The University Socially Distanced Rankings

We've taken universities' outside site area and gross internal area (HESA, 2018), and distributed it evenly to all students and members of staff. We've then collided this data to work out how much space, on average, is available to each individual to social distance within.

OBVIOUSLY THIS TABLE IS FOR NOVELTY PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT MAKE ANY HEALTH RELATED DECISIONS BASED ON THIS INFORMATION.

Assumptions: Every student and member of staff is at their university at the EXACT same time (I don’t know why, maybe there’s a free Nando’s giveaway happening), and they are distributed evenly across all sites (unlikely, we know). It also assumes that the Open University have packed in remote learning and are squeezing 130,810 students and staff into their eight sites.

Also, Aberystwyth, are you counting the bloody sea in your HESA data return, 1,709 hectares..!?

I am obviously not a data expert. If you would like to submit constructive feedback about my methodology, please print your letter of complaint and shred it immediately. Pro tip: on mobile, hold your phone horizontally to see all table columns.

The Socially Distanced Rankings

Rank University Total staff and students Total number of sites Total site area (ha) Total gross internal area (m2) Outside area per person (m2) Inside area per person (m2) Average area per person (m2)
1 Aberystwyth University 9,780 15 1,709 263,321 1,747 27 887.2
2 The Royal Veterinary College 3,515 3 244 50,752 694 14 354.3
3 Cranfield University 6,015 3 254 169,647 422 28 225.2
4 Bangor University 12,240 16 359 230,235 293 19 156.1
5 Harper Adams University 5,965 1 144 57,625 241 10 125.5
6 Newcastle University 33,480 28 630 486,755 188 15 101.4
7 Keele University 12,890 2 210 176,208 163 14 88.3
8 The University of Oxford 39,405 13 535 643,260 136 16 76.0
9 The University of Lincoln 18,050 3 257 150,388 142 8 75.4
10 University of Durham 23,385 3 258 382,351 110 16 63.3
11 The University of Lancaster 18,565 2 164 314,787 88 17 52.6
12 The University of Stirling 14,780 1 135 166,786 91 11 51.3
13 Glyndŵr University 6,375 7 59 63,554 93 10 51.3
14 The University of Bristol 33,290 6 287 534,627 86 16 51.1
15 The University of Warwick 32,815 4 262 571,807 80 17 48.6
16 The University of York 23,830 3 189 419,010 79 18 48.4
17 The University of Cambridge 33,055 16 238 723,230 72 22 46.9
18 The University of Edinburgh 48,685 7 348 877,384 71 18 44.8
19 Heriot-Watt University 12,880 4 90 228,513 70 18 43.8
20 Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance 855 2 6 13,246 70 15 42.8
21 Ulster University 27,165 6 202 245,129 74 9 41.7
22 The University of Liverpool 36,065 7 247 488,867 68 14 41.0
23 The University of East Anglia 21,965 1 146 283,832 66 13 39.7
24 Bath Spa University 9,045 5 64 68,954 71 8 39.2
25 The University of Essex 18,440 4 112 283,183 61 15 38.0
26 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 27,595 11 153 558,847 55 20 37.8
27 The Nottingham Trent University 37,685 3 265 201,310 70 5 37.8
28 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 13,265 3 78 187,735 59 14 36.5
29 University of Worcester 13,030 9 86 89,268 66 7 36.4
30 University of Nottingham 41,465 4 230 673,071 55 16 35.9
31 Loughborough University 21,790 2 121 326,751 56 15 35.3
32 University of St Mark and St John 3,080 1 18 34,443 58 11 34.8
33 The Institute of Cancer Research 1,350 2 6 33,773 44 25 34.7
34 The University of Glasgow 38,820 18 220 478,585 57 12 34.5
35 The University of Reading 21,995 3 131 203,553 60 9 34.4
