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 South Wales (USW) is a big, career-focused university spread across three locations. Pontypridd is the largest, with the Treforest, Glyntaff and Sport Park sites in the valleys just north of Cardiff. The Cardiff ATRiuM campus focuses on creative subjects, and the Newport City Campus sits on the River Usk.
Where you live depends on your campus. Pontypridd has university halls at Treforest, while Cardiff and Newport students mostly use private halls. With around 21,000 students, USW is the second-largest university in Wales. Cardiff's nightlife is a short train ride from Treforest.
Known for
The University of South Wales is 78th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 45.6, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | De Montfort University | 46 |
| 77 | Leeds Beckett University | 45.8 |
| 78 | University of South Wales | 45.6 |
| 79 | King's College London | 45.4 |
| 80 | Coventry University | 45.3 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
16th of 124 · Affordability Score 68.4
45th of 124 · Sustainability Score 56.1
51st of 124 · Safety Score 46.3
59th of 124 · Nightlife Score 49.8
60th of 124 · Societies Score 50.6
61st of 124 · Inclusion Score 58.8
63rd of 123 · Happiness Score 46.4
68th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 50.6
69th of 124 · Social Score 48.9
80th of 124 · Innovation Score 51.2
80th of 124 · Balance Score 38.4
82nd of 124 · Value Score 41.2
88th of 124 · Freshers Score 49.4
101st of 122 · Careers Score 22
108th of 124 · Employability Score 21
Pontypridd as a student city
Ranked 20th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 56.8.
The University of South Wales appears in 37 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 5th | of 77 | 181 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 4th | of 60 | 151 |
| Law | 7th | of 97 | 189 |
| Computer Science | 8th | of 102 | 206 |
| Business and Management | 9th | of 114 | 213 |
| Supply Chain Management | 1st | of 12 | 54 |
| Real Estate | 2nd | of 22 | 90 |
| Midwifery | 5th | of 54 | 124 |
| Biomedical Science | 10th | of 93 | 176 |
| Marketing | 10th | of 88 | 187 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity Surveying | 4th | of 35 | 103 |
| Primary Education | 7th | of 59 | 150 |
| Aerospace Engineering 2026 table | 4th | of 30 | 98 |
| Photography | 6th | of 44 | 108 |
| Electrical Engineering | 10th | of 67 | 144 |
| Psychology | 17th | of 108 | 185 |
| Graphic Design | 11th | of 68 | 155 |
| Cyber Security | 10th | of 58 | 137 |
| History | 15th | of 76 | 148 |
| Civil Engineering | 12th | of 58 | 123 |
| Surveying | 5th | of 24 | 81 |
| Sports Science | 17th | of 78 | 156 |
| Journalism | 13th | of 59 | 124 |
| Teaching | 18th | of 79 | 158 |
| Social Work | 16th | of 67 | 157 |
| Media and Communication | 21st | of 79 | 155 |
| Criminology | 26th | of 94 | 164 |
| Interior Design | 10th | of 36 | 80 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 16th | of 52 | 115 |
| Performing Arts | 12th | of 37 | 93 |
| Accounting and Finance | 10th | of 30 | 172 |
| Aeronautical Engineering | 3rd | of 8 | 33 |
| Nursing | 34th | of 85 | 136 |
| Forensic Science | 13th | of 31 | 83 |
| Music | 25th | of 56 | 102 |
| Film Production | 41st | of 87 | 144 |
| Fashion Design | 24th | of 49 | 96 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
USW Students' Union runs sports clubs, societies, events and advice, and every student is automatically a member. In Treforest, the SU's CoalHouse bar hosts regular events like karaoke, and sports fixtures are played at the FitZone and Sport Park. Cardiff ATRiuM students have the capital's bars, gigs and shops on their doorstep, and Treforest students can reach Cardiff by train. Newport has a smaller, more local scene.
University halls cost £117–£195 per week (40-week contracts at Treforest halls, 44-week contracts at partner halls in Cardiff; Newport prices are set by the provider) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
USW guarantees accommodation for all first-year, full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who (1) accept USW as their firm choice by 6 May 2026, (2) submit their accommodation application by 18 May 2026 and make the required payment by the deadline in their accommodation offer email, and (3) meet the terms of their academic offer. The guarantee isn't tied to a location: the room may be in USW halls at Treforest or with a private provider in Cardiff or Newport, allocated under USW's allocation policy, and nearest to your campus where possible. It covers a single student bedroom, not couples or family accommodation. If you don't meet the guarantee, you won't hear whether you have a room until after Results Day (13 August 2026). These are the 2026-entry dates; 2027 dates hadn't been published when checked (October 2026).
