Durham University Reviews

Departments all fine but university library is severely lacking in space, students union is majorly lacking in influence

Durham university has high-level teaching facilities and qualified teachers.

A university I would recommend primarily for its academic standing.

Collegiate system makes it all worth it

There are a lot of societies you can take part in

Students union is very good place to socialise and to find out information and join groups and clubs

Durham University is located in a small city, which is more of a town really than a city, so not the best if you are looking for more of a stereotypical bustling space. Overall, the architecture is very nice, but a lot of the buildings could use updates.

I got extremely fit by the end of my first year as I had to walk on average 2-3 hours a day. Depending on your choice of modules, you end up walking or running up and down hills between lectures from one end of town to the other.

Very little going on. Isolating.

Wi-fi is horrible. Don't go for the accommodation if you want stable connection.

Really nice town, and obviously great teaching and facilities

A thoroughly wonderful university that put a lot of care and dedication to not only students but academics

Accomodation absolute rip-off. Only for private schools

I love Durham. Everyone I’ve met have been nice, kind and caring people. I have definitely met friends for lives. I would recommend anyone to come here. Especially if they love academics. Only downside is nightlife. But societies and Newcastle make up for that! Love this uni and love the people.

Amazing! Honestly had the best time ever at Durham. Wouldn’t change it for the world.

It is impossible not to be involved in something at Durham - it engages everyone academically, socially (with the collegiate system) and physically with a wide range of sports and societies on offer. The best 3 years of my life, I've made friends that are like family to me now!

Best Uni in the world, the college system makes it

Historic and beautiful Colleges - regardless of whether they were built 12 years ago or 120 years ago. However, the university this year specifically has been plagued by unfortunate publicity events and lower than standard WiFi.

Excellent uni! The academic prowess and the incredible collegiate system make for such a great uni experience.

I love this uni, the college system is great

Could not imagine a better place to study and live. Such a wonderful city to be in with endless opportunities and communities. Feel incredibly lucky to be in Durham and will always feel connected to this amazing university.

Amazing university, great community feel with the collegiate system and beautiful setting! Would highly recommend to anyone, absolutely love it! However, needs HUGE improvement on tackling mental health and wellbeing as seems to brush people under the rug and even give them orders to leave Durham if they mention mental health issues! Shocking!

Durham has been a transformative experience. I think it’s collegiate experience is unparalleled. A place where you work hard play hard!

Academics are great, societies are great, facilities are great BUT the administration are soulless corporate types that shouldn’t belong in a university

A fantastic blend of history and new innovation makes Durham a unique place.

A really unique experience living with wonderful people in beautiful colleges and surroundings. Always busy, taught well and challenged to achieve our best while having so many activities and societies ti pick from. Work hard, play hard

DURHAM IS THE BEST UNI! As I graduate today I am sad to leave my home of 3 years. But I will take all the wonderful memories with me forward into the future and cherish them dearly.

Great collegiate system, which each have their own great clubs and societies, something for everyone. So academic, great sports, nice science campus, good WiFi coverage across most the city!

Beautiful city with so much to get involved with! Societies are so friendly and can get involved with everything, don’t be afraid to try things you’ve never done before. Professors are so supportive and helpful, facilities are excellent. Overall the best place to be

The problem with Durham City— over-populated, bureaucracy, and a lack of resources for students (I.e. books, during term time the library is always packed with people).

One of the best in the UK and the world. Its high academics are on par with Oxbridge, and in some cases higher. My course is top 3 in the world, above Cambridge, Yale, and Princeton. We wear robes and have a castle! We have leading academics in the field and get the feeling the future is bright. Durham is true British education and just as good as Ixbridge, just less elitism and snobbery.

They don't care about you, just your money. Which is fine, but not for a charity.

Great university experience, with a strong support system.

The Business School facilities are brand new. The librarians are helpful and the internet is good.

Loved my time at Durham University. It's a small town with a big personality.

If you want a collegiate, fun, social experience in a small but ancient city with incredibly scenery all around and a first class education, then this is for you. Durham is the only other collegiate university in the UK outside Oxford and Cambridge. It's not for slackers and they expect you to be a self-starter so don't expect to be spoon-fed but if you are dedicated to your subject(s) and you want to have fun then it would be hard to find a better place. Durham graduates are highly employable, well-prepared and engaged in a very diverse and international range of professions.

Mint connection speeds (100 mbps down, 90 up) but most ports are blocked

Campus: Castle smells a bit, everywhere else quite nice Clubs and Societies: DULT is great Students Union: 60's architecture deceptively pretty at first but staff are very friendly, should push for NUS disaffiliation Careers: Staff very patient and friendly Internet / Wifi: STOP USING OUTLOOK

IF you want to party hard or work hard, this is the place for both.

Where quality education meets fun social life, Durham Uni is simply the best!

I love Durham as a place and university, although I wish the students union was a bigger part of student life. I don't know much about the careers service as I am in first year but it seems pretty good. There are tons of societies so there is something for everyone.

