Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
York is a campus university with a collegiate system. You join one of ten undergraduate colleges, which is where you live in first year and where much of your social life, sport and support happens. The campus is green and leafy, with lakes and a lot of ducks, and it's about a 30-minute walk or 15-minute cycle from York's medieval city centre.
With about 22,000 students it feels friendly rather than huge, and the college system makes it easy to settle in. Halls aren't cheap, though: most 2026/27 rooms cost £186 to £266 a week. Nightlife is pubs and bars more than big clubs.
Known for
The University of York is 63rd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 48.5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | University of Leicester | 48.6 |
| 62 | University of Dundee | 48.5 |
| 63 | University of York | 48.5 |
| 65 | Sheffield Hallam University | 47.8 |
| 66 | University of Kent | 47.8 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
20th of 124 · Innovation Score 65.8
20th of 124 · Safety Score 59.8
22nd of 124 · Wellbeing Score 62.4
27th of 124 · Societies Score 61.9
28th of 124 · Value Score 58.4
29th of 124 · Freshers Score 62.7
30th of 123 · Happiness Score 54.5
32nd of 124 · Balance Score 49.1
46th of 124 · Social Score 52.8
55th of 124 · Employability Score 32.4
57th of 124 · Sustainability Score 53.7
58th of 122 · Careers Score 32
69th of 124 · Nightlife Score 48
75th of 124 · Affordability Score 52.4
Not enough published data to rank fairly
York as a student city
Ranked 23rd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 55.7.
The University of York appears in 40 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence | 4th | of 66 | 127 |
| Engineering (General) | 4th | of 30 | 95 |
| Psychology | 15th | of 108 | 187 |
| Neuroscience | 4th | of 26 | 81 |
| Electrical Engineering | 12th | of 67 | 141 |
| Performing Arts | 7th | of 37 | 104 |
| Cyber Security | 11th | of 58 | 136 |
| Criminology | 18th | of 94 | 177 |
| International Relations | 14th | of 71 | 138 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 12th | of 60 | 129 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 17th | of 85 | 162 |
| Law | 22nd | of 97 | 163 |
| Environmental Science | 11th | of 47 | 112 |
| Biomedical Science | 23rd | of 93 | 155 |
| Biochemistry | 15th | of 60 | 129 |
| History | 19th | of 76 | 140 |
| Computer Science | 27th | of 102 | 170 |
| Music | 15th | of 56 | 120 |
| Business and Management | 31st | of 114 | 181 |
| Sociology | 25th | of 86 | 155 |
| Teaching | 23rd | of 79 | 149 |
| Data Science | 16th | of 50 | 107 |
| Politics | 25th | of 78 | 134 |
| Marketing | 29th | of 88 | 150 |
| Philosophy | 19th | of 54 | 112 |
| Biology | 18th | of 51 | 110 |
| PPE | 11th | of 31 | 76 |
| Actuarial Science | 5th | of 14 | 49 |
| Chemistry | 16th | of 44 | 99 |
| Biotechnology | 4th | of 10 | 41 |
| Linguistics | 11th | of 27 | 62 |
| Economics | 36th | of 85 | 129 |
| Mathematics | 26th | of 61 | 110 |
| Archaeology | 12th | of 28 | 79 |
| Geography | 27th | of 63 | 119 |
| Film Production | 39th | of 87 | 146 |
| Physics | 21st | of 45 | 95 |
| Statistics | 13th | of 27 | 63 |
| Midwifery | 28th | of 54 | 81 |
| Theology and Religious Studies 2026 table | 9th | of 10 | – |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Life at York revolves around your college. Each has its own common room, committee and calendar of events, from pub quizzes to summer parties, and colleges compete in over 20 sports leagues. York Students' Union runs 200+ societies, 67 university sports clubs and bars spread across Campus West and East rather than one central building. The big sporting events are Roses against Lancaster and College Varsity against Durham. The city centre has plenty of pubs, bars and independent cafés, all walkable or a short bike ride away.
