Best universities for student life 2025

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 2025

Scroll right to see all our ranking criteria

2025	UNIVERSITY	2025	OVERALL	SCORE	RECC
1st 0	Uni of Liverpool University of Liverpool View All Courses	1st 0	4.29	4.54	100%
2nd 1	Nottingham Trent Nottingham Trent University View All Courses	2nd 1	4.36	4.51	99%
3rd 4	Newcastle Uni Newcastle University View All Courses	3rd 4	4.21	4.47	98%
4th 6	Liverpool JM Liverpool John Moores University View All Courses	4th 6	4.30	4.45	99%
5th 6	Uni of Nottingham University of Nottingham View All Courses	5th 6	4.19	4.45	99%
6th -1	Cardiff Uni Cardiff University View All Courses	6th -1	4.07	4.41	97%
7th 19	Uni of Manchester The University of Manchester View All Courses	7th 19	3.99	4.40	97%
8th -2	Northumbria Uni Northumbria University View All Courses	8th -2	4.00	4.38	98%
9th 7	Bournemouth Uni Bournemouth University View All Courses	9th 7	4.14	4.33	100%
10th -6	Uni of Leeds University of Leeds View All Courses	10th -6	4.09	4.32	96%
11th -9	Uni of Sheffield University of Sheffield View All Courses	11th -9	3.96	4.30	99%
12th 48	Middlesex Uni Middlesex University View All Courses	12th 48	4.26	4.23	98%
13th 14	Manchester Met Uni Manchester Metropolitan University View All Courses	13th 14	4.11	4.23	99%
14th 8	Uni of York University of York View All Courses	14th 8	4.00	4.22	100%
15th 42	Edge Hill Uni Edge Hill University View All Courses	15th 42	4.20	4.21	100%
16th 54	Uni of Worcester University of Worcester View All Courses	16th 54	4.02	4.20	100%
17th -3	Uni of Birmingham University of Birmingham View All Courses	17th -3	4.08	4.20	99%
18th -3	Uni of Glasgow University of Glasgow View All Courses	18th -3	3.83	4.19	100%
19th -10	Cardiff Met Uni Cardiff Metropolitan University View All Courses	19th -10	3.89	4.18	100%
20th 26	UEA University of East Anglia (UEA) View All Courses	20th 26	3.97	4.15	98%
21st 7	Uni of Exeter University of Exeter View All Courses	21st 7	4.08	4.14	100%
22nd 9	UWE, Bristol UWE, Bristol View All Courses	22nd 9	3.90	4.13	96%
23rd 24	Uni of Leicester University of Leicester View All Courses	23rd 24	4.13	4.13	92%
24th -1	Uni of Portsmouth University of Portsmouth View All Courses	24th -1	3.86	4.11	98%
25th -7	Sheffield Hallam Uni Sheffield Hallam University View All Courses	25th -7	3.96	4.10	99%
26th 30	The Uni of Salford The University of Salford View All Courses	26th 30	4.07	4.09	95%
27th -14	Leeds Beckett Uni Leeds Beckett University View All Courses	27th -14	3.98	4.06	100%
28th 4	Loughborough Uni Loughborough University View All Courses	28th 4	4.08	4.06	98%
29th 24	Uni of Surrey University of Surrey View All Courses	29th 24	4.07	4.03	99%
30th 31	Keele Uni Keele University View All Courses	30th 31	4.07	4.01	97%
31st 13	Edinburgh Napier Edinburgh Napier University View All Courses	31st 13	3.79	3.99	94%
32nd -24	Uni of Sussex University of Sussex View All Courses	32nd -24	3.78	3.98	98%
33rd 30	Oxford Brookes Oxford Brookes University View All Courses	33rd 30	3.96	3.98	100%
34th 45	Uni of Hull University of Hull View All Courses	34th 45	3.83	3.98	100%
35th 151	Ravensbourne Ravensbourne University London View All Courses	35th 151	4.05	3.96	94%
36th -1	Ulster Uni Ulster University View All Courses	36th -1	3.91	3.95	100%
37th 15	Uni of Chester University of Chester View All Courses	37th 15	4.10	3.94	97%
38th -21	Swansea Uni Swansea University View All Courses	38th -21	3.96	3.91	100%
39th -3	Uni of Brighton University of Brighton View All Courses	39th -3	3.78	3.90	96%
40th -3	Uni of Lincoln University of Lincoln View All Courses	40th -3	3.99	3.89	95%
41st -17	Uni of Plymouth University of Plymouth View All Courses	41st -17	3.86	3.87	100%
42nd 1	Birmingham City Uni Birmingham City University View All Courses	42nd 1	3.84	3.86	91%
43rd 39	Uni of Greenwich University of Greenwich View All Courses	43rd 39	3.68	3.85	94%
44th -6	Anglia Ruskin Uni Anglia Ruskin University View All Courses	44th -6	3.89	3.84	97%
45th -33	Uni of Bristol University of Bristol View All Courses	45th -33	3.74	3.84	97%
46th -13	Uni of Reading University of Reading View All Courses	46th -13	3.83	3.84	97%
47th -26	Aston Uni Aston University View All Courses	47th -26	3.96	3.82	98%
48th -14	Uni of Strathclyde University of Strathclyde View All Courses	48th -14	3.74	3.81	100%
49th 37	Uni of Derby University of Derby View All Courses	49th 37	4.08	3.80	98%
50th -25	Uni of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh View All Courses	50th -25	3.58	3.78	100%
51st -3	De Montfort De Montfort University (DMU) View All Courses	51st -3	4.00	3.78	92%
52nd 37	Falmouth Uni Falmouth University View All Courses	52nd 37	3.91	3.77	100%
