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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).
4.03.93.7556 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsIf you are willing to put the work in you will be rewarded with great teaching, helpful feedback and tutors who genuinely care about your success. We all start from a relatively similar skill set and if you work hard you will get to the top of your cohort. However, it is a difficult course, it's stressful and it leads to an underpaid job at the end. This isn't the universities fault, this is just intrinsic in the world of architecture. However, we are informed of this during the degree and the tutors make it clear if we aren't passionate about architecture, there is an out at the end of the degree. If you still hold that passion (as I do) they will help you get your desired grade, but, again, as long as you put the work in.
Reading is a great place to study cause the facilities here are really nice. The central campus is spacious and incredibly green which is a nice change compared to other unis i’ve visited. It could be improved by either refurbishing some of the older buildings cause there are some buildings not in use.
The facilities for the science department are really big or modern. The campus is green and has many museums worth visiting. However, some older buildings are not as modern as the others and seem quite empty.
Support is always available and I never feel as though I am bothering anyone by asking for help. Tutors are always friendly and ready to offer help or advice. During my university life, communication between the university and student finance England has been disappointing. As a result, I have spent two terms at university without any student finance and could not pay for things like rent due to the university not having confirmed my place with student finance England, even though I had been accepted to move into halls. Pieces of work were lost in my last term and I could not progress in my degree course. I was accused of not having handed this work in even though I could evidence these submissions. Fortunately, due to the attitude of my tutors both inside and outside of the classroom, I will be returning to university and look forward to starting my degree.
18-24 years
Its a very nice and atmospheremic University. Not overwhelming as well and very nice place to be. One thing I think could be is the travel fares for University commuters. The pricing especially for buses are alot to add especially if most people already pay so much for tickets anyway. The student pricung has change abd hence it would help paying a little less from it.
18-24 years
First gen student
If you'd like to live in a convenient, lively place that feels like a small, nice slice of London, Reading's a good choice. I love the peaceful natural surroundings of the Whiteknights campus, and the multiple cafes and shops in the heart of the uni contribute to a comfortable daily living and working environment. HOWEVER: if you're neurodivergent, beware, particularly if you're thinking of doing psychology. In my experience (and that of others), academic staff like to talk the talk but not walk the walk when it comes to accessibility and inclusion. If you're struggling with your course and reach out for help, they will often go into some kind of autopilot mode in which they repeatedly suggest things you've already tried that don't work. It got to the point where I had to write an SOS into one of my coursework essays as I felt I was simply not being listened to. When I politely stated that I found their (lack of) support unacceptable, I was told via email to be respectful and was sent a copy of the student code of conduct. As months went by I had less and less help or communication with the academic staff who were supposed to be helping me - this ranged from a wall of silence, to overt discrimination at a drop-in session when I was told, and I quote, "these sessions are not for people like you". To be clear, this was in the UK, in 2022. I was and continue to be astounded. It has increasingly felt as though I am being made to feel that I am at fault for being in the psychology space as a neurodivergent student with legally-defined additional needs. I am mindful that part of this apparent covert hostility towards me probably stems from outdated views about neurodivergents that a lot of psychologists in academia will have been trained with and internalised. Thankfully "in the field", attitudes are changing for the better - bizarrely, it appears that here universities are having to be dragged kicking and screaming behind the rest of British society. If you're ND and want to help other NDs, there are routes to do this that don't require you having to exert literal blood, sweat and tears for a psychology degree. There are more opportunities in more areas than you may realise. Reading is objectively a good uni, and I don't regret coming here at all. But it could and needs to be better. Before you hit the UCAS Apply button, I suggest browsing their full catalogue of programmes.
18-24 years
First gen student
What makes it such a great place to study?: • Excellent facilities. • Experienced and high-class professors and researchers. • Green/open space. How could it be improved?: • Student support is not always accessible and easy to reach. • More of a focus on events and opportunities for those commuting, and not living on campus.
18-24 years
First gen student
I have loved my time at UoR! As a student that didn't get to go on campus tours due to COVID, I was limited in my understanding of what a university should offer, however during my time at Reading I have quickly understood how inclusive and enthusiastic the staff are. I am not a huge drinker, so it is disappointing to see the Reading SU mainly focuses on club nights and drinking events, however they are still active with the student community throughout the year
The Real Estate course at Reading is genuinely amazing. Mainly due to the amount of career support you get the whole way through. A lot of my friends at other unis are not offered much guidance when it comes to finding a career, whereas the at Reading Real Estate, you have a designated careers advisor, available through all 3 years to guide you through how to start your career, find the right first jobs, perfect your CV, nail job applications and so much more. This is the best part of the course and what makes Reading Real Estate really stand out. The campus is nice, very green and the university is a strong melting pot of different cultures and people, which makes it a really special place to grow and learn. The town of Reading itself is small, but a good first place to go after leaving home for the first time as it has everything you need without being too overwhelming. There is ample support available at Reading, that I have used the whole year round, including the STaR mentor scheme which pairs 2nd and 3rd year students, to freshers to help guide them through the first few weeks and get settled in as best as possible. After having a great experience with my STaR mentor in my first year, I have gone on to be one in the 2nd and 3rd year which is a really rewarding experience. I have also had the chance to get involved with many societies, as well as non-profit organisations. There are many places to study on campus, but the strong sustainability goals of the University means you may pay for overpriced coffee... a lot! So try and bring your own reusable cup!