36 The University of Kent 22,855 2 129 251,958 56 11 33.7
37 York St John University 7,480 10 40 78,524 53 10 32.0
38 The University of Surrey 20,115 3 96 304,467 48 15 31.4
39 The University of Bradford 11,125 6 49 203,868 44 18 31.2
40 University of Wales Trinity Saint David 12,635 17 54 222,746 43 18 30.2
41 The University of Aberdeen 18,005 4 82 265,415 46 15 30.1
42 The University of St Andrews 13,345 1 54 263,423 40 20 30.1
43 Brunel University London 17,090 1 78 246,281 46 14 30.0
44 University of Chester 16,375 3 78 197,164 48 12 29.8
45 The University of Hull 18,535 2 89 201,766 48 11 29.5
46 The University of Bath 21,660 1 96 304,920 44 14 29.2
47 The University of Leicester 20,765 5 90 299,635 43 14 28.9
48 Leeds Trinity University 3,885 1 18 43,504 46 11 28.8
49 The University of Sussex 22,470 1 95 253,091 42 11 26.8
50 The National Film and Television School 420 1 1 12,424 24 30 26.7
51 Oxford Brookes University 19,230 9 79 219,844 41 11 26.3
52 The University of Manchester 51,180 7 164 884,088 32 17 24.7
53 The University of Southampton 28,875 13 98 443,048 34 15 24.6
54 University of Cumbria 8,630 6 34 75,614 39 9 24.1
55 The Robert Gordon University 13,875 2 56 107,218 40 8 24.0
56 The University of Sheffield 37,660 20 124 541,966 33 14 23.7
57 Liverpool Hope University 5,795 3 19 82,693 33 14 23.5
58 University of Gloucestershire 9,525 4 33 97,249 35 10 22.4
59 The University of Exeter 30,560 3 108 279,045 35 9 22.2
60 Falmouth University 6,950 2 22 74,767 32 11 21.2
61 The University of Leeds 44,670 6 128 560,962 29 13 20.6
62 Solent University 11,205 4 32 141,740 29 13 20.6
63 The University of Bolton 7,600 6 20 111,396 26 15 20.5
64 Edge Hill University 15,895 3 51 139,447 32 9 20.4
65 University of Hertfordshire 27,710 8 94 186,769 34 7 20.3
66 Swansea University 24,450 4 70 266,799 29 11 19.8
67 Bishop Grosseteste University 2,605 1 8 22,387 31 9 19.7
68 Writtle University College 1,030 40,351 0 39 19.6
69 The University of Northampton 13,420 8 39 132,145 29 10 19.5
70 Staffordshire University 16,305 3 52 97,551 32 6 18.9
71 St Mary's University, Twickenham 6,290 3 17 53,143 27 8 17.7
72 Kingston University 19,195 5 51 160,791 27 8 17.5
73 Queen's University Belfast 28,840 7 60 397,670 21 14 17.3
74 The University of the West of Scotland 18,405 6 48 136,658 26 7 16.8
75 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 965 1 1 22,021 10 23 16.6
76 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh 5,705 1 14 46,597 25 8 16.4
77 University of the West of England, Bristol 33,625 7 76 291,629 23 9 15.6
78 University of Bedfordshire 15,070 5 36 107,618 24 7 15.5
79 Cardiff Metropolitan University 12,065 3 27 97,041 22 8 15.2
80 Leeds Beckett University 26,165 3 56 233,338 21 9 15.2
81 The University of Portsmouth 29,485 71 179,588 24 6 15.1
82 Edinburgh Napier University 15,345 11 35 110,552 23 7 15.0
83 University of Derby 22,030 8 49 161,883 22 7 14.8
84 The University of Central Lancashire 26,365 6 59 181,611 22 7 14.6
85 Cardiff University 39,995 6 69 462,583 17 12 14.4
86 Newman University 3,140 1 6 28,129 19 9 14.0
87 Teesside University 20,435 3 41 155,455 20 8 13.8
88 The University of Greenwich 21,115 3 41 153,839 19 7 13.4
89 The University of Wolverhampton 21,555 4 38 179,799 18 8 13.0
90 The University of Sunderland 16,565 9 29 139,688 18 8 13.0
91 London School of Economics and Political Science 16,085 1 21 203,006 13 13 12.8
92 University of South Wales 25,055 8 42 220,413 17 9 12.8
93 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 2,125 4 53,279 0 25 12.5