53rd 52	Uni of Wolverhampton University of Wolverhampton View All Courses	53rd 52	3.75	3.75	96%
54th -13	Queen's Uni Queen's University, Belfast View All Courses	54th -13	3.68	3.74	96%
55th 16	Uni of Westminster University of Westminster View All Courses	55th 16	3.73	3.72	100%
56th -16	UCL UCL, University of London View All Courses	56th -16	3.85	3.71	96%
57th 16	Uni of Gloucestershire University of Gloucestershire View All Courses	57th 16	3.58	3.69	100%
58th 7	Queen Mary, UOL Queen Mary, University of London View All Courses	58th 7	3.76	3.68	100%
59th 28	Kingston Uni Kingston University View All Courses	59th 28	3.66	3.66	87%
60th 40	Uni of Chichester University of Chichester View All Courses	60th 40	3.82	3.63	100%
61st 45	Canterbury Uni Canterbury Christ Church University View All Courses	61st 45	3.64	3.60	94%
62nd 76	Open Uni Open University View All Courses	62nd 76	4.02	3.58	100%
63rd 12	Uni of Huddersfield University of Huddersfield View All Courses	63rd 12	3.72	3.55	92%
64th 13	Bangor Uni Bangor University View All Courses	64th 13	3.67	3.55	100%
65th 31	Uni of Warwick University of Warwick View All Courses	65th 31	3.81	3.55	98%
66th -27	Liverpool Hope Uni Liverpool Hope University View All Courses	66th -27	3.32	3.52	100%
67th 24	Uni of Cambridge University of Cambridge View All Courses	67th 24	3.86	3.52	100%
68th -23	Leeds Arts University Leeds Arts University View All Courses	68th -23	3.21	3.51	100%
69th -2	Uni of Bath University of Bath View All Courses	69th -2	3.65	3.49	96%
70th 34	City, UOL City, University of London View All Courses	70th 34	3.62	3.48	92%
71st 39	Uni of Winchester University of Winchester View All Courses	71st 39	3.86	3.48	97%
72nd -42	York St John Uni York St John University View All Courses	72nd -42	3.50	3.48	100%
73rd -11	Uni of Kent University of Kent View All Courses	73rd -11	3.35	3.47	97%
74th 2	Goldsmiths, UOL Goldsmiths, University of London View All Courses	74th 2	3.27	3.46	100%
75th 6	Abertay Uni Abertay University View All Courses	75th 6	3.32	3.44	100%
76th -57	Solent Uni Solent University View All Courses	76th -57	3.17	3.44	100%
77th 7	Lancaster Uni Lancaster University View All Courses	77th 7	3.65	3.44	94%
78th 16	Royal Holloway Royal Holloway, University of London View All Courses	78th 16	3.71	3.44	100%
79th 4	Glasgow Caledonian Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) View All Courses	79th 4	3.46	3.43	100%
80th 13	Arts Bournemouth Arts University Bournemouth View All Courses	80th 13	3.40	3.42	83%
81st -61	Uni of Dundee University of Dundee View All Courses	81st -61	3.11	3.40	100%
82nd 45	Uni of West Scotland University of the West of Scotland View All Courses	82nd 45	3.66	3.39	91%
83rd 19	Imperial College Imperial College London View All Courses	83rd 19	3.46	3.39	100%
84th 27	USW University of South Wales View All Courses	84th 27	3.58	3.38	95%
85th 22	Uni of Cumbria The University of Cumbria View All Courses	85th 22	3.42	3.38	100%
86th 27	Uni of East London University of East London View All Courses	86th 27	3.39	3.34	100%
87th 29	St Georges, UOL St Georges, University of London View All Courses	87th 29	3.38	3.34	100%
88th -10	Uni of Bolton University of Bolton View All Courses	88th -10	3.17	3.33	100%
89th -17	Durham Uni Durham University View All Courses	89th -17	3.48	3.30	93%
90th 63	Bishop Grosseteste Uni Bishop Grosseteste University View All Courses	90th 63	3.59	3.29	89%
91st 40	Exeter College Exeter College View All Courses	91st 40	3.22	3.28	100%
92nd 42	AUP Arts University Plymouth View All Courses	92nd 42	3.23	3.28	100%
93rd 42	Liverpool Institute The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts View All Courses	93rd 42	2.95	3.28	100%
94th -45	Uni of Southampton University of Southampton View All Courses	94th -45	3.18	3.25	100%
95th -31	Brunel Uni London Brunel University of London View All Courses	95th -31	3.36	3.25	92%
96th 50	Uni of Law The University of Law View All Courses	96th 50	3.37	3.24	100%
97th 48	Robert Gordon Uni Robert Gordon University View All Courses	97th 48	2.91	3.22	100%
98th -30	Uni of Roehampton University of Roehampton View All Courses	98th -30	3.07	3.22	100%
99th 16	Uni of West London The University of West London View All Courses	99th 16	3.21	3.22	100%
100th -26	LSBU London South Bank University View All Courses	100th -26	3.23	3.21	96%

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 2025

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Taken from 131,500+ different data points and are from students who have attended university to help the future generation of students.

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