Best universities for student life 2026

Make sure your uni experience is one to remember and choose a university known for it's fantastic student life - from fun societies to what the surrounding area has to offer.

UK university student life rankings

We know how important it is to have a life outside your studies. Let's make sure it's a fun one! Students rank their universities based on how good the social side of uni is. From the societies and sports clubs, to the local bars and leisure activities - find out how they all stack up.

Top universities for student life 2026

Scroll right to see all our ranking criteria

UNIVERSITY 2026 OVERALL
SCORE
RECC
Newcastle UniView All Courses

1st

2
4.16 4.48 100%
Nottingham TrentView All Courses

2nd

0
4.21 4.42 98%
Liverpool JMView All Courses

3rd

1
4.22 4.38 97%
Uni of LiverpoolView All Courses

4th

-3
4.15 4.34 99%
Uni of LeedsView All Courses

5th

5
4.02 4.30 94%
Cardiff UniView All Courses

6th

0
3.87 4.28 98%
Leeds Beckett UniView All Courses

7th

20
4.08 4.25 99%
Uni of BristolView All Courses

8th

37
3.84 4.23 94%
Uni of NottinghamView All Courses

9th

-4
4.00 4.23 95%
Middlesex UniView All Courses

10th

2
4.23 4.21 96%
Uni of GlasgowView All Courses

11th

7
3.86 4.19 93%
Uni of ManchesterView All Courses

12th

-5
3.80 4.16 92%
Cardiff Met UniView All Courses

13th

6
3.99 4.16 100%
Edinburgh NapierView All Courses

14th

17
3.81 4.15 100%
Uni of SheffieldView All Courses

15th

-4
4.03 4.14 95%
Bournemouth UniView All Courses

16th

-7
3.95 4.13 93%
Uni of SuffolkView All Courses

17th

92
3.79 4.12 91%
Manchester Met UniView All Courses

18th

-5
3.98 4.12 91%
Northumbria UniView All Courses

19th

-11
3.94 4.11 94%
The Uni of SalfordView All Courses

20th

6
4.05 4.08 98%
Uni of SussexView All Courses

21st

11
3.70 4.06 97%
Uni of LeicesterView All Courses

22nd

1
3.94 4.06 94%
Uni of LincolnView All Courses

23rd

17
3.99 4.04 89%
Uni of ExeterView All Courses

24th

-3
3.98 4.03 95%
Edge Hill UniView All Courses

25th

-10
4.16 4.02 98%
Ulster UniView All Courses

26th

10
3.96 4.01 94%
Uni of BrightonView All Courses

27th

12
3.77 4.00 100%
Uni of Greater ManchesterView All Courses

28th

60
3.85 4.00 100%
Uni of EdinburghView All Courses

29th

21
3.72 3.99 89%
Uni of BirminghamView All Courses

30th

-13
3.90 3.99 96%
Uni of ChesterView All Courses

31st

5
4.00 3.97 95%
Uni of DerbyView All Courses

32nd

16
4.15 3.96 96%
Uni of YorkView All Courses

33rd

-20
3.86 3.96 98%
UWE BristolView All Courses

34th

-13
3.80 3.96 92%
Oxford BrookesView All Courses

35th

-3
3.81 3.96 95%
Uni of PortsmouthView All Courses

36th

-13
3.95 3.95 100%
Uni of WestminsterView All Courses

37th

17
3.94 3.95 94%
Swansea UniView All Courses

38th

-1
3.92 3.95 95%
Uni of GloucestershireView All Courses

39th

17
3.84 3.92 100%
Sheffield Hallam UniView All Courses

40th

-16
3.80 3.91 95%
Birmingham City UniView All Courses

41st

0
3.97 3.89 91%
UEAView All Courses

42nd

-23
3.84 3.88 92%
Canterbury UniView All Courses

43rd

16
4.01 3.87 100%
Uni of ReadingView All Courses

44th

0
3.84 3.87 98%
Falmouth UniView All Courses

45th

5
3.72 3.86 100%
Aston UniView All Courses

46th

-1
3.86 3.86 93%
Uni of PlymouthView All Courses

47th

-8
3.77 3.85 96%
De MontfortView All Courses

