Best Universities for Campus and Facilities 2022

Topping our list for campus and facilities this year we have the University of Reading. It has three campuses: WhiteKnights, London Road and Greenlands. Their Whiteknights site is set in 130 hectares of beautiful parkland, situated in the centre of Reading. Reading’s extensive library has over one million volumes and there are 24/7 IT resources. At the heart of their Whiteknights campus, there are specialist collections and three museums: The Cole Museum of Zoology, The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology and The Museum of English Rural life. Students are spoilt with countless amenities ranging from shops, eateries, an 89-station fitness studio and a botanical garden.

The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209, making it the second oldest university in the UK. It is a collegiate university, meaning it’s made up of over 31 colleges with 150 different faculties and departments. The university has more than 100 libraries and is scattered across the city of Cambridge. They have nine specialist museums and collections, all of which are open to students and the public. The Language Centre offers opportunities to all students wishing to take up or continue a language. The university town is filled with stunning old architecture which is awe-inspiring to gaze at!

The University of St Andrews is Scotland’s first university, dating back to 1413. The university’s extensive library allows students access to over 210,000 rare printed books from its Special Collections unit. There are a number of cafes within university buildings and many shops and bars around the town which the university is located within. St Andrews has a vibrant performing arts scene with performances being shown in venues like the Byre Theatre. There are also three museums owned by the university.

The University of Sheffield owns The Diamond which is an £81-million building, boasting innovative study facilities. It also offers on-demand print services, access to their digital collections and high-demand textbooks. Along with their world-class facilities, they also receive a great deal investment into research, such as a recent £50 million from the government to accelerate MND research.

A whopping £1 billion has been invested into new teaching and research buildings, student facilities and resources at The University of Manchester and also into the public areas surrounding campus. Students are entitled to discounted rates at the universities sports facilities. These include two 50-metre swimming pools, three fitness suites and a plethora of indoor and outdoor pitches around campus. One of the many sports facilities available to students, the Wythenshawe Sports Ground, has a crazy 26 full-sized football pitches.

The University of Birmingham’s estate is vast, covering 672 acres with over 200 buildings of varying ages. It is currently undergoing a £1-billion development program which started in 2016. The university boasts an extensive library housing 2.7 million books in total. There are two hotels on campus which are great for housing visiting family members and attendees of events. There are also a variety of services offered to students on campus by the university’s media centre, including training and locations to record podcasts and professional films.

Loughborough University is well known for their renowned sporting facilities. This includes two highly-equipped gyms on campus, Hollywell Fitness Centre and Powerbase, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and high-performance athletic centres, where international athletes sometimes come to train. Over the last 10 years, £350m has been invested into their facilities. Around campus you will find an impressive and recently refurbished library, eateries, a bank, two theatres and a health centre, amongst other amenities.

Bangor University’s campus is buzzing with life and is packed with interesting things to do within their excellent facilities. They have an environmental centre, language centre and a research vessel owned by The School of Ocean Sciences called The Prince Madog. There is also a natural history museum, a Centre for Hill and Upland Management, two physiology laboratories and Treborth Botanic Gardens. Along with these excellent facilities, they are well known for their extensive resources for Sport Health and Exercise science, featuring a £1-million teaching lab.

Providing essential study facilities and access to 2.5 million books and journals and 800,000 e-books and e-journals, the University of Glasgow's library is open 361 days a year, from 7.25am to 2am! Over the next 10 years, the University of Glasgow is investing £1 billion into the development of their renowned campus and facilities. Being situated right in the heart of Glasgow, there are extensive amenities around the university and excellent travel options available.

The University of Greenwich is located in and around the Old Royal Naval College which is a World Heritage site, features breath-taking architecture and is situated in South East London. Their £76-million Stockwell Street Building which opened in 2014 is now home to a large library, film and TV studios and state-of-the-art editing suites. The university has over 8,000 sq metres of lab space, amongst other facilities and resources available to students. There is also a new student hub which has recently received a £6.4-million investment.

The stunning Sir Duncan Rice Library, designed to evoke the ice and light of the north, provides study spaces spanning over eight floors at the University of Aberdeen. Aberdeen Sports Village and Aquatic Centre feature many world-class facilities. There are three full-size FIFA-approved indoor football pitches, three swimming pools, four squash courts, an outdoor hockey pitch and an athletic track. The university also has three museums on campus, with exhibitions changing throughout the year.

