Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Roehampton is a mid-sized university in leafy south-west London, between Putney, Richmond, Wimbledon and Barnes. Its main campus is 54 acres of parkland with lakes and historic houses, and the Whitelands College site overlooks Richmond Park. Every student joins one of four colleges, which run their own events, dinners and inter-college sport.
It's a rare London university where you get a proper campus and some of the cheapest university halls in the capital, from £115 a week with bills included. The trade-off is that central London is a bus-and-train ride away. If you want a green, community-feel base with London on tap, it's worth a look.
Known for
The University of Roehampton is 121st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.3, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | University of East London | 34.7 |
| 120 | London South Bank University | 34.4 |
| 121 | University of Roehampton | 34.3 |
| 122 | Buckinghamshire New University | 33.5 |
| 123 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 27.8 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
57th of 124 · Inclusion Score 61.5
84th of 124 · Nightlife Score 42.9
102nd of 124 · Social Score 40.3
106th of 124 · Safety Score 24.4
107th of 124 · Sustainability Score 32.3
111th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 26.9
112th of 124 · Freshers Score 39
112th of 123 · Happiness Score 28
113th of 124 · Innovation Score 37.9
117th of 124 · Affordability Score 10.1
117th of 122 · Careers Score 16.1
119th of 124 · Employability Score 16.3
119th of 124 · Societies Score 33.2
119th of 124 · Value Score 23.2
121st of 124 · Balance Score 23.9
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 Roehampton appears in 27 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminology | 56th | of 94 | 103 |
| Teaching | 51st | of 79 | 92 |
| Sports Science | 51st | of 78 | 80 |
| History | 50th | of 76 | 83 |
| Nursing | 56th | of 85 | 97 |
| Zoology | 25th | of 37 | 24 |
| Biomedical Science | 63rd | of 93 | 65 |
| Marketing | 60th | of 88 | 85 |
| Philosophy | 37th | of 54 | 65 |
| Psychology | 74th | of 108 | 80 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Management | 79th | of 114 | 83 |
| Economics | 60th | of 85 | 76 |
| Journalism | 42nd | of 59 | 67 |
| English Language and Literature | 39th | of 54 | 62 |
| International Relations | 52nd | of 71 | 60 |
| Film Production | 64th | of 87 | 75 |
| Primary Education | 44th | of 59 | 80 |
| Physiotherapy | 37th | of 49 | 55 |
| Sociology | 65th | of 86 | 61 |
| Politics | 59th | of 78 | 66 |
| Media and Communication | 60th | of 79 | 56 |
| Graphic Design | 52nd | of 68 | 60 |
| Neuroscience | 20th | of 26 | 39 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 40th | of 52 | 51 |
| PPE | 24th | of 31 | 48 |
| Human Resource Management | 45th | of 58 | 47 |
| Occupational Therapy | 34th | of 40 | 48 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Life at Roehampton is built around the four colleges. Each runs its own parties, formal dinners, award ceremonies and inter-college competitions, and you stay in the same college for your whole degree. Roehampton Students' Union, based at Froebel College, runs the bar, events, day trips and societies. Sport Roehampton covers competitive clubs from rowing and rugby to cheerleading and skateboarding, playing in BUCS and London leagues. There's also a gym and an esports arena. Putney High Street, Richmond and Wimbledon are close by, and central London is about half an hour away.