The students union is quite separated from college activities and is under used.

Terrible SU, but with college common rooms it's not really needed.

Very good university and facilities are awesome.

Traditional, social and unforgettable

A very good university with loads of societies to choose. Good facilities close together

Amazing small city. Everything you need and you can walk everywhere. Great facilities all over town making best use of the city

Top uni, could do with sports facility improvements

I'm very happy with Durham University. My faculty is excellent and the university's services are second-to-none.

Wifi all over campus is great! Good facilities, especially good science buildings!

Amazing university with great academic, sporting and social scenes

Durham University, and particularly Trevelyan College, is a fantastic place both for academia and societies. The social side is fab and you'll love it.

Very good, clean, tidy and useful facilities!

Students Union doesn't play an active role, but college JCRs do. Internet can be tempremental but is available in numerous locations. Careers service isn't great but has improved over the years, but clubs and societies are great

Yea, pretty top. Very pretty. Good value.

Bleed palatinate #notquitedurha,

I study at Durham Queen's campus and student satisfaction is extremely low. The campus sucks. There are limited facilities and there is not much stores or restaurants or other palces of leisure activity. Can say that there is simply nothing to do in Stockton. Also all the social activities including socieities are in Durham which is 1 hour bus ride from Stockton. This makes it extremely difficult for many Stockton students to join societies.

Awesome students union, internet available basically everywhere, the careers service have been really helpful in finding me an internship

Durham has plenty of opportunities and societies to get involved in. It caters for all needs and has a really friendly vibe.

Durham uni has provided a lot of support and guidance throughtout my first few weeks

A great place to Study! Especially on Queen's Campus :)

Awesome, amazing support- felt like home after just the first day! Had a great time and really enjoying both the degree and the college experience.

A university where academic excellence is only part of the degree.

Student Union is a bit crap but other than that its good.

It's a very nice place with great facilities

Durham is an excellent place to study. The staff is really supportive and there are plenty of good societies to join.

Union has not really existed for the beginning of the term. Things have been ticking over, but nothing has actually been implemented. The sheer number of Clubs and Societies on offer is mind boggling. Every college has about 20 and then there are 250 odd university societies with a further 50 odd university sports. If you want to get involved, it's easy!

Love my uni! Couldn't be happier

It's f****** gr9 m9. I never wanna go back 'ome to the south

Still a first year, having a great time so far.

Really only just started in October, but overall my impression of the University is a splendid one. Incredibly approachable and friendly people (staff and students)

People are a bit boring but in terms of quality of education and careers advice, Durham is great.

I have really enjoyed my first few weeks at St Aidan's College Durham. The collegiate system is great and the modern languages course is very interesting.

Within my first few weeks, Durham has been wonderfully welcoming and has allowed me to experience a wide range of new and exciting activities, whilst being a perfect environment to work in.

Like the university but don't like that campus is so far from from main university

What more could you want from a university?

As an international student, I felt at home here in Durham. That's why I love it.

There's a lot of talk about 'matching' you up to your perfect roommate when you apply for a shared room. It's all bulls***.

Great university set in such a wonderful little town. Great facilities and great people

Collingwood accommodation is great but the hill needs a cash point and shop!

Campus: The collegiate system is amazing, really made my experience what it was. Facilities: A little old and quite spread out, but not surprising as many lecture halls are in really old buildings. Clubs/Socs: Incredible, there's one for everyone and/or you can make your own. 'If you come to Durham and only leave with a degree, you've wasted your opportunity here' - quote from our college principal. SU: Not a significant part of life, colleges provide what the SU at other unis would be there for. Careers: Durham has huge pulling power with employers (those that know what they're doing anyway) but don't be arrogant about it, it's not a right to be employed on leaving! Internet: No major issues, appreciated how fast/reliable it was when I got my own on leaving... All in all, I really enjoyed my time here and wouldn't change anything. I hope you choose Durham and enjoy every minute!

good support within college and many societies make it easy to make friends

College system is brilliant. Small city, never met so many great people. Doxbridge is a farse, but you will have a better time and live a well rounded university experience.

The collegiate system makes the whole university experience incredible.

This institution really sums up the British education experience, an eclectic mix of interesting people, sportsmen and students. It is not in every university where, through the collegiate system, a feeling of togetherness and inclusion is fostered in such an organic manner. A giant of old, Durham is one of the greatest establishments, academic or otherwise, in this great nation.

Great university, very prestigious and supportive of everything you do.

Over 3 years I have had an amazing time at Durham, colleges make the whole experience more welcoming and provides a sense of family as they always support you.

All my best friends were a stones throw away, I mean it, we could literally throw stones from our window to theirs. At the last count we had a solid 35 member squad, where else do you get that?

Fantastic place to study with amazing people around you

I loved my time at Durham. I made amazing friends, developed important skills and founds lots of ways to volunteer and just be a good person. As for the university though... I saw zero improvements to my department I my three years, yet so many problems. It's not a modern university trying to provide a great educstion; it's an old school trying to maintain a high status so it doesn't need to compete with other universities by offering modern facilities, improving it's departments or horrible, cliquey college system, or any other numerous services.

