Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Kingston is a London university that feels more like a lively riverside town. The main Penrhyn Road campus is close to Kingston town centre and the Thames. Art, design and architecture students are at Knights Park, and engineering is out at Roehampton Vale. Halls are spread across Kingston and Surbiton, linked by a cheap electric intersite bus.
You get London on your doorstep without living in the middle of it, but you still pay London prices. Halls cost £159–£263 a week for 2026/27, and a weekly zones 1–6 Travelcard is over £50. It's especially strong for creative subjects, and Kingston town is a good place to be a student.
Known for
Kingston University is 75th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 46.1, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | University College London | 46.3 |
| 74 | Canterbury Christ Church University | 46.2 |
| 75 | Kingston University | 46.1 |
| 76 | De Montfort University | 46 |
| 77 | Leeds Beckett University | 45.8 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
1st of 124 · Inclusion Score 84.2
24th of 124 · Safety Score 57.1
30th of 124 · Nightlife Score 58.3
66th of 124 · Societies Score 48.6
68th of 124 · Social Score 48.9
77th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 47.7
83rd of 124 · Value Score 41
86th of 124 · Sustainability Score 43.6
90th of 124 · Freshers Score 48.8
92nd of 124 · Innovation Score 48.5
93rd of 123 · Happiness Score 39.4
98th of 124 · Affordability Score 44.4
100th of 124 · Employability Score 22.5
99th of 122 · Careers Score 22.3
101st of 124 · Balance Score 35.3
Kingston upon Thames as a student city
Ranked 24th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 55.1.
Kingston University appears in 43 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Design | 4th | of 36 | 96 |
| Social Work | 11th | of 67 | 163 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 12th | of 66 | 115 |
| Midwifery | 10th | of 54 | 114 |
| Cyber Security | 14th | of 58 | 131 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 15th | of 60 | 126 |
| Fashion Design | 13th | of 49 | 118 |
| Creative Writing | 10th | of 34 | 79 |
| Photography | 13th | of 44 | 92 |
| Graphic Design | 21st | of 68 | 139 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | 18th | of 58 | 117 |
| Teaching | 25th | of 79 | 144 |
| Aerospace Engineering 2026 table | 10th | of 30 | 83 |
| Quantity Surveying | 12th | of 35 | 86 |
| Nursing | 30th | of 85 | 143 |
| Computer Science | 36th | of 102 | 158 |
| Forensic Science | 11th | of 31 | 85 |
| Biomedical Science | 33rd | of 93 | 142 |
| Primary Education | 21st | of 59 | 126 |
| Criminology | 34th | of 94 | 154 |
| Chemistry | 17th | of 44 | 96 |
| Law | 39th | of 97 | 135 |
| Pharmacy | 13th | of 32 | 74 |
| Sports Science | 32nd | of 78 | 129 |
| Business and Management | 47th | of 114 | 155 |
| Geography | 26th | of 63 | 120 |
| Marketing | 37th | of 88 | 137 |
| Psychology | 46th | of 108 | 138 |
| Fine Art | 25th | of 58 | 121 |
| Robotics | 14th | of 32 | 85 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 23rd | of 52 | 106 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 35th | of 77 | 132 |
| Biochemistry | 28th | of 60 | 105 |
| Electrical Engineering | 32nd | of 67 | 107 |
| Pharmacology | 18th | of 37 | 65 |
| Product Design | 22nd | of 43 | 90 |
| Economics | 44th | of 85 | 115 |
| Surveying | 13th | of 24 | 65 |
| Architecture | 32nd | of 55 | 92 |
| Supply Chain Management | 7th | of 12 | 36 |
| Environmental Science | 29th | of 47 | 76 |
| Media and Communication | 52nd | of 79 | 95 |
| Real Estate | 15th | of 22 | 52 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The Union of Kingston Students (UKS) is based in the Penrhyn Road main building and runs clubs, societies, events and representation. Town House, on the same campus, has a library, dance studios, a studio theatre and cafés, and is open to the local community too. Kingston town centre has plenty of shops, riverside pubs and restaurants. Central London is close enough for gigs, galleries and nights out.
