Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
The University of Lancashire, known until 2025 as UCLan, is a big university based in the city of Preston. Its main campus sits right next to the city centre and Preston station, and a £200m redevelopment has added a new Student Centre and University Square. There are also campuses in Burnley, West Cumbria and London.
Its big selling point is cost. On-campus halls start at just £89 a week for 2026/27, with bills included, and every new full-time Preston student is guaranteed a room. Preston isn't a huge city, but it's well connected, with direct trains to Manchester, Liverpool and London.
Known for
The University of Lancashire is 115th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 36.9, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 113 | University of Suffolk | 37.2 |
| 114 | SOAS University of London | 37 |
| 115 | University of Central Lancashire | 36.9 |
| 116 | Middlesex University | 36.2 |
| 117 | University of Wolverhampton | 35.6 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
46th of 124 · Affordability Score 58.4
66th of 124 · Inclusion Score 56.6
75th of 124 · Sustainability Score 47
101st of 123 · Happiness Score 35.9
105th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 34.7
107th of 124 · Freshers Score 41.2
107th of 122 · Careers Score 21.1
109th of 124 · Balance Score 33.2
110th of 124 · Employability Score 20.3
110th of 124 · Innovation Score 39.8
110th of 124 · Value Score 31.8
112th of 124 · Social Score 36.5
114th of 124 · Nightlife Score 30.6
115th of 124 · Societies Score 35.4
122nd of 124 · Safety Score 17.2
Preston as a student city
Ranked 68th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 37.3.
The University of Lancashire appears in 52 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Design | 27th | of 68 | 125 |
| Anthropology | 10th | of 24 | 67 |
| Midwifery | 23rd | of 54 | 89 |
| Fashion Design | 21st | of 49 | 105 |
| Journalism | 27th | of 59 | 99 |
| Business and Management | 56th | of 114 | 141 |
| Civil Engineering | 29th | of 58 | 97 |
| History | 38th | of 76 | 110 |
| Marketing | 45th | of 88 | 119 |
| Mathematics | 32nd | of 61 | 98 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The Students' Union runs societies, sports clubs and events, and sits opposite Pendle Hall on the Preston campus. The halls team runs a programme of events, from a moving-in barbecue to Halloween and Christmas nights. The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre is on campus, and the new Student Centre and University Square are the hub of the campus. Preston city centre, with its shops and bars, is a short walk away.
University halls cost £89–£161 per week (2026/27 Preston halls, 42-week tenancy, bills included) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
The university says: "We guarantee a room in halls, on campus, for all new full-time students at our Preston Campus." Room offers come with a response deadline, and accepting an offer is a legally binding contract. If you don't pay your rent in full when accepting, you'll be asked for a guarantor.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derwent Hall | Preston campus | shared bathroom | £89/wk | 16 flats of five or six, a few minutes from the library, the Students' Union and the Student Centre. |
| Douglas Hall | Preston campus | shared bathroom | £89/wk | One of the cheapest options at £89 a week. |
| Ribble Hall | Preston campus | economy or premium standard (both shared bathroom) | £89/wk | Economy rooms £89, premium £103. 5–10 minutes' walk to the library and about 15 minutes to the city centre. |
| Whitendale Hall | Preston campus | economy or premium standard (both shared bathroom) | £89/wk | One of the larger halls, with over 80 flats, a couple of minutes from the library. Premium rooms are £103. |
| Pendle Hall | Preston campus (opposite the SU) | self-contained flats and two-bedroom flats | £126/wk | Up to £161 a week. 27 self-contained flats with their own kitchen and shower room, for students who want to live alone. |
| Roeburn Hall | Preston campus (Pedder Street) | en-suite | £133/wk | Close to the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. |
| Sandygate Hall | Burnley campus | en-suite | £142/wk | 136 en-suite rooms, about a minute's walk from Victoria Mill. |
| Summergrove Hall Catered | Westlakes campus, West Cumbria | en-suite, optional catering | £146/wk | For Westlakes students. Optional catering (breakfast and evening meal) is £81 extra, making £227 a week. Close to the Lake District. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Walkable to campus and close to the station, with lots of flats and purpose-built blocks.
A residential area west of campus, popular for shared houses.
Just north of campus, with lots of terraced student houses.
Top tip
As a new full-time student at Preston, you're guaranteed a room, so you can focus on picking the right hall. If budget is key, list the £89 halls (Derwent, Douglas, Ribble economy and Whitendale economy) first, but bear in mind they share bathrooms. Respond to your room offer by its deadline and check it carefully before accepting, as it's a binding contract. Paying in full avoids needing a guarantor.
This is one of the cheapest places in the UK to be a student. The university says Preston has the lowest student cost of living in the UK, and its 2026/27 halls start at £89 a week on a 42-week tenancy, with bills included. That's about £3,738 for the year. Premium standard rooms are £103, en-suites £133–£142, and self-contained flats up to £161. Most students walk everywhere, which saves on travel too.
Getting around
Preston is compact and walkable: all halls are a short walk from campus, and the city centre is about 15 minutes on foot. Preston station is 5–10 minutes' walk from campus, with direct trains to Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Lancaster, London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The bus station is about 10 minutes' walk, and several buses stop on campus.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of Lancashire is 115th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 36.9.
Yes. The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) was renamed the University of Lancashire in 2025. It's still based in Preston, and it's a different institution from Lancaster University.
Yes. It guarantees a room in on-campus halls for all new full-time students at its Preston campus.
For 2026/27, Preston halls cost £89–£161 a week on a 42-week tenancy, with bills included. Economy rooms are £89 and premium standard rooms £103, both with shared bathrooms; en-suites start at £133 (Roeburn Hall), and self-contained flats at Pendle Hall are £126–£161.
Not in Preston: the Preston halls are self-catered. Summergrove Hall at the Westlakes campus in Cumbria offers optional catering (breakfast and evening meal) for an extra £81 a week.
About 5–10 minutes' walk. Preston has direct trains to Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Lancaster, London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Most courses are at the main Preston campus, but some are taught at Burnley, Westlakes in West Cumbria, or London. Check your course page, as the guarantee applies to new full-time students at Preston.
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.
