Location is high on the agenda for many prospective students deciding where to apply to university.
The size of the town, whether the university has a campus or buildings scattered across a city, and nightlife are all factors taken into account. But what about the crime rate in the local area?
Here is a list of the top universities in England and Wales ranked by crime rate, both outside London and within the capital, based on the Complete University Guide crime survey and filtered to only include world-class institutions that feature in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Top 10 universities outside London ranked by crime rate
| Institution | Complete University Guide crime rate | WUR 2014-15 rank |
| Durham University | 12.3 | 83 |
| Aberystwyth University | 13.87 | 351-400 |
| University of Bath | 15.94 | 301-350 |
| University of Oxford | 16.34 | 3 |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | 17.18 | 118 |
| University of Reading | 17.62 | 201-225 |
| Bangor University | 18.17 | 301-350 |
| University of York | 18.91 | 113 |
| University of Hertfordshire | 20.02 | 351-400 |
| University of Exeter | 20.68 | 154 |
Top London universities ranked by crime rate
| Institution | Complete University Guide crime rate | WUR 2014-15 rank |
| St George's, University of London | 29.74 | 196 |
| Brunel University London | 33.4 | 226-250 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 40.87 | 107 |
| Imperial College London | 42.96 | 9 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science | 46.84 | 34 |
| Birkbeck, University of London | 46.95 | 226-250 |
| University College London | 47.07 | 22 |
| King's College London | 47.65 | 40 |
