Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Surrey is a friendly, mid-sized campus university on Stag Hill, next to Guildford Cathedral and a short walk from the town centre and station. It's known for practical, career-focused degrees, especially the professional training placement year, and for strong science, engineering, business and health courses. Campus has lots of green space and a big sports park.
The catch is cost. Guildford is one of the most expensive student towns outside London, and private rooms are hard to find. On the plus side, campus housing is varied, with budget shared rooms from £89.50 a week, and London is under an hour away by train.
Known for
The University of Surrey is 36th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 52.5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Cardiff University | 52.6 |
| 35 | University of Southampton | 52.6 |
| 36 | University of Surrey | 52.5 |
| 37 | University of Warwick | 52.1 |
| 38 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 52 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
12th of 124 · Inclusion Score 76
15th of 124 · Employability Score 41.8
17th of 124 · Freshers Score 65
19th of 124 · Safety Score 60
19th of 122 · Careers Score 41.4
24th of 124 · Value Score 59.3
30th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 59.1
36th of 123 · Happiness Score 52.6
38th of 124 · Balance Score 47.9
55th of 124 · Societies Score 52.2
65th of 124 · Innovation Score 55.5
87th of 124 · Sustainability Score 43.6
95th of 124 · Social Score 41.9
95th of 124 · Affordability Score 45.6
103rd of 124 · Nightlife Score 36.1
Guildford as a student city
Ranked 59th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 45.5.
The University of Surrey appears in 31 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence | 5th | of 66 | 126 |
| Sociology | 19th | of 86 | 161 |
| Aerospace Engineering 2026 table | 7th | of 30 | 92 |
| Nursing | 20th | of 85 | 159 |
| Music | 15th | of 56 | 120 |
| Criminology | 29th | of 94 | 160 |
| Mathematics | 19th | of 61 | 120 |
| Biomedical Science | 29th | of 93 | 146 |
| Media and Communication | 25th | of 79 | 151 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 25th | of 77 | 143 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Security | 19th | of 58 | 125 |
| Sports Science | 26th | of 78 | 137 |
| Law | 34th | of 97 | 146 |
| Midwifery | 19th | of 54 | 99 |
| Psychology | 39th | of 108 | 154 |
| Politics | 31st | of 78 | 125 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12th | of 30 | 75 |
| Economics | 34th | of 85 | 131 |
| Biochemistry | 25th | of 60 | 109 |
| English Language and Literature | 23rd | of 54 | 102 |
| Computer Science | 44th | of 102 | 149 |
| Electrical Engineering | 30th | of 67 | 112 |
| Human Resource Management | 26th | of 58 | 110 |
| International Relations | 33rd | of 71 | 113 |
| Business and Management | 53rd | of 114 | 146 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 28th | of 60 | 103 |
| Film Production | 42nd | of 87 | 143 |
| Chemistry | 22nd | of 44 | 89 |
| Physics | 23rd | of 45 | 92 |
| Civil Engineering | 31st | of 58 | 94 |
| Veterinary Science | 7th | of 10 | 32 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Surrey Students' Union is at the heart of campus and every student is automatically a member. There are over 170 clubs and societies, from ballroom dancing to taekwondo, plus music ensembles and arts groups. Surrey Sports Park, opened in 2010, gives you a big gym, pool and pitches on site. Guildford town centre has pubs, bars, a theatre and shops, and London is close enough for day trips and big nights out.
University halls cost £89.50–£312 per week (2026/27, undergraduate licences of 38 weeks and 2 days) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
New undergraduate students are guaranteed a place in university accommodation. Firm and Insurance undergraduate offer holders are covered, provided they apply by the relevant deadlines in the university's allocation document. You can't pick a specific court: you rank all price bands in order, and the university aims to give you one of your top three.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stag Hill Court (shared duplex rooms) | Stag Hill campus | shared bedroom | £89.50/wk | The cheapest option at Surrey: a shared room at £3,426.57 for the undergraduate year. You can only request to live with friends in this band. |
| Cathedral Court and Stag Hill Court (budget band C1) | Stag Hill campus | standard single, shared bathroom | £137.50/wk | Budget single rooms on the main campus: £5,254.29 for the undergraduate year. |
| Battersea, Surrey, Twyford and University Courts (budget band C2) | Stag Hill campus | standard single, shared bathroom | £147.50/wk | Budget singles across several Stag Hill courts (also includes Varsity Cottages): £5,647.12 for the year. |
| Bellerby and Millennium Courts (standard en-suite D2) | Manor Park / Stag Hill | en-suite | £208.50/wk | Standard en-suite rooms: £7,982.57 for the undergraduate year. |
| Manor Park, Twyford, International and University Courts (standard en-suite D3–D4) | Manor Park and Stag Hill | en-suite | £211.50/wk | £211.50–£217 a week (£8,097–£8,308 for the year). |
| Premium en-suite (band E) | Manor Park and Stag Hill | enhanced en-suite | £242/wk | £242–£247 a week (£9,265–£9,457 for the year). |
| Manor Park studios (band F) | Manor Park | self-contained studio | £302/wk | The priciest option: £302–£312 a week (£11,562–£11,945 for the year). |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Private student blocks five minutes' walk from Stag Hill. Scape is listed from £246 a week and UniLife from £315 (January 2026 prices).
£246+ (purpose-built)/wk
Walkable to campus (The Bridge is about 12 minutes away, from £230 a week) and close to shops and nightlife.
£230+ (purpose-built)/wk
Guilden Village is here, with a free shuttle bus to the university.
The university suggests looking beyond Guildford because the local market is so competitive.
Top tip
Apply through the accommodation portal for the right academic year as soon as Surrey is your Firm choice (Insurance holders can apply once Surrey becomes their Firm). You must rank all price bands, so put the ones you can afford first. Rent includes bills, Wi-Fi and contents insurance. For later years, Surrey's Roome app helps you find housemates and private rooms.
Guildford is an expensive place to rent, so Surrey's campus housing is good value by comparison. Rooms range from £89.50 a week for a shared room to £312 for a studio, with bills included. Private blocks near campus listed £230–£315 a week in January 2026, and house shares often don't include bills. Budget carefully for your second year.
Getting around
Stag Hill campus is next to Guildford Cathedral and within walking distance of Guildford station and the town centre. Manor Park is a short walk further west. Trains from Guildford reach London Waterloo in under an hour, which makes day trips easy. Guilden Village runs a free shuttle bus to the university.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of Surrey is 36th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 52.5. Its strongest results are for inclusion (12th), employability (15th), freshers experience (17th).
Yes. New undergraduates holding a Firm or Insurance offer are guaranteed a place in university accommodation, as long as they apply by the relevant deadlines. You won't necessarily get your first-choice band.
Not exactly. You apply by price band (shared, budget, standard en-suite, premium en-suite or studio) and rank all of them in order. The university aims to give you one of your top three choices but can't guarantee it.
For 2026/27, rooms cost from £89.50 a week for a shared room to £312 a week for a studio at Manor Park. Budget singles are £137.50–£147.50 and standard en-suites £208.50–£217. Undergraduate licences last 38 weeks and 2 days, and bills are included.
No. All University of Surrey accommodation is self-catered, with either a shared or individual kitchen depending on the band.
Yes, it's one of the pricier student towns outside London. Private student blocks near campus listed rooms from about £230 to £315 a week in early 2026. The university suggests also looking at nearby towns with good transport links.
Many Surrey degrees include an optional placement year, usually between your second and final years, when you work in industry or research. It's one of the things the university is best known for, so check whether your course offers it.
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.