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glamorgan Court (standard room) | Treforest campus, Pontypridd | en-suite (wet room), single bed | £117/wk | USW's cheapest and biggest option (616 rooms): £117 a week on a 40-week contract (£4,680 a year), including bills, Wi-Fi and contents insurance. |
| Glamorgan Court (upgraded room) | Treforest campus, Pontypridd | en-suite, ¾ bed | £140/wk | 66 newly renovated rooms with a bit more space and dishwashers in the kitchens: £140 a week (£5,600 a year, 40 weeks). |
| Mountain Halls | Treforest campus, Pontypridd | en-suite, small double bed (studios also available) | £152/wk | 360 rooms at the top of the campus with views over Pontypridd: £152 a week (£6,080 a year, 40 weeks). 20 studio flats cost £193 a week and are aimed at mature students, postgraduates and couples. |
| Ty Pont Haearn | Cardiff city centre (opposite the ATRiuM campus) | en-suite, small double bed | £161/wk | Private hall directly opposite the Cardiff campus: £161–£163 a week on a 44-week contract, bills included, with a £100 advance rent payment. |
| Zenith | Cardiff city centre (8 minutes' walk to campus) | en-suite rooms in apartments and studios | £188/wk | Modern apartments and studios: £188 a week for a room in a 2- or 5-bed apartment, £195 for a studio or premium room (44 weeks). |
| Newport Student Village | Newport (by the River Usk, 5 minutes' walk from City Campus) | en-suite (Bronze, Silver, Gold and accessible rooms) | Not published | Run by Mezzino, with 42- and 51-week contracts and a £250 deposit. USW doesn't publish the rents and tells students to check the provider's website for current prices. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
The student village around the Pontypridd campus, full of shared houses and walkable to lectures.
For ATRiuM students: lively student areas and private halls shared with Cardiff's other universities.
Private student halls near the City Campus on the River Usk.
Top tip
Firmly accept your USW offer early: from February, USW invites you to apply for accommodation within two weeks of accepting. To be guaranteed a room (for 2026 entry), you had to make USW your firm choice by 6 May and apply by 18 May. When you apply you pay an advance rent payment or deposit: £200 at Treforest for UK students (£1,000 for international students), £100 for the Cardiff partner halls, or a £250 deposit at Newport. Treforest contracts are 40 weeks, so check your course doesn't run longer. For private renting, use USW's free Studentpad, which lists only licensed, Rent Smart Wales-accredited homes.
South Wales is one of the cheaper places in the UK to study. USW's own halls at Treforest cost £117–£152 a week for an en-suite room (about £4,680–£6,080 for a 40-week year), with bills, Wi-Fi and contents insurance included. Cardiff partner halls cost more, from £161 a week. USW's example budget, last updated in 2023, puts a single person's living costs at about £725 a month excluding rent.
Getting around
Treforest has its own railway station next to campus, with frequent trains to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central. The Cardiff ATRiuM is near Cardiff Queen Street station, and Newport City Campus is in the city centre, close to Newport station. Glyntaff and the Sport Park are a short walk or shuttle from Treforest.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of South Wales is 78th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 45.6. Its strongest results are for affordability (16th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, the University of South Wales places highest for Supply Chain Management (1st of 12), Real Estate (2nd of 22), Aeronautical Engineering (3rd of 8). Across our awards, it also stands out for affordability.
USW has three locations: Pontypridd (Treforest, Glyntaff and the Sport Park), Cardiff (the ATRiuM, for creative industries) and Newport (City Campus, on the River Usk). Pontypridd is the largest.
USW's own halls are at the Pontypridd (Treforest) campus. In Cardiff, students use private halls shared with the city's other universities. Newport has private student halls close to the campus.
Treforest has a railway station right by the campus, with frequent trains to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central, so getting into the city for nights out or shopping is easy.
Practical, career-focused courses: nursing, midwifery and policing at Glyntaff, creative industries at the Cardiff ATRiuM, and cyber security at the National Cyber Security Academy in Newport, which is recognised by GCHQ.
HESA data for 2024/25 puts it at 20,790 students, which makes it the second-largest university in Wales.
USW Students' Union is member-led, and every student is automatically a member. It runs sport, student groups, advice and events, including regular nights at the CoalHouse bar in Treforest.
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.