The university library at Northumbria University provides modern study spaces for students and is open 24/7 during term-time. Northumbria University has recently invested upwards of £250 million to create a buzzing, safe and supportive environment around campus. There are two campuses: one in Newcastle and a new one in the City of London. They also have catering and retail outlets on campus serving hot and cold food which can be pre-ordered on an app.

The University of Exeter has three campuses spread over South West England: Streatham and St Luke’s in Exeter and Penryn in Cornwall. They have almost 1,000 significant and diverse artworks worth over £2 million. Their famous Great Hall offers entertainment, sometimes hosting full-size symphony orchestras. Exeter Northcott is their professional repertory theatre and they also have a cinema museum! Exeter has extensive sports facilities, ranging from their Athlete Development Centre, to all-weather pitches and a boathouse.

From 3D printing, laser cutting studios and animation facilities, to animal units and the Bonington gallery, NTU offers a whole host of amenities catering to almost anyone. Nottingham Trent has three campuses: central City Campus in the energetic heart of Nottingham, the vibrant countryside estate of Brackenhurst and the dedicated student village at the Clifton Campus. They’ve invested over £450 million into development of their resources and facilities over the last 15 years.

The University of Warwick occupies two locations in the centre of Warwickshire with great transport links to neighbouring cities, and one at The Shard, in the centre of London. Their enormous 720-acre campus is based around the outskirts of Coventry and features stunning views and idyllic lakes. On campus, you will find many shops, banks, a pharmacy, cafes, restaurants and a chaplaincy. There is also a 'Sports and Wellness Hub' featuring a 12-lane swimming pool, a climbing wall and a gym with individual stations and free weights. Students are spoilt for choice with a large arts centre, housing two theatres, a music studio, a concert hall and a cinema.

Lancaster University’s campus features a post office, a bakery, supermarkets, a hairdresser, a beauty salon and many cafes, restaurants and bars. The university campus occupies a beautiful 560-acre parkland site at Bailrigg, just three miles from Lancaster city centre. The renowned Peter Scott Gallery showcases contemporary art on campus to students. They also have their own theatre, The Nuffield Theatre, which is one of the largest professional studio theatres in Europe.

RGU is known for its impressive sports facilities, including a variety of gym suites, a 6-lane swimming pool, group exercise classes, studios for hire, a bouldering wall, sports hall and an 11-metre state-of-the-art climbing wall. They cater to cyclists with plenty of bicycle parking, hire options and other cycling facilities around campus. RGU has excellent graphics and printing facilities, a law clinic, physiotherapy clinic, over 2,500 IT workstations and a stunning library spread over four floors.

Students at the University of Leeds benefit from four libraries around the 100-acre campus, catering to all their study needs by providing journals, textbooks, study spaces and printing services. There are a wide range of facilities on campus, from cafes and bars, to security services and The Edge. The Edge is a sporting complex featuring an 8-lane swimming pool, 150 exercise classes spread around studios, a 250-station gym, a sports park and halls, a climbing wall, an outdoor centre and even a boathouse!

The University of Liverpool is situated across two campuses, separated by the river Mersey: Liverpool city centre and Leahurst, which features a veterinary research and teaching centre. The central campus has a number of beautiful green spaces to relax and study in. There are many cafes on campus, two large libraries and the Ness Botanic Gardens. The University of Liverpool also has a large sports centre, including a 25-metre swimming pool, two sports halls, four squash courts, a dance studio and a complete fitness suite.

UEA occupies a large 320-acre campus west of Norwich which offers excellent facilities to students: an NHS GP practice, post office, pharmacy, dental practice, faith centre and a large library. The university features distinctive and award-winning architecture around campus for students to appreciate. Students have access to the 24/7 library which provides IT facilities, study spaces, social and quiet areas and a laptop borrow scheme. UEA is well known for their £30-million Sportspark, one of the UK's top sports facilities. Students have access to a 50-metre swimming pool, a 10-metre climbing wall, six AstroTurf pitches, squash, badminton, basketball and volleyball courts, outdoor tennis and netball courts, and 40 acres of playing fields.