University halls cost £159–£263 per week (2026 prices; standard licence 40 weeks, bills included) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Kingston doesn't state an accommodation guarantee on its halls pages. Halls are open to new full-time first-year students. Once you've made Kingston your firm choice, you can access the booking portal when it opens for your licence type and choose your room yourself. You'll need to pay a £250 advance payment to secure your booking.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seething Wells | Surbiton, by the River Thames | micro, budget, standard and premium en-suites | £159/wk | Kingston's largest hall. Micro en-suites from £159 (not recommended if you're over 1.8m), budget en-suites £184, standard £217, premium £242–£263. About 20 minutes' walk to Penrhyn Road. Has quieter flats. |
| Clayhill | Surbiton | en-suite | £184/wk | Over 700 en-suite rooms with kitchens shared by four. About 20 minutes' walk to Penrhyn Road and Knights Park. Surbiton station is 15 minutes' walk away. |
| Middle Mill | Knights Park campus | standard non en-suite (sink in room) | £195/wk | A small, close-knit hall 2 minutes from Knights Park and 10 minutes' walk to Penrhyn Road. Handy for art and design students. |
| Chancellors Hall | Kingston Hill campus | en-suite | £207/wk | Refurbished, eco-friendly hall on the Kingston Hill campus. Affordable en-suites £207, standard £217. Premium rooms (£242) are for postgraduates and longer licences. |
| Walkden Hall | Kingston Hill campus | en-suite | £217/wk | Modern en-suites on Kingston Hill, 15 minutes by intersite bus to Roehampton Vale. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Close to Penrhyn Road and Knights Park, with shops and riverside pubs, but rents are high.
A quieter suburb with quick trains into central London, near the Seething Wells and Clayhill halls.
Just east of the town centre and handy for Kingston Hill, often a bit cheaper.
Further out and residential, with good transport and more affordable houses.
Top tip
Make Kingston your firm choice so you can get into the booking portal on the day it opens for your licence type. Rooms are self-selected, so be ready to book as soon as it opens. Choose halls near your campus, as some sites are up to an hour apart by intersite bus. Fees are paid in three instalments (October, January, April) after your £250 advance payment.
Kingston comes with London costs. University halls run from £159 to £263 a week in 2026/27, with most en-suites £184–£217 on a 40-week licence and bills included. The university's own guide puts a minimum weekly grocery bill at £40+ and a zones 1–6 weekly Travelcard at £54.60. The Kingston Bursary is available for household incomes under £25,000.
Getting around
All halls are served by an intersite bus run by Falcon Coaches, with electric buses and a flat fare of £1.10. It also stops in Kingston town centre and at Surbiton station. A London bus fare is £1.75 (Hopper), and students aged 18+ get 30% off Travelcards and bus passes with a Student Oyster photocard.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Kingston University is 75th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 46.1. Its strongest results are for inclusion (1st), safety (24th), nightlife (30th).
Yes. Kingston upon Thames is a London borough in the south-west of the city, and central London is about half an hour away by train. It feels more like a riverside town than inner London, though.
For 2026, rooms cost £159–£263 a week. Most en-suites are £184–£217. The standard licence is 40 weeks, and you pay a £250 advance to secure your room.
Make Kingston your firm choice, then log into the accommodation portal when it opens for your licence type and pick your room. Halls are for new full-time first-year students.
Many students walk. All halls are on the intersite bus route, which uses electric buses and has a flat £1.10 fare. It also serves Kingston town centre and Surbiton station.
It depends on your course. Penrhyn Road is the main campus, Knights Park is home to Kingston School of Art, and engineering (aerospace, automotive and mechanical) is at Roehampton Vale. Kingston Hill is the other main campus.
Yes. With an 18+ Student Oyster photocard, you get 30% off adult Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets. A single bus journey costs £1.75 with the Hopper fare.
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.
