 52 |
| 40 | Falmouth University | 51.9 |
| 41 | University of Strathclyde | 51.9 |
| 42 | University of Plymouth | 51.7 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
5th of 124 · Safety Score 73
5th of 123 · Happiness Score 68.7
9th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 72.6
18th of 124 · Freshers Score 64.9
25th of 124 · Societies Score 62.1
62nd of 124 · Sustainability Score 52.5
70th of 124 · Social Score 48.3
72nd of 124 · Innovation Score 54.3
97th of 124 · Nightlife Score 38.6
108th of 124 · Inclusion Score 36.6
Not enough published data to rank fairly
Not enough published data to rank fairly
Not enough published data to rank fairly
Not enough published data to rank fairly
Falmouth as a student city
Ranked 15th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 58.8.
Falmouth University appears in 19 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Design | 2nd | of 36 | 98 |
| Performing Arts | 3rd | of 37 | 117 |
| Creative Writing | 3rd | of 34 | 93 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 6th | of 60 | 148 |
| Fashion Design | 6th | of 49 | 125 |
| Graphic Design | 13th | of 68 | 152 |
| Photography | 9th | of 44 | 102 |
| Fine Art | 13th | of 58 | 135 |
| Film Production | 26th | of 87 | 163 |
| Product Design | 13th | of 43 | 103 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media and Communication | 24th | of 79 | 152 |
| Business and Management | 37th | of 114 | 174 |
| Marketing | 30th | of 88 | 149 |
| Computer Science | 37th | of 102 | 157 |
| Journalism | 22nd | of 59 | 112 |
| Music | 23rd | of 56 | 106 |
| Software Engineering | 24th | of 58 | 116 |
| Costume Design | 5th | of 10 | 43 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 27th | of 52 | 102 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Falmouth students share a students' union, the Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union (The SU), with University of Exeter students in Cornwall. It runs sports clubs, societies, volunteering and events across both campuses. On Penryn Campus, The Stannary is the bar, kitchen and events venue, and there's a sports centre and gym. Falmouth town has pubs, cafés and independent shops, and Gyllyngvase Beach is a 20-minute walk from Tuke House. Expect a laid-back, outdoorsy scene rather than big clubs.
University halls cost £149.66–£258.02 per week (2026/27, 40-week contracts) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Falmouth guarantees university owned, managed or approved accommodation for all first-year undergraduates who firmly accept their place. To get your preferences considered in the ballot, apply by the deadline: for 2026/27 applications opened on 10 March 2026 and the ballot closed at 5pm on 5 June 2026. After that, rooms go on a first-come, first-served basis and your preferences can't be guaranteed. Halls are managed by FX Plus, which runs services for both universities.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasney Student Village (shared studybed room) | Penryn Campus | shared en-suite room (two students) | £149.66/wk | The cheapest option: £5,986.40 for 40 weeks. About 35% of Glasney rooms are shared, with studybeds that rotate between bed and desk. A catered version costs £208.18 a week. |
| Tuke House | Falmouth town centre | en-suite | £177.87/wk | In the heart of Falmouth, 0.5 miles from Falmouth Campus, with a bus stop outside for Penryn. One room type: single en-suite in a shared flat. |
| The Sidings | Penryn (next to Penryn station) | en-suite and studios | £196.81/wk | Flats of 4–7 by Penryn station, 0.5 miles (about 15 minutes' walk) from Penryn Campus. Studios cost £214.71–£232.54 a week. The deposit is £150, not £300. |
| Packsaddle Hill | Penryn | en-suite and studios | £197.47/wk | Flats of 6–8 in wooded outskirts of Penryn, 0.4 miles (about 15 minutes' walk) from Penryn Campus. Studios cost £212.87–£251.44 a week. |
| Glasney Student Village (single en-suite) | Penryn Campus | en-suite | £199.50/wk | On campus, with over 1,500 Falmouth and Exeter students in flats of 6–9. Catered single en-suites cost £258.02 a week, with breakfast and dinner on weekdays for 36 weeks. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
A popular choice after first year: harbour, beaches, pubs and cafés, plus several private student blocks (such as Carrick View, The Quarry and Maritime Studios).
A small, quieter town close to Penryn Campus, with a train station and local pubs and eateries.
Cornwall's only city, reachable by train from Penryn. It has bigger shops, but you'd be commuting.
Top tip
Accept your offer first, then register on Room Service, the booking platform, and rank all the options. Get in before the June ballot deadline: after that it's first come, first served. Choosing a shared Glasney room is the cheapest way into halls. For second year, private listings go live on Cornwall Studentpad in January (20 January in 2026), and FX Plus runs a Housemate Finder Facebook group and 'Meet, Match, Move' events.
Halls cost £149.66 to £258.02 a week for 2026/27 on 40-week contracts, with bills, Wi-Fi and insurance included, plus a £150–£300 deposit. One final-year Exeter student at Penryn puts rooms locally at around £400–£800 a month including bills, and estimates spending about £65 a week on food, buses and fun. Buses are good value with the student weekly ticket.
Getting around
Penryn Campus and Falmouth town are about 20 minutes apart by bus. The Maritime Line trains link Falmouth, Penryn and Truro, and The Sidings is next to Penryn station. With a university email, the Transport for Cornwall app gives a weekly all-Cornwall bus ticket for £24 (2026/27). Expect steep hills if you walk or cycle.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Falmouth University is 40th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 51.9. Its strongest results are for safety (5th), student happiness (5th), student wellbeing (9th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Falmouth University places highest for Interior Design (2nd of 36), Performing Arts (3rd of 37), Creative Writing (3rd of 34). Across our awards, it also stands out for safety.
Yes. All first-year undergraduates who firmly accept their place are guaranteed university owned, managed or approved accommodation. Apply before the June ballot deadline (5 June in 2026) to have your ranked preferences considered fairly. After that, rooms are allocated first come, first served.
Only at Glasney Student Village on Penryn Campus. The catered package covers breakfast and dinner Monday to Friday, for 36 weeks of the 40-week contract. Packsaddle Hill, The Sidings and Tuke House are self-catered.
Possibly. About 35% of rooms at Glasney Student Village are shared, using studybeds that convert between bed and desk. They're the cheapest option at £149.66 a week. If you don't want to share, rank the single-room options higher, and apply before the ballot deadline.
Yes. Penryn Campus is shared with the University of Exeter. You'll share Glasney Student Village, the sports centre, The Stannary and the students' union with Exeter students.
By bus (about 20 minutes) or on the Maritime Line train between Penryn and Falmouth. With a university email, the Transport for Cornwall app gives you a weekly bus ticket covering all of Cornwall for £24.
Most move into shared houses or private student blocks in Falmouth and Penryn. The FX Plus accommodation office runs Cornwall Studentpad for private listings and holds housemate-matching events in January.
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.
