Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Queen Mary is a Russell Group university with something rare in London: a proper campus. The Mile End campus sits beside Regent's Canal in the East End, with halls, the library, the Students' Union and teaching buildings all together. Medicine and dentistry are based in Whitechapel and Charterhouse Square. The student body is one of the most diverse in the country.
The catch is London prices. Halls cost about £177–£329 a week for 2026/27, and private rents in east London are high. On the plus side, you can live on campus in your first year, central London is 15–20 minutes away on the Tube, and the East End's markets, food and nightlife are on your doorstep.
Known for
Queen Mary University of London is 86th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 44.3, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 84 | University of Manchester | 44.5 |
| 85 | University of West London | 44.4 |
| 86 | Queen Mary University of London | 44.3 |
| 87 | University of Sunderland | 44.2 |
| 88 | Birmingham City University | 44 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
33rd of 124 · Inclusion Score 69.2
44th of 124 · Nightlife Score 54.3
49th of 124 · Employability Score 33.3
56th of 124 · Innovation Score 56.7
61st of 124 · Social Score 50.1
61st of 122 · Careers Score 31.5
73rd of 124 · Sustainability Score 47.4
81st of 124 · Value Score 41.2
81st of 124 · Balance Score 38.3
87th of 124 · Societies Score 44.4
103rd of 124 · Freshers Score 42.4
105th of 124 · Safety Score 25
110th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 27.5
113th of 124 · Affordability Score 12.9
113th of 123 · Happiness Score 25.7
London as a student city
Ranked 72nd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 32.
Queen Mary University of London appears in 37 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linguistics | 7th | of 27 | 70 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 22nd | of 60 | 115 |
| Biochemistry | 24th | of 60 | 110 |
| Law | 40th | of 97 | 133 |
| Sociology | 36th | of 86 | 141 |
| Zoology | 16th | of 37 | 84 |
| Marketing | 41st | of 88 | 124 |
| Biomedical Science | 44th | of 93 | 120 |
| Performing Arts | 18th | of 37 | 81 |
| Engineering (General) | 15th | of 30 | 66 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 51st | of 102 | 141 |
| Business and Management | 58th | of 114 | 139 |
| Psychology | 55th | of 108 | 127 |
| International Relations | 37th | of 71 | 101 |
| Electrical Engineering | 35th | of 67 | 104 |
| Film Production | 46th | of 87 | 133 |
| Economics | 45th | of 85 | 114 |
| Physics | 24th | of 45 | 90 |
| English Language and Literature | 30th | of 54 | 88 |
| Pharmacology | 21st | of 37 | 61 |
| Neuroscience | 15th | of 26 | 60 |
| History | 44th | of 76 | 99 |
| Biology | 30th | of 51 | 78 |
| Politics | 46th | of 78 | 105 |
| Chemistry | 26th | of 44 | 77 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 39th | of 66 | 77 |
| Chemical Engineering | 18th | of 30 | 55 |
| Mathematics | 37th | of 61 | 88 |
| Statistics | 17th | of 27 | 55 |
| Geography | 40th | of 63 | 94 |
| Environmental Science | 30th | of 47 | 75 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 50th | of 77 | 103 |
| Aerospace Engineering 2026 table | 21st | of 30 | 51 |
| Robotics | 24th | of 32 | 52 |
| Medicine | 23rd | of 30 | 49 |
| Actuarial Science | 12th | of 14 | 29 |
| Dentistry | 8th | of 8 | 19 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Queen Mary Students' Union (QMSU) is based at the Students' Hub on the Mile End campus and runs clubs, societies and events. Because most first years live on campus, there's a strong community feel for a London university. Regent's Canal and Mile End Park are right next to campus for running, walking and cycling. Brick Lane, Shoreditch, Hackney and Stratford are a short Tube, bus or bike ride away, with endless food, markets, bars and gigs.