University halls cost £149–£269 per week (2026/27 undergraduate rooms, 38–44-week lets, bills included) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
For 2026/27, the university guaranteed an offer of on-campus or approved off-campus accommodation (a single room) to new full-time first-year undergraduates, UK and international, who chose York as their firm or insurance choice (or held an unconditional firm offer), applied for a single room for the full academic year by 5pm on 31 July 2026, and whose course offer became unconditional by A-level results day (13 August 2026). There was a separate Clearing guarantee (apply by 12 noon on 24 August 2026). Later applicants aren't guaranteed a room. Deadlines for 2027/28 haven't been published yet.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax College | Campus West (edge of Heslington village) | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £149/wk | The largest college (962 rooms) and the cheapest rooms: £149 a week for a shared-bathroom room in St Lawrence Court (£5,960 for 40 weeks). Other rooms cost £186–£224. |
| Vanbrugh College Catered | Campus West | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £165/wk | 402 rooms beside Central Hall, home to V-bar. The £165 rooms are in Fairfax House, a town house on the edge of campus. Main-campus rooms cost £208–£269. |
| Goodricke College | Campus East | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £193/wk | Self-catered with one weekly college meal included, like all Campus East first-year rooms. 44-week let (£8,492 a year for the cheapest room). |
| Alcuin College | Campus West | en-suite | £206/wk | Self-catered en-suite rooms, 40-week let (£8,240 a year). |
| Langwith College | Campus East | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £208/wk | 634 rooms in flats and town houses with three-quarter double beds, around the Glasshouse bar. Weekly college meal included; 44-week let. |
| Derwent College Catered | Campus West | shared bathroom (with basin) | £209/wk | One of the two founding colleges: around 562 rooms in 1960s corridor-style blocks, with two SU-run bars and a dining hall. 40-week let. |
| Anne Lister College | Campus East | en-suite | £213/wk | One of the newest colleges, and the first named after a woman. En-suite and deluxe en-suite rooms at £213–£231, weekly college meal included, 44-week let. |
| James College Catered | Campus West | shared bathroom and en-suite mix | £244/wk | 494 fully catered rooms around lakeside quads, close to the Students' Union and Sports Centre. £244–£266 a week. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Popular, affordable terraced-house area between campus and the city centre, with lots of second-year house shares.
Right next to campus. Quiet and convenient, but further from the city's pubs and shops.
South of the city walls, between campus and the centre, so you get a bit of both.
Historic and lively, with purpose-built blocks such as Student Castle. A 30-minute walk or 15-minute cycle to Campus West, and usually pricier.
Top tip
You can apply once you've accepted York as your firm or insurance choice. You rank at least seven room choices (each is a specific room type in a specific college), with at least three shared-bathroom options and no more than four en-suites. Allocation is random among applicants, so it doesn't matter when you apply as long as it's before the guarantee deadline. Shared-bathroom rooms are cheaper and easier to get. Offers go out from A-level results day.
York is cheaper than London but halls are on the pricey side. For 2026/27, undergraduate rooms run from £149 to £269 a week with bills, wifi and contents insurance included, or about £5,960 to £11,044 a year depending on room and let length. Catered rooms include ten meals a week. The university doesn't publish an overall living-cost estimate, but the compact city means you can walk or cycle most places and save on transport.
Getting around
Campus is in Heslington, about a 30-minute walk or 15-minute bike ride from the city centre. Most students walk or cycle: there are over 5,000 cycle parking spaces. Free shuttle buses link Campus West and Campus East. First York's electric buses run between campus, the city centre and the railway station. Bus singles in England are capped at £3. York station has fast trains to London, Leeds and Edinburgh.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of York is 63rd out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 48.5. Its strongest results are for innovation (20th), safety (20th), student wellbeing (22nd).
Every student joins one of York's colleges: ten for undergraduates, plus Wentworth for postgraduates. Your college is your first-year accommodation, and it also gives you a common room, events, welfare support and college sports teams. You stay a member even if you move off campus. You don't need to choose a college based on your course, as all are a short walk from the departments.
Sort of. You rank at least seven specific rooms across different colleges, and a computer allocates rooms by picking applicants at random and giving them their highest available preference. Firm-choice applicants are allocated first, then insurance. Many students don't get one of their top three, so pick options you'd genuinely be happy with.
Yes, if you meet the conditions. For 2026/27, new full-time first-year undergraduates who had York as firm or insurance choice, applied for a full-year single room by 31 July and had an unconditional offer by A-level results day were guaranteed a room. Clearing students had a separate deadline. Later applicants aren't guaranteed a room.
For 2026/27, undergraduate rooms cost £149 to £269 a week, with bills, wifi and contents insurance included. Most are between about £186 and £266. Campus West lets are usually 40 weeks; Campus East lets are 44 weeks and include one college meal a week. Catered rooms in Derwent, James and Vanbrugh include ten meals a week.
Campus is in Heslington, on the south-east edge of the city. The university says the city centre is about a 30-minute walk or a 15-minute bike ride from Campus West. Buses run between campus, the centre and the railway station, and free shuttles link Campus West and Campus East.
Roses is the annual sports competition between York and Lancaster, which the university describes as the largest inter-university competition in Europe. York also takes on Durham in College Varsity, an inter-university competition between college teams.
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.
