Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
UEL is a big, diverse university in east London, with three sites in Newham. The waterfront Docklands Campus at Royal Albert Dock is the largest and has on-campus student accommodation, with Cyprus DLR station right next to it. The Stratford Campus and University Square Stratford sit near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Westfield.
With around 27,000 students, UEL is a large, career-focused university with strong sport, health and psychology courses. The trade-off is London prices: rent and day-to-day costs are higher than almost anywhere else in the UK, so budget carefully.
Known for
The University of East London is 119th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.7, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 117 | University of Wolverhampton | 35.6 |
| 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 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
30th of 124 · Inclusion Score 70.1
80th of 124 · Nightlife Score 44.8
82nd of 124 · Sustainability Score 45.5
103rd of 124 · Innovation Score 43.4
107th of 124 · Social Score 38.3
107th of 124 · Safety Score 24.3
116th of 124 · Freshers Score 35.8
116th of 123 · Happiness Score 23.2
120th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 19.9
121st of 124 · Societies Score 31.4
122nd of 124 · Value Score 14.9
122nd of 124 · Affordability Score 5.8
123rd of 124 · Balance Score 17.5
122nd of 122 · Careers Score 10.7
124th of 124 · Employability Score 10.6
London as a student city
Ranked 72nd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 32.
The University of East London appears in 43 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Design | 15th | of 36 | 72 |
| Pharmacology | 16th | of 37 | 69 |
| Psychology | 47th | of 108 | 137 |
| Architecture | 25th | of 55 | 104 |
| Data Science | 23rd | of 50 | 92 |
| Marketing | 41st | of 88 | 124 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 31st | of 66 | 87 |
| Business and Management | 55th | of 114 | 143 |
| Quantity Surveying | 17th | of 35 | 79 |
| Graphic Design | 34th | of 68 | 114 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 43rd | of 85 | 121 |
| Biomedical Science | 48th | of 93 | 110 |
| Computer Science | 54th | of 102 | 135 |
| Cyber Security | 31st | of 58 | 107 |
| Law | 53rd | of 97 | 114 |
| Civil Engineering | 33rd | of 58 | 92 |
| Public Health | 8th | of 14 | 44 |
| Physiotherapy | 28th | of 49 | 84 |
| Teaching | 46th | of 79 | 108 |
| International Relations | 42nd | of 71 | 92 |
| Primary Education | 35th | of 59 | 103 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 47th | of 77 | 108 |
| Midwifery | 33rd | of 54 | 73 |
| Electrical Engineering | 42nd | of 67 | 85 |
| Criminology | 59th | of 94 | 89 |
| Politics | 49th | of 78 | 98 |
| Economics | 54th | of 85 | 91 |
| Media and Communication | 51st | of 79 | 98 |
| Biochemistry | 39th | of 60 | 75 |
| Fashion Design | 32nd | of 49 | 86 |
| Social Work | 44th | of 67 | 104 |
| Music | 37th | of 56 | 74 |
| Journalism | 39th | of 59 | 81 |
| Engineering (General) | 20th | of 30 | 49 |
| Fine Art | 41st | of 58 | 82 |
| Product Design | 31st | of 43 | 66 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 39th | of 52 | 65 |
| Human Resource Management | 44th | of 58 | 67 |
| Photography | 35th | of 44 | 43 |
| Occupational Therapy | 32nd | of 40 | 58 |
| Surveying | 20th | of 24 | 40 |
| Aeronautical Engineering | 7th | of 8 | 24 |
| Biotechnology | 9th | of 10 | 24 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The University of East London Students' Union (UELSU) runs societies, sports clubs and student events. Residential Life in UEL's halls puts on regular socials, from film nights to Premier League screenings. SportsDock at Docklands is a major sports hub. Stratford has Westfield, the Olympic Park and plenty of bars and food. The DLR and Elizabeth line put the rest of London, including Canary Wharf and the West End, within easy reach.
