University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union voted best in UK for sixth year running

2nd May 2023

The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union has been voted the Whatuni Student Choice Award 2023 for Best Students' Union, for the sixth year in a row.

• The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union has been awarded Best Students’ Union at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023 for the sixth year running
• The University of Sheffield was also shortlisted for the University of the Year and Student Life categories
• Over 35,000 student reviews from across the UK contributed towards the awards which celebrate higher education providers

The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union has been voted the Whatuni Student Choice Award 2023 for Best Students' Union, for the sixth year in a row.

The awards were a triple celebration for the University, which was also nominated for the University of the Year and Student Life categories. 

The Students’ Union, located at the heart of the University campus, is at the centre of the student experience. Home to over 350 student-led societies, the University of Sheffield's Students’ Union also offers shops, venues for live entertainment and club nights, places to eat, drink, study and socialise, a nursery and a 400-seat cinema. It provides a hub where students from across the world can come together to try new activities, access advice and support, make friends and try something new.

The Students’ Union also provides committees to support specific student groups including LGBT+, BME, disabled and international students, as well as a supportive environment for students who want to campaign on issues important to them. The award-winning Student Advice Centre is also based at the Students’ Union, which offers information and advice to students.

Professor Mary Vincent, Vice-President for Education at the University of Sheffield, said: "Ensuring our students have an excellent experience at a welcoming campus is so important, so it's fantastic to know students have voted our Students' Union number one for the sixth year running.

"Our Students' Union helps provide a really enriching experience for students and an environment where they can try new activities, make friends and access advice and support. It forms a really important part of the student journey so we're thrilled it has been nationally recognised in this way.” 

Made up of around 35,000 university reviews, the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCA) are the only annual university awards based on student views. 

Liam Hand, University of Sheffield Students’ Union President 2022/23, said: “We are so grateful to the members of our student community who choose to review us so positively every year. Student reviews have kept us at the top for all these years, and it’s our students who make our SU community so outstanding.”

The shortlist for the University of the Year category demonstrates the University’s strong sense of community and student pride in the institution. Students were asked to rate their whole university experience, taking into account all the parts that have shaped their time at university, including how the experience has helped them grow both academically and personally.

For the Student Life category, for which the University was also nominated, the student vote considered friendships, socialising, sports, extracurricular activities, and on- and off-campus entertainment, all of which help create a positive sense of community and promote good mental health. 

The WUSCAs, now in their 11th year, were announced at a ceremony last night (26 April 2023) to celebrate the commitment and hard work of higher education providers across the UK to create the best environment for their students.

This latest accolade follows the University being ranked 46th most international university in the world and 15th in the UK earlier in the year according to Times Higher Education.