How safe is your city?
Feeling safe and secure is crucial for enjoying university. See how safe university towns and cities are to help you finalise where to study.
CONTENTS
City crime stats methodology
The tables below show the crime rates against the general public in UK towns and cities with two or more universities, with a three-year rolling average of crime per population of 1,000.
Each town or city has three categories of crime measured – burglary in a dwelling, robbery and violence against the person with injury – and a total score and ranking. The data can help you decide if a university is right for you.
We also list crime rates specific to where students live during term time.
England and Wales
| Town/City | *Burglary in a dwelling |
Robbery | **Violence against the person – with injury |
Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | 2.5 | 0.4 | 4.8 | 7.8 | 2 |
| Birmingham | 5.8 | 2.7 | 9.9 | 18.5 | 26 |
| Bournemouth | 4.4 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 14.5 | 18 |
| Bradford | 8.4 | 1.2 | 10.0 | 19.7 | 29 |
| Brighton | 2.7 | 1.0 | 9.7 | 13.5 | 13 |
| Bristol | 5.9 | 1.2 | 9.4 | 16.5 | 23 |
| Cambridge | 5.1 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 12.5 | 10 |
| Canterbury | 3.0 | 0.6 | 8.7 | 12.3 | 9 |
| Cardiff | 4.0 | 0.5 | 9.6 | 14.1 | 14 |
| Chichester | 2.0 | 0.1 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 1 |
| Colchester | 3.3 | 0.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 8 |
| Coventry | 5.7 | 1.5 | 7.2 | 14.4 | 16 |
| Derby | 4.6 | 1.3 | 10.9 | 16.9 | 25 |
| Exeter | 1.9 | 0.4 | 8.4 | 10.8 | 5 |
| Guildford | 2.1 | 0.2 | 5.9 | 8.2 | 3 |
| Hull | 7.1 | 1.4 | 14.3 | 22.8 | 35 |
| Lancaster | 3.9 | 0.4 | 9.9 | 14.1 | 15 |
| Leeds | 7.6 | 1.2 | 10.8 | 19.6 | 28 |
| Leicester | 5.9 | 1.4 | 8.4 | 15.7 | 21 |
| Lincoln | 4.9 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 14.9 | 19 |
| Liverpool | 7.6 | 1.3 | 11.5 | 20.4 | 30 |
| Manchester | 9.4 | 4.1 | 11.8 | 25.2 | 36 |
| Middlesbrough | 7.8 | 1.0 | 12.9 | 21.6 | 34 |
| Newcastle | 4.1 | 0.8 | 10.9 | 15.9 | 22 |
| Newport | 3.9 | 0.7 | 8.8 | 13.5 | 12 |
| Northampton | 5.3 | 1.8 | 12.5 | 19.6 | 27 |
| Norwich | 3.6 | 1.2 | 12.0 | 16.8 | 24 |
| Nottingham | 5.1 | 1.8 | 13.9 | 20.8 | 32 |
| Oxford | 3.8 | 0.7 | 7.1 | 11.6 | 7 |
| Plymouth | 2.4 | 0.5 | 11.4 | 14.4 | 17 |
| Portsmouth | 3.4 | 0.8 | 16.5 | 20.6 | 31 |
| Reading | 3.7 | 1.1 | 8.6 | 13.3 | 11 |
| Sheffield | 6.2 | 1.2 | 7.8 | 15.1 | 20 |
| Southampton | 4.8 | 1.2 | 15.5 | 21.5 | 33 |
| Swansea | 2.8 | 0.3 | 8.2 | 11.3 | 6 |
| Winchester | 1.9 | 0.2 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 4 |
Northern Ireland
| Town/City | *Burglary in a dwelling |
Robbery | **Violence against the person – with injury |
Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 6.2 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 20.2 | 1 |
Scotland
| Town/City | *Burglary in a dwelling |
Robbery | **Violence against the person – with injury |
Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 3 |
| Dundee | 3.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Edinburgh | 6.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 8.0 | 5 |
| Glasgow | 4.1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 6.1 | 4 |
| Stirling | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 1 |
