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University of Sussex among best for nightlife and political scene

The Mash Tun, a popular North Laine pub. Photo courtesy of Mike Quinn (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The University of Sussex has been ranked the top university in the south of England for student nightlife, and one of the most political universities in the UK, according to a new influential online guide for prospective students.

In a survey of 11,000 undergraduates by Which? University, Sussex is rated higher than LSE, in London, and Bristol for its nightlife. All the other universities ranked highly for nightlife are in the north of England.

One Sussex student told Which? University that the best night out is in Brighton’s The Lanes and North Laine areas: “Great little pubs run amok down there, and lots of them have a great atmosphere.”

Students also score the University of Sussex strongly for its political scene, joining SOAS, Oxford and LSE as the four most political universities in the UK.

A Sussex graduate said: “Sussex has a free-thinking, anarchic reputation which goes hand-in-hand pretty nicely with its location of Brighton - itself very tolerant and progressive.”

Annie Pickering, President of the University of Sussex Students’ Union for 2016-17, said: “Sussex is known for its political activism and, being part of such a happening city as Brighton, it's no surprise we've ranked highly; and don't forget about the classic Brighton beach too."

The new research, published today (Wednesday 13 July 2016), was conducted by YouthSight on behalf of Which? University. It reveals the top universities in the UK for nightlife, sports, student unions, and politics and creative scenes, as ranked by current students in over 100 universities across the UK.

Alex Neill, Which? Director of Campaigns and Policy said: “There are many factors to consider when deciding where to go to university, so hearing how current students rate their university, on everything from nightlife to the political scene, can be really useful.


Which? University is a free website to help students compare universities on both extra-curricular and academic experience to help them make the right choice.

View the full results from the Which? University Student Survey 2016.

Posted on behalf of: University of Sussex
Last updated: Wednesday, 13 July 2016