Being a student at The University of Reading has been an excellent experience so far. As an international and mature student (29) attempting my first degree , I was slightly worried about not being able to fully integrate into Uni life, however that has been incredibly easy. There is almost un unlimited number of things to get involved in, and the Uni and its hundreds of student-lead societies are affiliated with numerous organisations in town and surrounding areas to get involved with. The university really help a lot with setting up societies and making extra-mural activities available. I personally am involved with the music society and have been in the Reading University Big Band and multiple other music acts since I began. The cammpus environment is the best thing for me (as an environmental management and sustainability student). Including a botanic garden, a lake, ponds, woodland and numerous meadows, you can easily spend all summer exploring and getting lost in extremely well cared for nature. The university has just been awarded the 4th Greenest/most sustainable university in the UK. The security is also great and on patrol 24/7 and everyone feels safe. The library have extremely good facilities and is open 24/7. I have recieved really good support from the student support centres from finding out how to do anything on campus, to getting extensions on assignments, and help with getting in touch quickly with counsellors and the well-being team during times of mentl health issues. Big green flag for me! The communication with all university staff has been great, from the simple 'ask a question' function through the uni's online portal, to being able to e-mail my lecturers, professors and PhD students for help and advice. In my first year I managed to get in touch with a PhD student who was able to test carbon content in soil samples I had collected for an assignment (as I was not allowed access to this equipment during first year), so although I was not allowed to physically use the equiment, the possibility is still there. Another green flag! One thing the university put a lot of effort into is Diversity and Inclusion of minority groups. The integration of international students and people of BAME communities is evident. In my opinion and experience, it is a valuable thing to meet people from all over the world, it helps you see things in a different way! I meet an international student or a student from a different racial and cultural background every time I am on campus. Working in the cafe's and bars on campus is easy to get into, and provides a good way to meet people! On that note, I have also meet industry professionals from Union leaders to International Ministers, by attending seminars that the univserity host. The uni seem to be well connected internationally. The one red flag for me, are the computers on campus. Although I mostly use the computers on campus (found in the library and computer rooms all over campus and available 24/7) which allows me to save all my work online, the computers can sometimes crash (very rarely) and can be a bit slow. This generally is not a problem for people as most students use their own laptops, but I am still a paper and pen kind of person and tend to use the computers on campus quite a lot. So, not a big deal, but my only red flag. Overall I rate The University of Reading 9/10. Most students I speak to are enjoying their courses and are satisfied with their experiences at The UNiversity of Reading.
18-24 years
First gen student
STaR Mentor experience: In the Autumn term 2023, being a STaR Mentor meant that I was supporting new students with their start at university. All mentors attended training and learnt about good practice mentoring. I received up to 25 mentees who I supported & mentored in their first term at the University of Reading. I gained skills in communication, leadership and mentoring whilst also giving back to the UoR community. I worked hard at my mentoring role helping new students feel more confident and informed during their start at university.
The best part about Reading doing Real Estate is the careers support, which is really helpful in looking for internships and graduate jobs etc. The campus is a really nice campus.
Star mentoring was such a good way to get involved with the uni and I would highly recommend it. The campus is very pretty and easy to get to.
There is a very strong sense of community within the University. There are lots of events carried out that allow you try out new things and make new connections! The Campus has everything so it’s very convenient to reside in and the greenery makes the walk around campus very enjoyable:)
25-34 years
First gen student
The best aspect for me personally is the flexibility of my course. Written assessments topics are often able to be chosen by students themselves based on own interest. My department is also very close knit and that means I have much more confidence on speaking up and expressing my opinions. The worst aspect is probably the price on rent. Being so close to London, this is inevitable, but it does mean I have to work alongside my course as the maintenance loan doesn’t easily cover both food and rent.
There are a lot of different societies in the University and it helps a lot especially for new students. Apart from that there are plenty of extra curricular activities in here. One of the most exiting parts of University is its nature, and greenery. In addition student support centre works very well, as an international student I found it a bit hard to cope with the new system of education and new county in general and got plenty of support from University for which I am very grateful.
good help
Great feeling of unity and belonging, all something on offer to do.
Better support at rusu
4.2
The campus is lovely and is well spread out to allow for spacial areas and studying rooms. There does need to be better support for mental health that is not supported by doctors.
The course content is quite poor in comparison to the practical but the practicals are fun and you have areas to grow.
Security doesn't bother coming over to the halls because it's further away