Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Liverpool is a big, historic Russell Group university with a campus at the top of Brownlow Hill, a ten-minute walk from the city centre. First years either live on the city campus, close to lectures and nightlife, or at Greenbank Student Village, a leafy halls site about three miles out by the student areas around Smithdown Road and Lark Lane.
The city is a huge part of the draw: it's friendly, compact, full of music and football, and cheaper than many big student cities. Halls aren't the cheapest in the north, though, at about £182 a week upwards, and popular city-centre halls can sell out early.
Known for
The University of Liverpool is 28th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 53.4, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | University of Glasgow | 53.9 |
| 27 | Northumbria University | 53.7 |
| 28 | University of Liverpool | 53.4 |
| 29 | University of Portsmouth | 53.4 |
| 30 | York St John University | 53.4 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
1st of 124 · Nightlife Score 85.2
2nd of 124 · Social Score 77.3
9th of 124 · Societies Score 67
31st of 124 · Balance Score 49.2
34th of 124 · Innovation Score 61.7
44th of 124 · Sustainability Score 56.2
47th of 124 · Value Score 50.4
61st of 124 · Affordability Score 55.1
63rd of 124 · Freshers Score 55.2
63rd of 124 · Inclusion Score 58.2
73rd of 124 · Employability Score 29.2
72nd of 122 · Careers Score 29
78th of 124 · Safety Score 37.6
81st of 124 · Wellbeing Score 47.1
90th of 123 · Happiness Score 40.6
Liverpool as a student city
Ranked 3rd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 64.8.
The University of Liverpool appears in 51 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 7th | of 85 | 179 |
| Civil Engineering | 5th | of 58 | 140 |
| Robotics | 3rd | of 32 | 102 |
| Veterinary Science | 1st | of 10 | 50 |
| Radiography | 3rd | of 29 | 89 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 8th | of 77 | 171 |
| Music | 7th | of 56 | 133 |
| Biochemistry | 8th | of 60 | 145 |
| Software Engineering | 8th | of 58 | 140 |
| Product Design | 6th | of 43 | 118 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The Liverpool Guild of Students sits on campus and supports over 200 societies, as well as volunteering and a busy events programme, including alcohol-free socials. The city centre and its bars, gig venues and clubs are a ten-minute walk away. Students also live around Smithdown Road, Allerton Road, Lark Lane and Penny Lane, close to Sefton Park and Greenbank. Halls Life runs events in university accommodation, so it's easy to meet people in first year.
University halls cost £181.93–£274.68 per week (2026/27, 39-week undergraduate contracts) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Accommodation is guaranteed for all first-year and foundation-year undergraduates who apply before 31 August of their year of entry (31 August 2026 for September 2026 entry).
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melville Grove | City campus | single room, shared bathroom | £181.93/wk | Gated first-year residence on campus, and the cheapest option. Bathrooms are shared between two or three people and cleaned weekly. 39 weeks. |
| Crown Place | City campus (Brownlow Hill) | en-suite | £197.33/wk | Large en-suite residence for 1,254 students. Sold out for 2026 entry because of very high demand. |
| Vine Court Catered | City campus | en-suite, premier rooms and studios; catered option | £216.16/wk | Single en-suites from £216.16 a week. The Premier Catered room (£274.68 a week) includes a £91-a-week flexi food allowance for campus outlets. Studios cost £250.74. |
| Greenbank Student Village | Greenbank, about 3 miles south of campus | en-suite and rooms in the listed Derby Old Court | £219.03/wk | The university's flagship first-year village in private parkland, served by the dedicated 699 bus (about 20 minutes). The only hall with parking (£155 a year). |
| Philharmonic Court | City campus | en-suite, double beds | £224.63/wk | Self-catered en-suite rooms arranged around a private courtyard, with a 24-hour reception. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Liverpool's main second-year student area, packed with terraced houses, bars and takeaways. About 23 minutes by bus from Hardman Street.
Slightly calmer, with cafés, pubs and live music, near Greenbank and Calderstones Park.
Leafy, bohemian and next to Sefton Park, with independent bars and restaurants.
Walk to lectures, but expect higher rents in flats and private halls.
Top tip
Apply as early as you can: Crown Place sold out for 2026 entry and Vine Court single en-suites sold out for first years. Apply before 31 August of your year of entry to keep the guarantee. If you're eligible for certain widening participation bursaries, you'll get £750 or £1,500 off your hall fees. For second-year houses, use Liverpool Student Homes, a free service owned by the city's universities.
Liverpool is one of the more affordable big student cities, but university halls start at about £182 a week, so rent is still the biggest cost. Contracts run for 39 weeks, so expect roughly £7,100–£10,700 for the year. Students on certain bursaries get £750 or £1,500 off hall fees. A discounted bus pass from the Guild and a cheap LivCycle bike hire keep travel costs down.
Getting around
The campus is about ten minutes' walk from the city centre, and Liverpool is very walkable. From Greenbank, the dedicated 699 bus takes about 20 minutes to Brownlow Hill. The 80 and 86 routes run from Hardman Street to Smithdown Road and Allerton Road. The Guild sells a discounted Arriva bus pass (£111 for semester one), and you can hire a LivCycle bike for £60 a year.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of Liverpool is 28th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 53.4. Its strongest results are for nightlife (1st), social life (2nd), student societies (9th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, the University of Liverpool places highest for Robotics (3rd of 32), Veterinary Science (1st of 10), Radiography (3rd of 29), Dentistry (2nd of 8). Across our awards, it also stands out for nightlife.
Yes. All first-year and foundation-year undergraduates who apply before 31 August of their year of entry are guaranteed accommodation. You won't necessarily get your first choice, though, as popular halls sell out early.
Greenbank Student Village is about three miles from campus. The dedicated 699 bus takes around 20 minutes to Brownlow Hill. A taxi costs roughly £9.
For 2026/27, undergraduate rooms cost from £181.93 a week (Melville Grove, shared bathroom) to £274.68 a week (Vine Court Premier Catered). Contracts are 39 weeks, and you can pay in full or in three instalments.
Only one catered option: the Premier Catered room at Vine Court on the city campus. It includes a £91-a-week flexi food allowance to spend at campus outlets. All other halls are self-catered.
Most move to shared houses around Smithdown Road, Allerton Road, Penny Lane and Lark Lane in south Liverpool, or to flats in and around the city centre. Liverpool Student Homes, run by the city's universities, lists approved properties for free.
Yes. Liverpool was a founding member of the Russell Group in 1994, and it's also part of the N8 Research Partnership of northern research 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.