94 Aston University 16,810 2 30 107,884 18 6 12.1
95 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 1,010 1 1 13,408 10 13 11.6
96 The University of Winchester 8,995 3 13 71,007 14 8 11.2
97 Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1,975 1 1 33,817 5 17 11.1
98 Canterbury Christ Church University 15,900 14 22 126,820 14 8 10.9
99 University for the Creative Arts 7,455 5 8 81,982 11 11 10.9
100 University College London 54,250 52 645,452 10 12 10.7
101 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 1,820 3 2 18,837 11 10 10.7
102 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 2,750 8 3 27,429 11 10 10.4
103 The University of Salford 23,040 3 32 157,076 14 7 10.4
104 The University of Westminster 21,395 11 27 167,396 13 8 10.2
105 Stranmillis University College 1,720 34,722 0 20 10.1
106 Queen Mary University of London 26,145 4 27 256,776 10 10 10.1
107 The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama 1,235 3 1 13,669 8 11 9.6
108 The Arts University Bournemouth 3,955 1 4 35,091 10 9 9.5
109 Coventry University 39,600 7 44 277,216 11 7 9.1
110 Birmingham City University 29,075 3 28 235,049 10 8 8.9
111 University College Birmingham 5,530 5 3 67,294 5 12 8.8
112 Royal Agricultural University 1,385 3 24,075 0 17 8.7
113 The Manchester Metropolitan University 37,855 2 37 272,866 10 7 8.5
114 The University of East London 14,890 3 13 122,480 9 8 8.5
115 St George's, University of London 5,700 1 2 70,542 4 12 7.9
116 Royal College of Art 2,860 3 1 34,410 3 12 7.8
117 University of Plymouth 22,455 13 16 184,992 7 8 7.7
118 Plymouth College of Art 1,685 7 1 15,566 6 9 7.6
119 Sheffield Hallam University 35,230 3 34 192,324 10 5 7.6
120 The University of Huddersfield 19,360 1 17 116,717 9 6 7.4
121 Liverpool John Moores University 26,990 3 24 148,881 9 6 7.2
122 Bournemouth University 19,745 4 19 91,393 10 5 7.1
123 De Montfort University 28,850 2 23 180,264 8 6 7.1
124 London Business School 2,935 40,542 0 14 6.9
125 Anglia Ruskin University 26,365 3 23 129,750 9 5 6.8
126 Buckinghamshire New University 11,710 5 9 65,873 8 6 6.7
127 Royal Northern College of Music 1,380 18,274 0 13 6.6
128 The University of Chichester 6,390 2 82,504 0 13 6.5
129 SOAS University of London 7,100 2 4 48,087 6 7 6.2
130 London Metropolitan University 10,080 4 3 92,984 3 9 6.1
131 St Mary's University College 1,205 1 14,585 0 12 6.1
132 University of the Arts, London 22,770 16 9 184,121 4 8 6.0
133 University of Suffolk 8,250 1 7 27,071 8 3 5.9
134 London South Bank University 19,075 2 7 148,771 4 8 5.7
135 King's College London 41,075 7 452,106 0 11 5.5
136 Leeds Arts University 2,145 23,472 0 11 5.5
137 Royal Academy of Music 1,330 4 0 14,504 0 11 5.5
138 AECC University College 760 8,029 0 11 5.3
139 Royal College of Music 1,260 12,262 0 10 4.9
140 City, University of London 23,595 3 11 113,042 5 5 4.7
141 Middlesex University 21,495 4 11 90,621 5 4 4.7
142 Glasgow Caledonian University 18,390 2 7 100,808 4 5 4.6
143 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 29,355 242,948 0 8 4.1
144 The University College of Osteopathy 640 1 5,187 0 8 4.1
145 Norwich University of the Arts 2,655 20,328 0 8 3.8
146 Roehampton University 13,810 4 102,365 0 7 3.7
147 Goldsmiths College 12,360 87,389 0 7 3.5
148 Birkbeck College 13,260 2 4 40,492 3 3 3.0
149 The University of West London 12,560 4 2 50,298 2 4 2.8
150 The Open University 130,810 8 53 131,297 4 1 2.5
151 Ravensbourne University London 2,905 2 0 14,445 0 5 2.5
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