UK
| Town/City | *Burglary in a dwelling |
Robbery | **Violence against the person – with injury |
Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 3 |
| Bath | 2.5 | 0.4 | 4.8 | 7.8 | 6 |
| Belfast | 6.2 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 20.2 | 35 |
| Birmingham | 5.8 | 2.7 | 9.9 | 18.5 | 31 |
| Bournemouth | 4.4 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 14.5 | 23 |
| Bradford | 8.4 | 1.2 | 10.0 | 19.7 | 34 |
| Brighton | 2.7 | 1.0 | 9.7 | 13.5 | 18 |
| Bristol | 5.9 | 1.2 | 9.4 | 16.5 | 28 |
| Cambridge | 5.1 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 12.5 | 15 |
| Canterbury | 3.0 | 0.6 | 8.7 | 12.3 | 14 |
| Cardiff | 4.0 | 0.5 | 9.6 | 14.1 | 19 |
| Chichester | 2.0 | 0.1 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 5 |
| Colchester | 3.3 | 0.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 13 |
| Coventry | 5.7 | 1.5 | 7.2 | 14.4 | 21 |
| Derby | 4.6 | 1.3 | 10.9 | 16.9 | 30 |
| Dundee | 3.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Edinburgh | 6.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 8.0 | 7 |
| Exeter | 1.9 | 0.4 | 8.4 | 10.8 | 10 |
| Glasgow | 4.1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 6.1 | 4 |
| Guildford | 2.1 | 0.2 | 5.9 | 8.2 | 8 |
| Hull | 7.1 | 1.4 | 14.3 | 22.8 | 41 |
| Lancaster | 3.9 | 0.4 | 9.9 | 14.1 | 20 |
| Leeds | 7.6 | 1.2 | 10.8 | 19.6 | 33 |
| Leicester | 5.9 | 1.4 | 8.4 | 15.7 | 26 |
| Lincoln | 4.9 | 0.7 | 9.4 | 14.9 | 24 |
| Liverpool | 7.6 | 1.3 | 11.5 | 20.4 | 36 |
| Manchester | 9.4 | 4.1 | 11.8 | 25.2 | 42 |
| Middlesbrough | 7.8 | 1.0 | 12.9 | 21.6 | 40 |
| Newcastle | 4.1 | 0.8 | 10.9 | 15.9 | 27 |
| Newport | 3.9 | 0.7 | 8.8 | 13.5 | 17 |
| Northampton | 5.3 | 1.8 | 12.5 | 19.6 | 32 |
| Norwich | 3.6 | 1.2 | 12.0 | 16.8 | 29 |
| Nottingham | 5.1 | 1.8 | 13.9 | 20.8 | 38 |
| Oxford | 3.8 | 0.7 | 7.1 | 11.6 | 12 |
| Plymouth | 2.4 | 0.5 | 11.4 | 14.4 | 22 |
| Portsmouth | 3.4 | 0.8 | 16.5 | 20.6 | 37 |
| Reading | 3.7 | 1.1 | 8.6 | 13.3 | 16 |
| Sheffield | 6.2 | 1.2 | 7.8 | 15.1 | 25 |
| Southampton | 4.8 | 1.2 | 15.5 | 21.5 | 39 |
| Stirling | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 1 |
| Swansea | 2.8 | 0.3 | 8.2 | 11.3 | 11 |
| Winchester | 1.9 | 0.2 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 9 |
Data sources
|
Metric |
England and Wales definition |
Latest data |
|---|---|---|
|
Burglary in a dwelling |
Burglary in a dwelling |
|
|
Violence against the person – with Injury |
Violence against the person – with injury |
|
|
Robbery of personal property |
Robbery of personal property |
|
|
|
Population |
|
Metric |
Northern Ireland definition |
Latest data |
|---|---|---|
|
Burglary in a dwelling |
Burglary – dwelling |
|
|
Violence against the person – with injury |
Serious violent crime |
|
|
Robbery of personal property |
Robbery – personal |
|
|
|
Population |
|
Metric |
Scotland definition |
Latest data |
|---|---|---|
|
Burglary in a dwelling |
Burglary in a dwelling = Housebreaking |
|
|
Violence against the person – with injury |
Violence against the person – with injury = Homicide, attempted murder and serious assault, and other violence |
|
|
Robbery of personal property |
Robbery |
|
|
|
Population |
Last updated August 2020.
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