University halls cost £182–£238 per week (2026/27, all en-suite or studio at Docklands Student Village, bills included; full academic year 12 Sep 2026 – 6 Jun 2027, 267 nights) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
UEL guarantees accommodation to new home, EU and international students who are 18 or over, starting their first year, studying full-time and holding an Unconditional Firm offer, provided they apply by the guarantee deadline. For 2026/27 that meant applying by Monday 1 June 2026, paying the £250 refundable security deposit by Wednesday 1 July 2026, and accepting the room offer on the portal within seven days of confirmation. Care leavers, estranged students, students with a relevant disability and refugees are guaranteed on the same terms, with evidence from the local authority. You can apply with a conditional firm offer, but it isn't verified until it becomes unconditional. Second-round applications (by 6 July 2026) aren't guaranteed. UEL can't house under-18s. 2027/28 deadlines hadn't been published when checked (October 2026).
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Halls (West standard) | Docklands campus (Royal Albert Dock) | en-suite (10 sq m) | £182/wk | The cheapest rooms (68 of them): £26 a night, or £6,942 for the full academic year. Sold out for 2026/27. |
| Premium West Halls (Felix, Kwame, Jamilah and Ailsa Houses) | Docklands campus | en-suite (10 sq m), refurbished premium kitchen | £189/wk | The cheapest room still available for 2026/27 and the largest group (308 rooms): £7,209 for the full academic year. UEL's headline 'from £189 a week' price. |
| East Halls (East standard) | Docklands campus | en-suite (13 sq m) in flats of 5–7 | £210/wk | The biggest block of rooms (506): £8,010 for the full academic year. Four-bed and dockside detached flats cost £217 a week. |
| Premium East Halls (Longbridge House) | Docklands campus | en-suite (13–17 sq m), refurbished | £224/wk | Recently refurbished, with dock-facing kitchens in the four-bed flats. £224–£231 a week. All premium East rooms were sold out for 2026/27. |
| East Halls studios | Docklands campus | self-contained studio (14.58 sq m) | £238/wk | 100 studios with your own kitchen: £9,078 for the full academic year. The most expensive option. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Busy and well connected, near the Olympic Park and Westfield, with lots of private student blocks.
about £600–£900 a month for a room in a shared house, bills usually extra (UEL blog, Aug 2025)/wk
Near the Docklands campus on the DLR. Often a bit cheaper than other parts of London.
about £600–£900 a month for a room in a shared house, bills usually extra (UEL blog, Aug 2025)/wk
Residential east London areas with good transport links and relatively lower rents for London.
Top tip
Apply on the accommodation portal as early as you can. Rooms are allocated first come, first served, and the cheapest West and premium East rooms had sold out for 2026/27. To be guaranteed a room you need an Unconditional Firm offer, an application in by 1 June and the £250 deposit paid by 1 July (2026 dates). Rent includes all utilities, Wi-Fi up to 100 Mbps and 24/7 security, and the halls are right by Cyprus DLR station. If you rent privately, UELSU (East London Students' Union) and UEL's SMART team give free housing advice.
London is expensive, but east London is among its cheaper parts. UEL's on-campus rooms cost £182–£238 a week in 2026/27 (about £6,900–£9,100 for the academic year), with bills included. UEL advises international students to budget about £1,300–£1,800 a month for accommodation, food, travel and bills. A UEL blog puts a room in a private shared house nearby at £600–£900 a month, plus bills.
Getting around
Docklands Campus has Cyprus DLR station right next door, and Stratford is one of London's best-connected hubs (Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, DLR and Overground). The campuses are in London fare zones 2–3, so a student Oyster photocard can cut travel costs.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of East London is 119th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.7. Its strongest results are for inclusion (30th).
UEL has three sites in Newham, east London: Docklands Campus at Royal Albert Dock (the largest, with student accommodation), Stratford Campus, and University Square Stratford.
Yes. UEL has on-campus student accommodation at Docklands, which Wikipedia puts at around 1,200 rooms. You book through UEL's accommodation portal. Check uel.ac.uk for current prices and room types.
Take the DLR to Cyprus station, which is right next to the campus. Stratford, home to the other two campuses, is a major transport hub on the Elizabeth line, Central and Jubilee lines, DLR and Overground.
SportsDock is UEL's £21 million sports and academic centre at Docklands. It opened in 2012 and was Team USA's high-performance training centre during the London 2012 Olympics.
It's London, so living costs are higher than in most UK cities. East London tends to be cheaper than central or west London, and living on campus at Docklands cuts commuting costs.
Yes. UEL is a member of MillionPlus, the association of modern universities.
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.
