Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
London South Bank is a practical, career-focused university with its main campus at Elephant and Castle, right in zone 1. You can walk to the South Bank, Borough Market and the river, and the Tube and buses put the whole of London within reach. It has a big offer in health, nursing and engineering, and a very diverse student body, with many Londoners who commute.
LSBU's own halls are its big selling point: two residences with over 900 en-suite rooms, all within a ten-minute walk of campus, from £215 a week for 2026/27 with bills and gym access included. That's still a lot of money, and London living costs are the highest in the UK, so budget carefully.
Known for
London South Bank University is 120th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.4, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 118 | University of Bedfordshire | 35.5 |
| 119 | University of East London | 34.7 |
| 120 | London South Bank University | 34.4 |
| 121 | University of Roehampton | 34.3 |
| 122 | Buckinghamshire New University | 33.5 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
21st of 124 · Inclusion Score 72.6
70th of 122 · Careers Score 29.1
74th of 124 · Employability Score 28.9
74th of 124 · Nightlife Score 46.7
101st of 124 · Social Score 40.5
116th of 124 · Sustainability Score 26.1
116th of 124 · Value Score 23.5
117th of 124 · Safety Score 21.5
118th of 124 · Societies Score 33.8
119th of 124 · Balance Score 25.7
119th of 124 · Affordability Score 8.9
120th of 124 · Freshers Score 32
120th of 124 · Innovation Score 31
121st of 124 · Wellbeing Score 19.2
121st of 123 · Happiness Score 18
London as a student city
Ranked 72nd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 32.
London South Bank University appears in 31 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiography | 15th | of 29 | 64 |
| Chemical Engineering | 19th | of 30 | 43 |
| Midwifery | 35th | of 54 | 66 |
| Biomedical Science | 61st | of 93 | 78 |
| Business and Management | 76th | of 114 | 103 |
| Criminology | 63rd | of 94 | 66 |
| Electrical Engineering | 45th | of 67 | 72 |
| Psychology | 73rd | of 108 | 81 |
| Computer Science | 70th | of 102 | 97 |
| Social Work | 46th | of 67 | 102 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Science | 55th | of 78 | 63 |
| Marketing | 63rd | of 88 | 59 |
| Economics | 61st | of 85 | 72 |
| Media and Communication | 57th | of 79 | 63 |
| Teaching | 57th | of 79 | 53 |
| Architecture | 40th | of 55 | 52 |
| Law | 71st | of 97 | 75 |
| Physiotherapy | 36th | of 49 | 59 |
| Film Production | 64th | of 87 | 75 |
| Nursing | 63rd | of 85 | 81 |
| Civil Engineering | 43rd | of 58 | 54 |
| Quantity Surveying | 26th | of 35 | 40 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 59th | of 77 | 80 |
| Product Design | 33rd | of 43 | 52 |
| Sociology | 66th | of 86 | 58 |
| International Relations | 55th | of 71 | 38 |
| Politics | 62nd | of 78 | 41 |
| Forensic Science | 25th | of 31 | 57 |
| Information Technology | 17th | of 21 | 30 |
| Surveying | 21st | of 24 | 25 |
| Occupational Therapy | 37th | of 40 | 39 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
LSBU's Students' Union runs clubs, societies and events, and halls have Residential Community Ambassadors who organise quiz nights, karaoke and study sessions. The real draw is the location: the Ministry of Sound is next to David Bomberg House, and Borough Market, the Southbank Centre and Mercato Metropolitano are a short walk away. Many students commute from home, so campus life is busiest in the daytime.
University halls cost £215–£295 per week (2026/27, bills, wifi, contents insurance and gym included) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
We couldn't find a formal accommodation guarantee on LSBU's pages. You can apply once you hold an offer (conditional applications aren't processed until you've met your conditions and accepted). For 2026/27, allocation started on 1 June 2026 and ran every two weeks until September, based on the Accommodation Allocation policy. When you accept a room you pay £300 advance rent (not a deposit; it comes off your final instalment).
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren House | St George's Circus, SE1 (5 minutes' walk to Southwark campus) | en-suite | £215/wk | The bigger hall, home to about 620 students. Standard en-suites £215 a week (£8,415.71 for 39 weeks + 1 day); large-bed en-suites £233; superior en-suites £279–£295. |
| David Bomberg House | Borough, SE1 (5 minutes' walk to Southwark campus) | en-suite | £215/wk | Home to 296 students, next to Ministry of Sound and 10 minutes from Borough Market. En-suites £215 a week on 39-week (£8,415.71) or 48-week (£10,350.71) contracts; large-bed £233; superior large-bed £295. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Right by campus, busy and well connected, with lots of new-build student blocks.
Quieter and residential, a short walk south-west of campus.
Lively south London areas with cheaper (for London) rents, a short bus ride away.
Close to Borough and London Bridge, but pricier.
Top tip
Choose the right contract length: non-healthcare students need a 39-week lease (12 September 2026 to 13 June 2027), while healthcare students need 48 weeks because of earlier starts and placements. Allocation runs in rounds every two weeks from 1 June, so apply as soon as you can. Have £300 ready for the advance rent when you accept.
London is the most expensive place in the UK to be a student. LSBU's halls are good value for zone 1, but a standard en-suite is still £215 a week for 2026/27, or £8,415.71 for a 39-week contract, with bills, wifi, insurance and gym access included. Healthcare students on 48-week contracts pay £10,350.71. Budget for London transport, food and going out on top.
Getting around
LSBU's Southwark campus is at Elephant and Castle in zone 1, with Tube (Northern and Bakerloo lines), rail and lots of bus routes. Both halls are a five-minute walk from campus. A TfL bus journey costs £1.75 with pay as you go (daily cap £5.25), rising to £1.85 (cap £5.55) from 1 November 2026. Students can get an 18+ Student Oyster photocard for discounted Travelcards and bus passes.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
London South Bank University is 120th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.4. Its strongest results are for inclusion (21st).
The main Southwark campus is at Elephant and Castle, in zone 1 of central London, on Borough Road. The South Bank, Borough Market and London Bridge are all within walking distance.
For 2026/27, en-suite rooms start at £215 a week, rising to £233 for a large bed and £279–£295 for superior rooms. A standard room is £8,415.71 for 39 weeks. Bills, wifi, contents insurance and gym access are included.
We couldn't find a formal guarantee. Rooms are allocated in rounds every two weeks from 1 June until September, based on the university's allocation policy. Apply as soon as you have an offer.
Both McLaren House and David Bomberg House are about a five-minute walk from the Southwark campus, so you can walk to lectures.
LSBU says healthcare students arrive earlier and are likely to go on placement, so they need the 48-week lease (5 September 2026 to 8 August 2027). Everyone else takes the 39-week lease.
Elephant and Castle has Tube, rail and bus links. A bus journey costs £1.75 on pay as you go (£1.85 from 1 November 2026), with daily and weekly caps. An 18+ Student Oyster photocard gives discounted Travelcards and bus passes.
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.
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