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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).
4.04.14.2978 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsI think due to the college system, there is a sense of community amongst students. The student academic support is great (at least in my department) but the student wellbeing support is not always good. The students union try to fix things but if you wish to talk to them about something or make a complaint form, there is an insane amount of red tape to go through. This actively discourages people from making complaints about the University and stops the student union from carrying out any work to change things. The campus feels cols (not just the temperature). Few and far between are study spaces that seem designed to help people focus. In the library study rooms, glass doors mean you are being watched, even if you booked a private study space, there are 'study spaces' with bright fluorescent lighting and white walls, making focusing nearly impossible. Disabled access to study spaces in the Libraries needs to be worked on. The accessible study room is on the second or third floor and you have to go through other places where people move tables and chairs for group study. Although there are lifts, they are rarely functional.
18-24 years
The best thing is that everyone is always very keen to help you and you never feel left alone. The worst thing is probably the distance from town.
18-24 years
First gen student
It’s a fantastic place but each year I’ve felt like the student union has progressively got worse and worse. We do not hear from them as much as we used to, there have been allegations of racism and I don’t even know who they are this year as opposed to first year where we had regular weekly emails from them headed by a different member each week. The uni loves to talk about its “brutalist” architecture. Don’t lie to yourself it’s horrible.
The student support for mental health etc, is amazing and the staff try to help students to get the most out of the course as possible. The campus is beautiful and the campus east accommodation is very high quality. Something to be improved is the facilities on campus as everything was open on weekends last year, but this year all the shops and cafes and places to eat etc, on campus are closed on weekends despite students obviously living here on weekends too.
Very supportive.
Best is the amount of opportunities and support. Worst is that they do not rebuild fallen status or replace missing letters on buildings.
York is a safe historic city and has older richer folks living here, while the campus is generally rather safe at night with many students going out to club and returning in the early hours. The campus however, is not near the city. You'll have to take a 15-25min bus into town from the nearer West campus, and a 30-45min bus from the further East campus just for one trip. The campus also has a lovely scenery and nature, particularly around spring / summer. It's horribly bare and cold in the winter though. Generally, the weather can be cold and frequently very windy. It's also horrible that the 2 campuses are separated into two campuses, which is a 30min walk apart. Or you have to rely on the irregular bus timings which is a hassle.
Nisa is cheaper
Decent uni in general.
The only negative is that the accommodation is really expensive. Otherwise, the course is well structured, interesting and there is lots of support from lecturers and supervisors. The college system and socials gives a strong community feel and makes it easy to make friends. The city is lovely and in walking distance and has a great night life. There is always something going on
The community feel at the university of York is wonderful. The campus is always buzzing with students and has so many nice areas outside to sit and chat or decompress between lectures. Sitting by the lake and watching the swans and ducks is one of my favourite places to eat lunch with friends. Overall, I've had a great experience with interesting lecturers and supportive supervisors for lab projects, and would recommend York to anyone looking for a welcoming, well-rounded and high quality education experience at University! Improvements could be made in the delivery of information between management and students, especially regarding the future of departments to ensure all students feel represented, respected and informed about the next stages of their teaching.
I like the college aspect, it helps makes friends and makes things less scary when first joining. There are good facilities and transport links surrounding the campus.
25-34 years
Contact hours are minimal, to an extent that it is enough time spent learning and enough time spent to yourself for the course. This allows me to gain other experiences as I have more time throughout the day. It’s a great place to study during exam times as the library remains open 24/7, however the library does not remain open during the rest of the semester which is something I wish they did do as it’d help me get my work done, as someone who struggles to study in the safety of her own room.
The Student support, especially around helping to afford accommodation- most people did not get any of their first choices for colleges and have ended up in more expensive rooms.
As a research focused department, lecturers are incredibly passionate about what they talk about. The student support is spoken about continually and is very easy to access. There are plenty of varied study spaces and people are very friendly to talk to. I enjoy my number of contact hours and also feel the variety of assessment types reflect well on the course. The SU works continually to prioritise its student community and make life as a student a lot easier. There are plenty of things to do around the city and transport links to other places. It could be improved by allowing bus access to all areas of campus east especially around Anne Lister and David Kato college.
18-24 years
York is really really beautiful but it’s a very expensive city and during the cost of living crisis is really difficult to manage your funds effectively. The departments at York are very inclusive and in biology specifically there is always someone to contact if you have any problems. I
18-24 years
Has a good vibe, lots of student societies, in a good city. Could have more accessible mental health support
4.2
Best - student environment Worst - architecture
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