Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Robert Gordon University (RGU) is a practical, career-focused university on a single riverside campus at Garthdee, on the south-west edge of Aberdeen. It's strong in nursing and health, engineering, energy, computing, business, art and architecture. Most courses are built around getting you into work, and the campus is modern and green.
Aberdeen is affordable: RGU halls start at about £109 a week, which is cheap for the UK. The trade-offs are the weather, the distance from the rest of the UK, and the fact that the biggest halls are in the city centre, a bus ride from campus. If you want value and a clear route into a job, it's well worth a look.
Known for
Robert Gordon University is 52nd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 50.4, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | University of Brighton | 51 |
| 51 | Bishop Grosseteste University | 50.9 |
| 52 | Robert Gordon University | 50.4 |
| 53 | University of Salford | 50.4 |
| 54 | Oxford Brookes University | 49.8 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
25th of 122 · Careers Score 40.1
26th of 124 · Employability Score 39.2
32nd of 123 · Happiness Score 53.8
35th of 124 · Safety Score 51.3
38th of 124 · Sustainability Score 57.3
43rd of 124 · Wellbeing Score 54.3
46th of 124 · Value Score 50.8
51st of 124 · Freshers Score 57.4
52nd of 124 · Innovation Score 57.6
55th of 124 · Balance Score 43.5
70th of 124 · Societies Score 48
78th of 124 · Inclusion Score 52.4
83rd of 124 · Affordability Score 51.4
87th of 124 · Social Score 43.9
93rd of 124 · Nightlife Score 39.7
Aberdeen as a student city
Ranked 53rd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 47.
Robert Gordon University appears in 26 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Work | 3rd | of 67 | 179 |
| Fine Art | 6th | of 58 | 154 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 11th | of 77 | 162 |
| Criminology | 14th | of 94 | 182 |
| Media and Communication | 12th | of 79 | 170 |
| Cyber Security | 9th | of 58 | 139 |
| Computer Science | 16th | of 102 | 188 |
| Forensic Science | 5th | of 31 | 97 |
| Law | 18th | of 97 | 168 |
| Business and Management | 22nd | of 114 | 193 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Design | 7th | of 36 | 89 |
| Fashion Design | 10th | of 49 | 121 |
| Sports Science | 16th | of 78 | 157 |
| Biomedical Science | 22nd | of 93 | 156 |
| Film Production | 22nd | of 87 | 168 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 17th | of 66 | 105 |
| Midwifery | 14th | of 54 | 108 |
| Data Science | 13th | of 50 | 110 |
| Marketing | 26th | of 88 | 156 |
| Quantity Surveying | 11th | of 35 | 88 |
| Nursing | 27th | of 85 | 149 |
| Journalism | 19th | of 59 | 116 |
| Pharmacy | 12th | of 32 | 76 |
| Electrical Engineering | 27th | of 67 | 118 |
| Human Resource Management | 28th | of 58 | 106 |
| Accounting and Finance | 15th | of 30 | 165 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
RGU:Union, the students' association, runs societies, sport and representation, with presidents for education, societies and welfare, and sport. All RGU students get free RGU SPORT membership, a big perk. The ResLife team runs events and support in halls. Many students live at Woolmanhill in the city centre, close to Union Street's bars, restaurants and shops. Aberdeen is a compact granite city with a beach, and has a bigger student population once you add the University of Aberdeen.
University halls cost £101.92–£189.56 per week (2026/27; 42- or 49-week leases) (2026/27 prices).
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woolmanhill Flats | Aberdeen city centre | standard, standard with double bed, and en-suite | £109.13/wk | The biggest site, with 730 rooms in the heart of the city. Standard rooms cost £109.13 a week and en-suites £154.49 on a 42-week lease (cheaper per week on 49 weeks, from £101.92). |
| Garthdee Round and Square Towers | Garthdee campus | single room with partial en-suite (shower and sink) | £142.17/wk | The only on-campus option: 49 rooms close to all academic buildings. £5,971.14 for 42 weeks. |
| Crathie Student Village | Midway between the city centre and campus | en-suite | £189.56/wk | 96 en-suite rooms, with a 24-hour Asda, an Iceland and a Spar within 10 minutes' walk. £7,961.52 for 42 weeks. |
| Ramsay Development | Quiet residential area near campus | en-suite | £189.56/wk | 28 rooms for mature and postgraduate students only. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Close to shops, bars and the station. Lots of tenement flats, and a bus ride out to Garthdee.
A popular residential area just north-west of the centre with independent shops and cafés.
Quieter streets south of the centre, handy for both town and the Garthdee bus routes.
Top tip
Accept your place on a course first, then register and apply online for the 2026/27 session. You can choose a 42-week lease (September to early July) or a 49-week lease (to late August), which is cheaper per week but costs more overall. Rent includes contents insurance, and you can pay in 3–4 instalments or monthly.
Aberdeen is one of the most affordable student cities in the UK, and RGU's halls are cheap by national standards. The university estimates a total budget of about £1,157–£1,480 a month including accommodation. It suggests around £50–£60 a week for food and toiletries and £55 a week for personal spending. RGU SPORT is free, which saves on a gym.
Getting around
Garthdee campus is on the south-west edge of Aberdeen, so if you live at Woolmanhill or in town you'll take the bus. First Bus Aberdeen fares are about £2.25 a journey, with student day tickets from £4.30 and FirstWeek passes from £18.60. If you're under 22 and live in Scotland, bus travel is free with a National Entitlement or Young Scot card.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Robert Gordon University is 52nd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 50.4. Its strongest results are for career prospects (25th), employability (26th), student happiness (32nd).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Robert Gordon University places highest for Social Work (3rd of 67). Across our awards, it also stands out for career prospects.
For 2026/27, rooms cost from £109.13 a week (Woolmanhill standard room, 42 weeks) to £189.56 a week (Crathie en-suite, 42 weeks). The 49-week leases are slightly cheaper per week, from £101.92.
Only a small number of students can. Garthdee Towers has 49 rooms with a shower and sink on the riverside campus. Most first years live at Woolmanhill in the city centre or at Crathie Student Village, between the city and campus.
No. They're two separate universities in the same city. RGU is at Garthdee on the south-west edge of Aberdeen and focuses on professional and practical courses. The University of Aberdeen is the older university, based mainly in Old Aberdeen.
No. It's one of the more affordable student cities. RGU estimates total living costs, including rent, at about £1,157–£1,480 a month, and its halls start at about £102–£109 a week.
If you live in Scotland and are under 22, you can travel free on buses with a National Entitlement or Young Scot card. Otherwise, First Bus fares are about £2.25 a journey, with student day tickets from £4.30.
Yes. All current RGU students get free RGU SPORT membership, according to the university's cost-of-living page.
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.
