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 St John is a small university with a campus in the very centre of York, just outside the medieval walls and a few minutes from the Minster. Most of its halls are within a mile of campus, so you can walk almost everywhere. It started as a teacher-training college and is still strong in education, the arts, sport and health.
York is a beautiful, compact and safe city, but it's not cheap, and the nightlife is smaller than in Leeds. The university guarantees first-year accommodation if you meet its deadlines, with 2026/27 rooms from £132 to £208 a week.
Known for
York St John University is 30th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | University of Liverpool | 53.4 |
| 29 | University of Portsmouth | 53.4 |
| 30 | York St John University | 53.4 |
| 31 | Bath Spa University | 53.1 |
| 32 | Liverpool John Moores University | 52.8 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
7th of 124 · Societies Score 67.4
15th of 124 · Safety Score 63.3
16th of 124 · Sustainability Score 66.9
16th of 123 · Happiness Score 64.2
24th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 62.3
26th of 124 · Innovation Score 64.2
28th of 124 · Freshers Score 62.8
34th of 124 · Social Score 58.1
47th of 124 · Balance Score 45.7
58th of 124 · Nightlife Score 49.9
67th of 124 · Value Score 44.1
68th of 122 · Careers Score 30.2
76th of 124 · Employability Score 28.6
82nd of 124 · Affordability Score 51.5
115th of 124 · Inclusion Score 32
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.
York St John University appears in 35 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 1st | of 85 | 210 |
| Psychology | 3rd | of 108 | 215 |
| Drama, Theatre and Performance | 2nd | of 60 | 155 |
| Primary Education | 2nd | of 59 | 166 |
| Fine Art | 2nd | of 58 | 177 |
| Film Production | 3rd | of 87 | 213 |
| Linguistics | 1st | of 27 | 90 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 2nd | of 52 | 150 |
| Physiotherapy | 2nd | of 49 | 154 |
| Sociology | 4th | of 86 | 202 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 3rd | of 59 | 145 |
| Music | 3rd | of 56 | 143 |
| English Language and Literature | 3rd | of 54 | 141 |
| Media and Communication | 5th | of 79 | 192 |
| Criminology | 6th | of 94 | 209 |
| Biomedical Science | 6th | of 93 | 194 |
| Marketing | 6th | of 88 | 196 |
| Computer Science | 7th | of 102 | 209 |
| International Relations | 5th | of 71 | 157 |
| Occupational Therapy | 3rd | of 40 | 126 |
| Sports Science | 7th | of 78 | 174 |
| History | 8th | of 76 | 161 |
| Creative Writing | 4th | of 34 | 91 |
| Philosophy | 7th | of 54 | 132 |
| Business and Management | 16th | of 114 | 203 |
| Graphic Design | 13th | of 68 | 152 |
| Politics | 16th | of 78 | 145 |
| Geography | 13th | of 63 | 138 |
| Photography | 10th | of 44 | 98 |
| Teaching | 20th | of 79 | 155 |
| Cyber Security | 16th | of 58 | 128 |
| Economics | 28th | of 85 | 140 |
| Interior Design | 14th | of 36 | 73 |
| Product Design | 19th | of 43 | 95 |
| PPE | 21st | of 31 | 58 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
York St John's SU runs nearly 50 clubs and societies and is a small, friendly community. Because campus is in the city centre, York's pubs, cafés and riverside are on your doorstep, and nights out are walkable. The university's main sports facilities are at Haxby Road Sports Park, a short way north of campus. York is also an easy train ride from Leeds for bigger gigs and clubs, and it shares the city with the much larger University of York.
University halls cost £132–£208 per week (2026/27 'from' prices, 37–48-week contracts) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
The university says: "We guarantee accommodation for all UK, EU and international students in their first year of undergraduate study" "as long as you meet our application deadlines". It adds that "we can't guarantee that everyone will be allocated a room from their top 3 choices". Partner provider rooms need a guarantor or guarantor service.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limes Court | 0.9 miles from campus | 5-bed houses | £132/wk | One of the two cheapest sites, on a 44-week contract. Listed as full for 2026. |
| The Grange | 0.6 miles from campus | 5-bed flats | £132/wk | Eight room options, on 37- or 44-week contracts. Listed as full for 2026. |
| City Residence | 0.4 miles from campus | en-suite (5- and 6-bed flats) | £166/wk | 44-week contract. Listed as full for 2026. |
| 49 Clarence Street | 0.1 miles from campus | en-suite | £166/wk | Right next to campus, with 10 bedrooms per floor, on a 45-week contract. |
| St John Central | 0.6 miles from campus | en-suite (6-bed flats) and studios | £180/wk | 41-week contract, the shortest of the en-suite options. Listed as full for 2026. |
| 79 Clarence Street | 0.1 miles from campus | en-suite | £190/wk | Right next to campus, on a 45-week contract. |
| The Coal Yard (partner provider) | 0.4 miles from campus | en-suite (5- and 6-bed flats) | £204/wk | Partner site on a 44-week contract; you'll need a guarantor or guarantor service. |
| Abode (partner provider) | 0.8 miles from campus | en-suite | £208/wk | Partner site on a 48-week contract, the most expensive listed option. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Terraced streets just north of campus, very close to Lord Mayor's Walk.
Residential streets north of the walls, near the university's sports park and several university-managed houses.
Quieter, north-west of the centre, a short walk or cycle in.
Top tip
Apply early and meet the university's deadlines: the guarantee depends on it, and by October 2026 most university-run sites were listed as full for 2026. Partner provider rooms need a guarantor or a guarantor service, so sort that out early if you might end up there.
York is one of the pricier northern cities for rent. York St John's own halls start at £132 a week for 2026/27, with en-suites mostly £166–£190 and partner sites around £204–£208. The university's study-abroad guidance for 2025/26 suggests budgeting around £70 a week for groceries and £80 for social life on top of rent.
Getting around
York St John's campus is inside the city centre, so most students walk or cycle everywhere. All the university's own halls are within about a mile of campus. York station is around a 15–20 minute walk away, with fast trains to Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London. York is flat and very bike-friendly.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
York St John University is 30th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 53.4. Its strongest results are for student societies (7th), safety (15th), sustainability (16th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, York St John University places highest for Nursing (1st of 85), Psychology (3rd of 108), Drama, Theatre and Performance (2nd of 60), Primary Education (2nd of 59). Across our awards, it also stands out for student societies.
The main campus is on Lord Mayor's Walk in York city centre, just outside the city walls and a few minutes' walk from York Minster. There's also a separate London campus.
Yes. It guarantees accommodation for all UK, EU and international first-year undergraduates who meet its application deadlines. It can't promise everyone one of their top three choices.
For 2026/27, 'from' prices run from £132 a week (Limes Court and The Grange) to £190 a week (79 Clarence Street) for university sites. Partner sites cost £204–£208 a week. Contracts are mostly 41–45 weeks.
Close. University sites range from 0.1 miles (Garden Street and the Clarence Street buildings) to under a mile (Limes Court is 0.9 miles), so you can walk to lectures.
No. They're separate universities. York St John is the smaller one, with a city-centre campus; the University of York is mainly based at Heslington, on the edge of the city.
It's pricier than many northern cities, mainly because of rent. Hall prices start at £132 a week for 2026/27, and the university suggests budgeting around £70 a week for groceries.
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.
