Universities ranked by crime rate

Data reveal university locations in England and Wales with least burglary, robbery and violent and sexual offences

September 7, 2015
Ellie Bothwell

The University of Buckingham, Falmouth University and Durham University are the institutions with the lowest cumulative crime rates in England and Wales, according to a new ranking from the Complete University Guide.

Compiled from official police data, the league tables show that universities in the South West and South East had the lowest crime rates, while the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside had the highest rates outside London.

Universities in Greater London, located in areas with the highest crime rates, are listed separately. King’s College London, University College London and the Courtauld Institute of Art, all situated in the centre of the capital, fare the worst while Kingston University London  in southwest London comes out top.

The tables are based on the crimes the Complete University Guide claims are the most relevant to students: burglary, robbery and violent and sexual crimes. Universities are then ranked on the cumulative rate of all three crimes (per 1,000 residents) occurring over the 12 months from May 2014 to April 2015 within three miles of its main campus. The figures relate to all crimes, not just those where students were victims.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

Complete University Guide: universities outside London ranked by crime rate (from lowest to highest)

Institution Region Burglary Robbery Violence and sexual offences Total 
University of Buckingham South East 3.32 0.05 5.21 8.58
Falmouth University South West 2.36   8.98 11.34
Durham University North East 4.1 0.1 8.09 12.3
Buckinghamshire New University South East 3.37 0.35 9.13 12.84
Harper Adams University West Midlands 4.02 0.16 8.67 12.85
Bath Spa University South West 3.62 0.23 9.46 13.32
University of Winchester South East 4.28 0.26 9 13.55
Aberystwyth University Wales 2.38 0.03 11.46 13.87
Edge Hill University North West 5.87 0.3 8.22 14.38
University of Bath South West 4.16 0.31 11.47 15.94
University of Oxford South East 4.8 0.42 11.12 16.34
Oxford Brookes University South East 4.8 0.44 11.81 17.05
Royal Holloway, University of London South East 5.13 0.23 11.83 17.18
University of Surrey South East 5.86 0.25 11.1 17.21
University of Reading South East 4.46 0.43 12.73 17.62
University of Sunderland North East 6.38 0.29 11.34 18.02
York St John University Yorkshire and the Humber 5.52 0.27 12.36 18.15
Bangor University Wales 3.1 0.21 14.86 18.17
University of Chichester South East 4.05 0.27 14.34 18.66
Royal Agricultural University South West 9.65 0.25 8.94 18.85
University of York Yorkshire and the Humber 5.73 0.29 12.9 18.91
Loughborough University East Midlands 8.43 0.42 10.13 18.97
University of Wales Trinity Saint David Wales 3.59 0.04 16.07 19.7
University of Chester North West 7.39 0.28 12.3 19.97
University of Hertfordshire East of England 6.58 0.46 12.98 20.02
University of St Mark and St John South West 3.81 0.26 16.6 20.67
University of Exeter South West 4.77 0.3 15.61 20.68
University of Warwick West Midlands 7.52 1.17 12.14 20.82
Anglia Ruskin University East of England 6.9 0.44 13.77 21.11
University of Gloucestershire South West 10.58 0.61 10.15 21.34
University of Lincoln East Midlands 8.93 0.32 12.11 21.37
University of Portsmouth South East 6.76 0.41 14.23 21.4
University of Cambridge East of England 7.02 0.49 14.03 21.54
Newman University, Birmingham West Midlands 7.42 1.7 12.82 21.94
Keele University West Midlands 4.41 0.32 17.31 22.04
University of Huddersfield Yorkshire and the Humber 8.16 0.66 13.41 22.23
Newcastle University North East 6.81 0.67 15.11 22.59
Lancaster University North West 8.53 0.19 13.9 22.62
University of Kent South East 6.71 0.31 15.66 22.68
Arts University Bournemouth South West 7.96 0.34 14.43 22.73
Bournemouth University South West 7.96 0.34 14.43 22.73
University of the West of England South West 8.34 0.87 13.52 22.73
University of Sussex South East 5.2 0.59 17.18 22.98
Northumbria University North East 6.84 0.7 15.52 23.06
University of South Wales Wales 6.31 0.13 16.77 23.22
University of Central Lancashire North West 7.5 0.58 15.38 23.46
University of Worcester West Midlands 5.96 0.53 17.02 23.51
Leeds Trinity University Yorkshire and the Humber 11.29 0.63 11.6 23.52
Coventry University West Midlands 8.57 1.33 14.03 23.93
Sheffield Hallam University Yorkshire and the Humber 9.86 1.21 12.99 24.06
University of Sheffield Yorkshire and the Humber 9.85 1.21 13.01 24.07
Nottingham Trent University East Midlands 8.47 1.1 14.55 24.12
Southampton Solent University South East 9.09 0.82 14.24 24.14
University of Southampton South East 8.95 0.84 14.39 24.18
Bishop Grosseteste University East Midlands 10.05 0.38 13.9 24.33
University of Cumbria North West 5.05 0.34 19.17 24.56
Canterbury Christ Church University South East 7.02 0.39 17.75 25.16
University Campus Suffolk East of England 6.84 0.52 18.08 25.44
Norwich University of the Arts East of England 4.38 0.32 20.82 25.52
University for the Creative Arts South East 6.67 0.43 18.86 25.96
University of Leicester East Midlands 8.96 1.08 16.07 26.11
University of Wolverhampton West Midlands 8.89 1.52 16.02 26.42
Swansea University Wales 7.28 0.36 19.13 26.78
Liverpool Hope University North West 8.91 1.09 16.82 26.81
De Montfort University East Midlands 9.41 1.11 16.38 26.9
University of East Anglia East of England 4.86 0.37 21.86 27.09
University of Brighton South East 5.72 0.66 20.78 27.15
Plymouth University South West 5.1 0.42 21.8 27.33
University of Bolton North West 9.16 0.74 17.78 27.68
University of Essex East of England 7.65 0.49 20.92 29.05
University of Bedfordshire East of England 9.99 1.25 18.08 29.32
University of Birmingham West Midlands 8.15 3.14 18.13 29.42
University College Birmingham West Midlands 8.08 3.15 18.34 29.57
University of Derby East Midlands 10.97 1.26 17.45 29.67
Birmingham City University West Midlands 8.16 3.04 18.57 29.78
University of Bristol South West 9.68 1.2 18.95 29.82
Cardiff University Wales 9.13 0.53 20.23 29.89
Aston University West Midlands 8.13 3.11 18.78 30.02
Cardiff Metropolitan University Wales 9.44 0.56 20.16 30.16
University of Hull Yorkshire and the Humber 11.34 0.67 18.59 30.6
University of Bradford Yorkshire and the Humber 12.9 1.12 16.6 30.63
Staffordshire University West Midlands 6.25 0.92 23.89 31.06
University of Nottingham East Midlands 9.46 1.72 20.21 31.39
Teesside University North East 11.08 0.95 21.27 33.3
University of Liverpool North West 10.05 1.33 22.17 33.54
Liverpool John Moores  North West 10.18 1.36 22.64 34.18
Glyndŵr University Wales 12.37 0.38 22.13 34.88
Leeds Beckett University Yorkshire and the Humber 14.28 1.35 19.53 35.15
University of Leeds Yorkshire and the Humber 14.52 1.39 20.02 35.93
University of Northampton East Midlands 10.22 1.39 25.33 36.95
University of Manchester North West 13.62 3.08 22.43 39.13
University of Salford North West 12.6 3.09 23.44 39.14
Manchester Metropolitan University North West 13.53 3.15 22.83 39.5
Royal Northern College of Music North West 13.68 3.18 23.11 39.96

