The University of York has ranked as the 32nd safest university in the UK according to a survey compiled by the Complete University Guide.
The University was also placed as the second safest institution in the Yorkshire and Humberside area, finishing below only local rivals York St John, who placed 26th overall.
Indeed the city of York was ranked as having the third lowest crime rate in the UK, switching positions with the old enemy Lancaster who dropped down to fourth place.
The survey looked at how safe 118 of the UK’s universities are, by examining the levels of burglaries, robberies and violent crime that occurred within three miles of university campuses between May 2012 and April 2013, whilst the final rankings were determined by the total crime levels.
The University of York returned figures of 0.63 burglaries per 1000 people, 0.01 robberies per 1000 people and 0.80 instances of violent crime per 1000 people, leaving the institution with a grand total of 1.44 crimes per 1000 people in comparison to York St John’s 1.37.
YUSU President Kallum Taylor told Vision: “I’m really pleased that this study reflects what we already suspected; that York is one of the best, and safest, places in the country for students to come and study. However, students must still take their safety seriously. This study is based on police data, and we know that a lot of our students don’t report relatively minor incidents.
“This is a problem, particularly amongst our International students who we know are at a higher risk of crime, including several recent instances of racist abuse. That’s why we’re working hard to educate our students about protecting their personal safety, and we’re planning to implement a city-wide “safe spot” scheme, to provide safe places for students and all those within their community.
“With a few simple improvements, we can make sure that York is an even safer place for everyone living in student areas close to the university.”
Welfare Officer George Offer reiterated the message, saying: “”It’s great to see, as expected, that York is one of the safest places for students to study in the UK. Although the lower ranking for student-relevant crime within three miles of the university itself shows students must still take their safety seriously. Safety is a major concern so the low crime rate at York is fantastic but we’re continuing to work alongside the Council and Police so improve the figure near to campus.”
Second year Chemistry student Alex McDonald added: “It’s good to know that we are in a safe place; taking a step away from home and being independent is much easier when you feel that bit safer. Of course this shouldn’t lead you to taking liberties with home and personal security.”
Aberystwyth University was rated as the safest institution, with a meagre 0.47 crimes reported per 1000 people, whilst at the other end of the spectrum Kings College London and London South Bank had the worst crime rates. Outside of London, York’s Varsity rival Hull was ranked as the least safe institution, with 2.58 crimes per 1000 people.
All figures take into account the areas surrounding the institution, so are not necessarily reflective of crimes occurring on campuses across the country.