48th

1
3.85 3.83 86%
Uni of HuddersfieldView All Courses

49th

12
3.98 3.83 93%
Uni of KentView All Courses

50th

21
3.64 3.82 90%
Aberystwyth UniView All Courses

51st

53
3.74 3.81 96%
RavensbourneView All Courses

52nd

-19
3.66 3.81 93%
Welsh College of Music & DraView All Courses

53rd

78
3.45 3.80 92%
Queen Mary, UOLView All Courses

54th

2
3.89 3.79 93%
Durham UniView All Courses

55th

32
3.79 3.78 88%
Uni of SurreyView All Courses

56th

-29
3.91 3.78 97%
Uni of WarwickView All Courses

57th

6
3.90 3.77 95%
City St George's, UOLView All Courses

58th

27
3.78 3.77 100%
Kingston UniView All Courses

59th

-2
3.86 3.77 94%
Queen's UniView All Courses

60th

-8
3.76 3.75 92%
Uni of HullView All Courses

61st

-29
3.81 3.75 90%
Uni of CambridgeView All Courses

62nd

3
3.88 3.75 91%
Bucks New UniView All Courses

63rd

64
3.65 3.74 93%
UCLView All Courses

64th

-10
3.79 3.73 90%
Uni of SouthamptonView All Courses

65th

27
3.62 3.72 93%
City St George's, UOLView All Courses

66th

2
3.72 3.69 94%
Uni of LancashireView All Courses

67th

44
3.80 3.69 95%
Keele UniView All Courses

68th

-40
3.86 3.67 97%
York St John UniView All Courses

69th

1
3.37 3.66 84%
Loughborough UniView All Courses

70th

-44
3.77 3.66 97%
Liverpool Hope UniView All Courses

71st

-7
3.61 3.66 94%
LSBUView All Courses

72nd

26
3.62 3.66 80%
Lancaster UniView All Courses

73rd

2
3.75 3.65 100%
Uni of WorcesterView All Courses

74th

-60
3.75 3.64 87%
Uni of BathView All Courses

75th

-8
3.83 3.63 94%
Uni of DundeeView All Courses

76th

3
3.71 3.63 90%
Glasgow CaledonianView All Courses

77th

0
3.57 3.62 88%
Northeastern UniView All Courses

78th

36
3.50 3.60 100%
Uni of StirlingView All Courses

79th

27
3.49 3.57 100%
Uni of StrathclydeView All Courses

80th

-34
3.59 3.57 95%
King'sView All Courses

81st

53
3.52 3.55 96%
Uni of OxfordView All Courses

82nd

44
3.71 3.51 93%
Uni of SunderlandView All Courses

83rd

69
3.67 3.50 93%
USWView All Courses

84th

-2
3.73 3.49 88%
Royal HollowayView All Courses

85th

-9
3.71 3.49 91%
Teesside UniView All Courses

86th

38
3.48 3.48 94%
Uni of GreenwichView All Courses

87th

-46
3.63 3.48 93%
Uni of EssexView All Courses

88th

17
3.58 3.47 96%
Robert Gordon UniView All Courses

89th

6
3.33 3.47 100%
Uni of East LondonView All Courses

90th

-6
3.61 3.47 85%
Coventry UniView All Courses

91st

11
3.65 3.46 79%
Abertay UniView All Courses

92nd

-19
3.51 3.45 92%
Uni for Creative ArtsView All Courses

93rd

28
3.54 3.45 94%
Uni of St. AndrewsView All Courses

94th

16
3.47 3.42 100%
Imperial CollegeView All Courses

95th

-14
3.53 3.42 83%
Bishop Grosseteste UniView All Courses

96th

-8
3.54 3.39 83%
UALView All Courses

97th

35
3.30 3.35 92%
Uni of West ScotlandView All Courses

98th

-18
3.65 3.35 81%
Uni of WolverhamptonView All Courses

99th

-48
3.71 3.34 88%
Open UniView All Courses

100th

-40
3.88 3.34 97%

Our rankings only include universities that have reached our threshold of submitted student reviews. To find out more, please visit our rankings about page.

University Rankings 2026

Uni Compare Top 100

Taken from 151,805 verified reviews and ratings from students who have attended university to help the future generation of students.

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