Complete University Guide: London universities ranked by crime rate (from lowest to highest) 

Institution Burglary Robbery Violence and sexual offences Total 
Kingston University London 7.51 0.81 13.46 21.77
St Mary's University, Twickenham 6.9 1.02 17.22 25.14
University of Roehampton 8.4 1.28 16.36 26.04
Middlesex University London 9.52 2.04 17.06 28.63
St George's, University of London 8.59 2.01 19.13 29.74
University of West London 8.14 1.89 20.76 30.78
Brunel University London 8.85 1.59 22.96 33.4
University of East London 7.21 3.23 24.26 34.7
Goldsmiths, University of London 8.37 3.26 23.7 35.34
University of Greenwich 7.98 3.28 24.67 35.94
Heythrop College, University of London 11.06 3.77 25.9 40.73
Queen Mary University of London 9.25 4.31 27.31 40.87
Imperial College London 11.4 4.18 27.38 42.96
Royal College of Music 11.29 4.2 27.5 42.99
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama 12.03 4.33 27.14 43.49
Royal Veterinary College 12.23 4.85 28.72 45.8
University of Westminster 11.62 4.98 29.49 46.08
London Metropolitan University 11.66 5.08 29.61 46.34
University of the Arts London 11.33 5.16 30.01 46.51
SOAS, University of London 11.7 5.15 29.83 46.68
Royal Academy of Music 11.73 5.18 29.8 46.71
London South Bank University 10.59 5.22 30.97 46.78
London School of Economics and Political Science 11.27 5.26 30.32 46.84
City University London 11.3 5.23 30.42 46.95
Birkbeck, University of London 11.72 5.22 30 46.95
University College London 11.76 5.23 30.07 47.07
Courtauld Institute of Art 11.25 5.25 30.78 47.28
King's College London 10.96 5.31 31.38 47.65
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Reader's comments (1)

#1 Submitted by HAJMS on September 7, 2015 - 1:15pm
Go to Salford University. Last year I got attacked on campus by a fellow student and got constant Anti-Semitic Hatred from someone in my Accommodation. University did nothing on both accounts and practically ignored everyone's complains. Wouldn't surprise me if Salfords rates were higher and just unreported.

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