University halls cost £176.75–£329.07 per week for a single room (2026/27, 38.3-week licences; twin rooms from £144.27 per person) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
All new undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation students joining Queen Mary in September 2026 for their first year are guaranteed accommodation in university halls or with a partner provider, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and deadlines. The guarantee and deadlines are reviewed every year, and you won't necessarily get your preferred hall.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floyer House | Whitechapel | single (shared bathrooms) and twin | £176.75/wk | Close to the medical and dental school. Small singles from £176.75 a week, the cheapest single room in the portfolio. |
| Albert Stern House | Mile End | standard (shared bathroom), en-suite, studio and twin | £178.92/wk | Single standard rooms cost £178.92–£196.28 a week, en-suites £213.57 and studios £225.12. Twin rooms cost £144.27 per person. |
| Dawson Hall | Charterhouse Square | single, shared bathroom | £185.57/wk | Mainly for medical and dental students, near Barbican and Farringdon. Licence lengths can follow faculty term dates. |
| Lindop, Maynard and Varey Houses | Mile End campus | standard plus, shared bathroom | £205.45/wk | Shared-bathroom flats of four to six on campus, on a 38.3-week licence. |
| Aspire Point | Stratford | standard, en-suite and studio | £209.37/wk | On a 51-week licence. En-suites cost £218.89–£283.57, and studios (mainly for students with severe food allergies or medical needs) cost £329.07. |
| Chapman, Chesney, Selincourt and Lodge Houses | Mile End campus | en-suite economy | £217.70/wk | Private shower room with WC, five to six residents per flat. |
| Student Village (Beaumont, Creed, Lynden, Maurice and Pooley) | Mile End campus, by Regent's Canal | en-suite standard | £223.44/wk | £223.44–£229.39 a week. Pooley House sits on the edge of Regent's Canal. France House en-suites with a bath cost £233.59. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Walk or cycle to campus. A mix of council blocks, terraces and new-build flats near the canal and Victoria Park.
Close to both Mile End and the Whitechapel medical campus. Busy, diverse and full of cheap food.
Lively, with markets, bars and good Tube links. Popular with second and third years.
Newer flats near the Olympic Park and Westfield, a few stops east on the Central line.
Top tip
The housing application portal opens in March each year. Apply as soon as you hold an offer, for the right academic year, and set up multi-factor sign-in in advance. Halls are oversubscribed, so rank your preferences realistically. If you turn down your offer, you go to the back of a waiting list.
London is the most expensive place to be a student in the UK, so budget carefully. Queen Mary halls cost £176.75–£329.07 a week for a single room in 2026/27 (about £6,770–£12,600 for 38.3 weeks), including energy, Wi-Fi and contents insurance. Twin rooms are cheaper at £144.27 each. An 18+ Student Oyster cuts travel costs by 30% on passes.
Getting around
Mile End campus is between Mile End (Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines) and Stepney Green stations, so central London is about 15–20 minutes away. With an 18+ Student Oyster photocard, you get 30% off Travelcards and bus passes: a monthly bus and tram pass costs £66.50. Pay-as-you-go bus fares are £1.75 with the one-hour Hopper.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Queen Mary University of London is 86th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 44.3. Its strongest results are for inclusion (33rd).
Yes. All new first-year undergraduates starting in September are guaranteed a place in university halls or with a partner provider, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria and deadlines. Your preferred hall isn't guaranteed.
For 2026/27, single rooms cost £176.75–£329.07 a week on 38.3-week licences, so roughly £6,770–£12,600 for the year. Twin rooms cost £144.27 per person. Energy, water, Wi-Fi and contents insurance are included.
Yes. Most Queen Mary halls, including the Student Village by Regent's Canal, are on the Mile End campus, which is rare for a London university. Medical and dental students may be housed at Floyer House in Whitechapel or Dawson Hall in Charterhouse Square.
Yes. Queen Mary joined the Russell Group in 2012. It's also a member of the federal University of London.
Mile End station (Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines) is next to campus. Get an 18+ Student Oyster photocard for 30% off Travelcards and bus passes. Buses cost £1.75 with unlimited transfers within an hour.
No. All Queen Mary residences are self-catered. Bed linen, towels and kitchen equipment aren't provided, but you can buy packs through the university's online shop.
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.