Studying at Durham has been such a rich experience for me; you get to engage so much more with people, sports and societies because of the amazing intercollegiate system. There's so many events besides lectures and studying in the year for you to try out new things and it has really improved me on a personal level. It's a university that gives you a great education whilst letting you enjoy so much more.

Wonderful teaching supports, Excellent Environment for Studying, Lots of socials within societies and colleges. Everyone is playing sports and open to each others. Durham is really a community.

Amazing, the collegiate system really helps to form a close knit community and the facilities and staff are fantastic!

Amazing facilities and the college experience is brilliant! Being part of a college makes you feel as if you really matter and the college events are great! The city is beautiful and everything is in walking distance. The work load is intense though.

It's academic enough that I don't feel too bad about being rejected from Oxford but it's chilled enough that I have enough free time to watch Game of Thrones

Very good uni with good career prospects

A great university with so much charm and character. You are made to feel welcome from the first day and there are so many opportunities to get involved with. The collegiate system gives so many opportunities for students to gain leadership experience and help to improve the student experience for others. Although it is a small city there are still lots of things to get involved with and Newcastle is close by. The students here are all very intelligent but are not all 100% focused on work and appreciate the need for extra curricular activities making it an inspiring place to be! I would recommend anyone who has the opportunity to come here to go here!

Great career opportunities and a wealth of support and care from various sources

My department allowed me to succeed in any area I chose. My course was guided by a team of highly intelligent and inspiring academic staff who very much want you to realise your potential; one couldn't ask for better support, frankly. As an organist, reading Music at Durham, there were more opportunities than time to commit to them, so I could never have been bored. Pubs/bars/clubs/Newcastle always provide a stimulating aura of reflection following rehearsals and concerts... The college system I found extremely helpful, pastorally and financially. Van Mildert College I came to hold quite close, though most of what I did occurred outside of college. It provided a hub for pretty much any issue or non-issue you might have, as well as having useful facilities (such as practice rooms, and a newly refurbished Bechstein grand piano in my case). I would definitely recommend to a friend, and there was certainly more I would've like to explore, yet time allows for only so many adventures.....

Being collegiate makes such a huge difference, you meet people you would otherwise never have met, and you get opportunities to play every sport imaginable at a competitive level. Ecstatic that I chose Durham, and will forever be in love with it.

Best experience of my life, would recommend whole-heartedly everybody.

It is awesome! Collegiate system allows you to meet people outside your course! Billy Bry library is the best!

Main campus is wonderful whilst Queens campus lacks a collegiate vibe due to the lack of colleges (only 2) surrounding the area, also the location of the campus is in a roughy area of the country making it unwise to travel alone at night time

Absolutely love it there... Always something to do... Lovely people

Amazing, friends for life and great support academically and emotionally

Truly the most amazing place in the world, where I will be unbelievably sad to leave. A myriad of fantastic opportunities to develop as an academic and an individual. The only thing letting Durham down is the slightly ugly Student Union building!

Durham is honestly a really special place - it has definitely obtained the healthy balance between academic work and stimulation, and an amazing variety of clubs and societies to join. Our students' union does not play as prominent a part in Durham partly because of the collegiate system, so that we socialise in our colleges. I really can't imagine my university experience being any better than this.

You will love it there, it's social, fun, familial, incredibly beautiful, great academically. Don't know a single person who hasn't loved their time here!

Durham University offers a truly dynamic, challenging and rewarding uni experience.

You have Oxbridge but I honestly would say Durham is a better uni. The beauty is that yes you need to have some intellectual ability however they look at all of your qualities not just the academic ones. You become an all round talented person, which I think is what is lacking from Oxbridge!

Great atmosphere and very friendly

Couldn't imagine anywhere better to study!

Like Oxbridge but more fun. Don't have to worry about 10 deadlines a week, but the uni still has great recognition.

A truly amazing place to be. Fantastic atmosphere, great people and a wonderful collegiate system which makes you feel a part of something very special.

Best university in the country due to the collegiate system

the environment is very calm and friendly and I found it easy to settle in due to the process by which they allow students to mingle with one another. I love the fact that in every college they make a conscious effort to integrate every kind of activity that pertains to the different tastes of the vast diverse of students.

The uni spends money on weird things (e.g. £2m of artwork unseen by most students) that makes it feel as though the students are not always the priority. Science facilities (with the new science site) far superior to those of Arts & Humanities subjects, drawing questions over value for money of humanities courses. Sports faciliies and range of societies is great, collegiate system allows everyone to get involved.

Historical campus, really good transport links, but could improve SU.

The collegiate dimension to the university is unparalleled with anywhere else. An incredible experience with huge opportunity.

A wonderful place full of opportunity and the chance to succeed; a huge range of support, academic brilliance and the best time of your life