The Top 15 Universities for Parking in the UK
Two Scottish Universities Make the Top Three
According to our data, Scottish Universities are the most commuter-friendly. Both the University of Dundee, and the University of St Andrews made the top three, with Dundee taking the crown.
Despite the University of Dundee only having one car park within a 20-minute walk of the campus, they are one of the only schools to offer free onsite parking for both staff and students.
St Andrews also offers onsite parking, but both staff and students will need to pay for it. However, parking off-campus for a full day (between 9-5) will cost just £3.
Durham is the Best University in England for Car Parking Accessibility
With Scotland and Ireland taking up the top three spots, England makes its first appearance in the ranking at number four.
Whilst the University of Durham does offer parking on site, to avoid the stress of finding a spot as congestion increases, students and staff can pre-book parking from four different locations within 1-mile of campus. No need to worry about the cost either, with a day of lectures amounting to just £3.32 in parking charges on average.
Has your university made the ranking?
The 10 Universities with the Cheapest Parking Available in the UK
As the cost of living continues to rise, many will be largely concerned about the cost of parking at university. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of the universities with the cheapest parking available..
Scottish and Irish universities dominate the top 3 again
Three universities take the crown for cheapest parking in the UK, but none are in England.
Belfast, St Andrews, and Stirling commuters can make use of parking that costs just £3 on average for a full day, meaning you won’t need to break the bank to make it to your lectures.
The North of the UK is home to some of the universities with the cheapest parking
With three universities making it to the top 10, the North of England is a good choice for students who are wanting to take their car to university.
Durham, Nottingham, and York all have all-day parking for less than £5.50 on average within a 20 minute walking distance to campus.
Which other universities have made the cut?
Top Tips for Staff and Students Commuting to University
1. Plan your route beforehand
When you’re visiting a new place, it’s always a good idea to get your bearings with the route beforehand, especially if you’re unsure about driving in new areas.
2. Identify nearby parking and book it in advance
Whilst you’re planning your driving route, make sure to find your parking in advance too, to avoid getting ripped off and to alleviate the pressure of finding a spot.
3. Carpool where possible
For both cost and environmental reasons, carpooling is great. So, if you know someone that lives close to you that you can drive to university with, you can save money by splitting fuel and parking costs.
4. Look after your car
Keeping your car in excellent condition is key to a stress-free and safe driving commute. Make sure you’re doing regular checks of the exterior and interior of your car, especially your wheels in the winter so you can be confident you’ll be able to get from A to B safely.
Brannan Coady, CEO at YourParkingSpace comments, “As more students choose to live at home, commuting by car will become more common, especially with the public transportation system in the UK becoming unreliable. For staff and students that do need to drive, we hope that this study gives some insight into the best options available to you, for either school or work. However if you do find yourself at a university with reduced parking options, block booking your parking in advance with us could be a good solution to make sure you’re securing a spot for whenever you need it.”
Alternatively, if you’re someone who lives nearby to a university with a spare parking space, you can make some extra money by listing it with us for free.
Methodology
The list of universities analysed was compiled using the top 50 university league table. Desk research was completed to find out which universities offered on-campus parking for students and staff separately. Those who noted parking was restricted, were ranked lower. For those who noted that they offered free parking, they were ranked higher than those who had paid on-campus parking available. YourParkingSpace's own search engine was used to find the available parking within a 20 minute walk from each campus. YourParkingSpace's search engine was used to find parking in the area. For those car parking spots within (and including) the 20 minute walk period, an average price was found. The 1st of February between the hours of 9-5 was used for every university to make it fair.