Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
LJMU is a large university spread across Liverpool city centre rather than tucked away on a campus. Science, engineering, health and sport are based at City Campus. Art, business, law, education and humanities are at Mount Pleasant. The Copperas Hill site, next to Lime Street station, sits between the two and houses the Student Life Building and sports centre.
For first years the deal is good: every new student who requests a room through LJMU is guaranteed city-centre accommodation, from about £101 a week. All halls are run by approved private partners, and none are catered. If you want a big-city student experience at a lower price than London or Manchester, it's a strong option.
Known for
Liverpool John Moores University is 32nd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 52.8, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | York St John University | 53.4 |
| 31 | Bath Spa University | 53.1 |
| 32 | Liverpool John Moores University | 52.8 |
| 33 | University of the Arts London | 52.7 |
| 34 | Cardiff University | 52.6 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
2nd of 124 · Nightlife Score 83.3
3rd of 124 · Social Score 76.2
14th of 124 · Societies Score 65.7
19th of 124 · Sustainability Score 65.5
45th of 124 · Innovation Score 59.8
54th of 124 · Balance Score 43.5
65th of 124 · Affordability Score 53.4
68th of 123 · Happiness Score 45.1
76th of 124 · Safety Score 39.4
77th of 124 · Inclusion Score 52.4
76th of 122 · Careers Score 28.7
79th of 124 · Employability Score 27.1
83rd of 124 · Freshers Score 50.2
88th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 44.9
96th of 124 · Value Score 37.4
Liverpool as a student city
Ranked 3rd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 64.8.
Liverpool John Moores University appears in 50 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineering | 4th | of 58 | 150 |
| Cyber Security | 5th | of 58 | 147 |
| Architecture | 5th | of 55 | 133 |
| Product Design | 4th | of 43 | 121 |
| Pharmacy | 3rd | of 32 | 105 |
| Human Resource Management | 6th | of 58 | 141 |
| Business and Management | 12th | of 114 | 209 |
| Computer Science | 11th | of 102 | 198 |
| Quantity Surveying | 4th | of 35 | 103 |
| Politics | 10th | of 78 | 152 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The Students' Union (JMSU) is based in the Student Life Building on Copperas Hill, with social spaces at several campus buildings including Byrom Street, Tithebarn Street, the John Lennon Art and Design Building and the Redmonds Building. It runs societies, Team LJMU sports, volunteering, a buddy scheme and a student radio station. The LJMU Sports Centre is on the same site. Beyond that, Liverpool itself is the draw: gigs, football, the waterfront and a big city-centre nightlife scene, all within walking distance of halls.
University halls cost £101–£210 per week (2027/28, 42-week contracts) (2027/28 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
LJMU says every new student is guaranteed a room in its approved city-centre accommodation if they request it through the university. You can only request a room once you've firmly accepted an offer from LJMU (insurance-choice holders can't apply). For September 2027 entry, requests open on 12 April 2027 via the Applicant Hub, and you can cancel for any reason without penalty until 27 August 2027. There's no deposit, and LJMU says booking through it gets you the cheapest price available. It can't guarantee a specific hall.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marybone 1 | City Campus side (L3 2BX) | shared bathroom | £101/wk | The cheapest room on the 2027/28 grid: £4,242 for 42 weeks. It has a gym, and some flats are set aside for postgraduate and mature students. |
| St Andrew's Gardens | Mount Pleasant side (L3 5XA) | shared bathroom | £106/wk | One of the budget options, recommended for Mount Pleasant students: £4,452 for 42 weeks. |
| Agnes Jones House | Mount Pleasant side (L8 7JZ) | shared bathroom, single bed | £107/wk | A cheap shared-bathroom hall: £4,494 for 42 weeks. |
| Prospect Point | City centre (L6 1BA) | en-suite | £133/wk | The cheapest en-suite on the grid: £5,586 for 42 weeks. |
| Atlantic Point | City Campus side (L3 6LS) | en-suite | £134/wk | Good value en-suite near City Campus: £5,628 for 42 weeks. Some flats are set aside for postgraduate and mature students. |
| Grand Central | City centre (L3 5GA) | en-suite | £158/wk | Central option: £158 a week with a single bed or £169 with a small double. |
| Byrom Point | City Campus side (L3 2AT) | en-suite | £193/wk | Pricier en-suite with a gym, close to City Campus buildings: £8,106 for 42 weeks. |
| Limelight | City centre (L3 8LH) | en-suite | £199/wk | The top of the range at £199–£210 a week (up to £8,820 for 42 weeks), with a gym. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Terraced houses east of the centre, cheaper but more mixed in feel.
The classic second-year student strip, busy with bars and takeaways, a bus ride from campus.
Lots of private purpose-built blocks. Convenient but pricier.
Top tip
Book through LJMU's Applicant Hub, not directly with a hall or another website. It's the only way to be sure you'll share with other new LJMU students, there's no deposit, and you get the cheapest price. Halls fill up, so request early if you have a favourite, and pick one near your campus: City Campus or Mount Pleasant. Tenancies are 42 weeks, and you can't shorten them.
LJMU halls are relatively affordable for a big city. For 2027/28 the cheapest shared-bathroom rooms are £101–£107 a week, and en-suites run from £133 to £210, all on 42-week contracts (about £4,242–£8,820 a year). There's no deposit if you book through LJMU. The university didn't publish a full living-cost estimate that I could verify, so budget separately for food, travel and going out.
Getting around
Everything is in the city centre, so most students walk between halls and campus. The Copperas Hill site is next to Liverpool Lime Street station and five minutes from Queens Square bus station. Merseytravel's bus network and Merseyrail trains cover the wider city region, and Lime Street has direct trains to London in just over two hours.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Liverpool John Moores University is 32nd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 52.8. Its strongest results are for nightlife (2nd), social life (3rd), student societies (14th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Liverpool John Moores University places highest for Pharmacy (3rd of 32). Across our awards, it also stands out for nightlife.
Yes. Every new LJMU student who requests accommodation through the university is guaranteed a room in approved city-centre halls. You need to have firmly accepted LJMU as your first choice. For September 2027, requests open on 12 April 2027, and you can cancel free of charge until 27 August 2027.
For 2027/28, rooms on LJMU's approved list run from £101 a week (shared bathroom, Marybone 1) to £210 a week (en-suite, Limelight), all on 42-week contracts. En-suites start at £133 a week at Prospect Point.
No. LJMU doesn't own or run any accommodation. Its approved halls are owned by private companies that bid to become partner providers. They're all members of the National Code and accredited by Liverpool Student Homes.
No. There's no catered accommodation, but every flat and studio has full kitchen facilities, and there are plenty of supermarkets and cafés in the city centre.
City Campus is home to engineering, technology, health, science and sport. Mount Pleasant houses art, business, law, education, social sciences and humanities. The Copperas Hill site, with the Student Life Building and Sports Centre, sits between the two. Check the university's Locations tool for your course.
Usually not for uni. LJMU's buildings and approved halls are all in or around the city centre, so most students walk. Merseytravel buses and Merseyrail trains cover the rest of the city, and Lime Street station is right next to Copperas Hill.
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.