University halls cost £115–£230 per week (2026/27 undergraduate rates, bills, Wi-Fi, contents insurance and laundry included; single rooms from £146; 36–39-week contracts) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Roehampton guarantees on-campus accommodation to new students (home and overseas undergraduates, foundation and postgraduate students) who accept their offer and book a room by the deadline. For September 2026 entry, the guarantee page gave 30 September 2026, but a banner on the same pages said 21 August, so check the current date when you apply. The university can't guarantee a particular room type, so apply early. After the deadline you can still apply, and rooms are offered first come, first served.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newman House | Main campus | twin (shared room) | £115/wk | The cheapest option: a shared twin room with shared bathroom, £115 per person a week (£4,485 for 39 weeks). 35 rooms. |
| Bede House | Main campus | shared bathroom (basic, with basin) | £146/wk | The cheapest single rooms: 107 basic rooms with a single bed and basin, sharing bathrooms. That's £5,694 for 39 weeks. |
| Aldersgate Court, Epworth Court, Garden Court and New Court | Main campus | shared bathroom (standard, with basin) | £170/wk | Standard single rooms with shared bathrooms. 371 rooms across these blocks and Shaw House, with accessible rooms in Aldersgate and Epworth. That's £6,630 for 39 weeks. |
| Shaw House | Main campus | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £170/wk | On a shorter 36-week contract (to 30 May 2027): standard rooms £6,120 and en-suites (£202 a week) £7,272 for the year. |
| Aspen, Linden and Willow Houses and Wesley Hall | Main campus | en-suite | £202/wk | Standard en-suites with a single bed: 270 rooms across these blocks and Shaw House (E and F). That's £7,878 for 39 weeks. |
| Whitelands College halls (Beverley, Cheltenham, Durham, Kings, Melrose and others) | Whitelands College, overlooking Richmond Park | en-suite (small double bed) | £202/wk | 304 'classic' en-suites with small double beds across eight blocks on the Whitelands site, about 10 minutes' walk from the main campus. |
| Chadwick Hall | Main campus | en-suite (premium) | £225/wk | Premium en-suites at £225 and premium plus en-suites (some with balconies) at £230 a week, on a 38-week contract. |
| Elm Grove Hall | Main campus (Digby Stuart College) | en-suite (premium plus, small double bed) | £230/wk | The priciest option: 358 premium plus en-suites at £230 a week, £8,740 for 38 weeks. Elm Grove is also home to the Welcome Centre. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
The nearest big high street, with pubs, shops and the river, and Tube and rail links into town.
Quiet and leafy, with the closest railway station (about 15 minutes' walk from campus).
On the District line, with the 493 bus to campus. Busier and better connected, but pricier.
Top tip
You can book a room as soon as you have a firm offer and your Roehampton student ID. You pick three preferred blocks and can ask to live with friends, in a single-sex flat or in a quieter flat. There's a £250 deposit, and the 'risk-free' policy releases you if you miss your grades or don't get a visa. For 2026/27, booking by 15 April froze or cut prices, so watch for a similar early-booking deadline. Returning students can stay on campus for their whole degree.
London is expensive, but Roehampton's halls are among the cheapest university rooms in the capital: £115–£230 a week for 2026/27, with bills, Wi-Fi, insurance and laundry included. The university doesn't publish an overall living-cost estimate. As a benchmark, UKVI asks international students in London to show £1,529 a month. Buses are good value with an 18+ Student Oyster card, and on-site parking is free.
Getting around
The 265, 419 and 493 buses stop outside the main campus, and the 85 (24-hour), 170 and 430 serve Whitelands. Barnes station, about 15 minutes' walk away, has trains to Clapham Junction and Waterloo. The nearest Tube stations are Putney Bridge and Southfields (District line). A bus fare is £1.75, capped at £5.25 a day, and an 18+ Student Oyster 7-day bus pass is £17.30.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of Roehampton is 121st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 34.3.
Yes. New students who accept their offer and book a room by the guarantee deadline are guaranteed a room on campus. All halls are on campus. Room types aren't guaranteed, so apply early. If you miss the deadline you can still apply, and rooms are allocated first come, first served.
For 2026/27, undergraduate rooms cost £115 a week (a shared twin) up to £230 a week (premium plus en-suite in Elm Grove or Chadwick Hall). Single rooms start at £146 in Bede House, and standard en-suites are £202. Utility bills, Wi-Fi, contents insurance and laundry are all included.
You're assigned to one of four colleges: Digby Stuart, Froebel, Southlands or Whitelands. If you live on campus in first year, you join the college your hall belongs to. Otherwise it's based on where most of your teaching is. You stay in the same college for your whole degree, and each college runs its own events, formal dinners and inter-college competitions.
Take the 265, 419 or 493 bus from outside campus, then a train from Barnes (to Clapham Junction and Waterloo) or the District line from Putney Bridge or Southfields. Students say central London is about 15 minutes by train once you reach a station. The 85 bus runs 24 hours and night buses N72 and N74 run along Roehampton Lane.
Yes, unusually for London. The main campus has 54 acres of parkland with lakes and historic buildings, and the Whitelands College site covers 14 acres overlooking Richmond Park, about 10 minutes' walk away. The library, gym, esports arena, SU bar and all the halls are on site.
Undergraduate contracts run 36–39 weeks, depending on the hall: 39 weeks for most rooms (20 September to 20 June), 38 weeks for Elm Grove and Chadwick Hall, and 36 weeks for Shaw House. Rent is paid in three instalments timed after student loan payments. Postgraduates can choose 51-week contracts.
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.
