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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
4.04.14.01113 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsFriendly University with a community feel. All the course lecturers are very approachable and always happy to offer extra support if needed. Good student support, and easy to navigate campus! Highly recommended, I have had a great experience here. Will be sad to leave!
York St John is a welcoming and caring uni which bases itself around inclusivity. Every single student is valued and supported, no matter their circumstances. My experience at this uni has been nothing but excellent. I find all of the staff very friendly and helpful and your tutors always have time for you. They support you fully and, the best thing, they know you by face and name! You’re not just a number to them and the classes are small enough for them to get to know you for you. The campus itself is lovely. It’s a mixture of traditional buildings and modern ones and it’s small enough to be able to get from one side to the other in less than 5 minutes. There is everything you could need here including a 24 hour 3 floor library, a canteen with meals and snacks for in between lectures and a bar (which has delicious hot food for when you have a little more time!). I couldn’t recommend YSJ more.
YSJ is a great university. There are loads of great places to study and do work, and the campus is amazing. The Student Union offers great support and opportunities. The student support could be more widely advertised so it’s easier to find when you need it but overall it’s a fantastic university.
The staff in my department are so friendly and helpful, the whole campus is small enough that you see the same people around and it’s easy to make friends but also big enough to include so many different kinds of people, the library has so many resources and the staff are so helpful! Overall it’s the best place i could have ever hoped to study at!
Best aspects are the lecturers are supportive and ensure you have all the knowledge needed to complete assignments. In addition to this the library provide excellent services where you can book 1:1 tutorials if needed. Worst aspect was the lack of friends and how small the courses are. Making it hard to communicate and there’s no encouragement of engaging with course mates or even house mates.
18-24 years
First gen student
Feel so supported while studying at YSJ. I can always talk to my tutors and ask for help and support. I'm hoping to stay on and continue to study at YSJ doing the religion in society masters
It’s a very friendly and inclusive environment with activities that make people feel welcomed and involved. The student union is definitely one of the uni’s highlights, as well as the wide range of the societies on offer. On the music course I’ve found that being in the university choir has been very fun and rewarding, especially having the opportunity to sing in York minster at graduations and carol services. It’s also the perfect distance from the city centre. Something to improve on would maybe be to have a bit more support from staff and departments on email, and build on the resources that we already have in the library.
18-24 years
Best thing is Smaller classes allow for better communication between us and the lecturer Worst thing is there isn’t a lot of facilities other than classrooms on campus
The library has everything you could think of - printers, computers, laptop loan, stationary vending machine, microwave, silent study floor, group project spaces, blankets and bean bags. There is one campus right next to the city centre facing the historic walls. There is an on-site doctor and Amazon lockers which are useful. Plenty of bus stops nearby to Clifton Moor and Monks Cross shopping centres and buses to the coast and Leeds. The university has lots of flexible, part time jobs in the SU, student ambassadors and internships. Lecturers offer tutorials if you want to speak to them outside class times.
Everyone at YSJ seems to get along with one another and its such a friendly campus. With the campus being so small, it makes it easy to get from lesson to lesson. The campus itself is in the city centre which is great for commuters. All of my lecturers have always been a listening ear and I feel as though I could go to them with personal issues as well as academic issues. The student union is great, they host many events weekly and they also have a good relationship with the sports and societies at YSJ. The only criticism is the queues for the dining hall on a lunch time- which I suppose is to be expected.
The classes aren't cramped full of students and they're kept to a size where everyone can get the help they need. The uni has a comforting feel to it and there are plenty of clubs for all kinds of people. While before, when i attended a different uni I had low attendence as I felt like a stranger to the uni, york st johns feels like another home and I enjoy attending my sessions.
As a mature student made to feel welcome and a diverse uni.
I like the environment as it’s not too crowded/ overwhelming there is a nice feel with it being such a small university. I think study space could be improved as there is no semi quiet floor to study that isn’t silent but isn’t too loud I think that would help maybe call it an amber zone so people can still concentrate in a relaxing environment as sometimes the silent floor can be intimidating to work in as it’s too quiet but the other floors are too loud.
The study areas such as the Library that is open 24 hours a day, the location is absolutely stunning and so peaceful. The support from lectures is also something I’ve not seen before. As of now, there’s nothing I’ve seen that needs to be improved.
More understanding that some people get ahead with their work and not making them feel bad about it
18-24 years
First gen student
With the uni being slightly smaller than most it does feel nice to be there and the environment is welcoming and the facilities such as the SU and the library are really nice, I also love my course. The only negatives I have is that we have been promised trips that have suddenly then not been an option because of ‘money’ however they have the money to build brand new buildings. And I also think there is a lack of communication sometimes between staff.
the location is out of the way of the center, which makes it feel very nice and quiet! the university itself has both the modern feel with the new building, while also having older building making it feel like the classic older university as well
18-24 years
It's a great location and campus and the class sizes are small enough that you know the students and lecturers. I love studying here. Things to improve would be the student services, for example, wellbeing support and more access to facilities - however, I understand that these aren't as good as they could be due to the size of the university.
18-24 years
First gen student
It is a great place to study because of the facilities and the staff. It could be improved by having more lights, it is very dark on a night.
4.4
18-24 years
Best is the range of facilities available for students to use. The people who work in the SU like to intimidate so if you aren't a part of a sporting society/team there isn't really any point going there.
Good contact hours but a few more would be nice especially being in my 3rd and final year. Lecturers are easily approachable but sometimes take a bit too long in replying to emails and such.
Really nice and modern accommodation for a 1st year with amazing facilities. For what you are getting you are paying far too much money.