Whatuni

Whatuni is a course and university research service for students comparing options and planning their next steps. It lists over 61,000 courses from hundreds of UK universities and higher education colleges, with tools to browse, favourite and shortlist courses and universities. Students can read more than 190,000 verified reviews, where students rate aspects of university life on a 1–5 star scale. Reviews may be submitted using an authorised university email address. Users can order university prospectuses at no cost and book open days. Career Matcher uses a questionnaire to offer career matches and profiles across sectors, while the Clearing Hub provides advice, course browsing, acceptance information and university hotline numbers. A Student Cost of Living Calculator helps users explore costs in UK cities and universities. The mobile app supports course browsing and saving, student chats, open-day bookings, prospectus orders and filtering favourites. Whatuni is available on Android, iOS and web. Registration is free, but full functionality requires an account, and users must be at least 13.

Whatuni brings course search, student reviews and application-related tools together for UK higher education research. Keep in mind that full functionality requires registration and the listings focus on UK providers.

Whatuni suits students and their families researching UK courses, universities and career options. Its course search and Clearing tools may also help students comparing or applying to higher education providers.

Whatuni is a course and university search service for people considering higher education in the UK. It is best suited to applicants who want student viewpoints and practical planning tools alongside course listings. Its broad UK catalogue and free tools make it a useful starting point, but its scope stops short of international college search.

Overview

Whatuni combines course discovery with ways to compare and save options, then carries that planning into career exploration and application activity. Its catalogue covers over 61,000 courses at hundreds of UK universities and higher education colleges. That scale supports building a shortlist across UK providers, while the lack of international college search makes it a poor fit for applicants whose choices extend beyond the UK.

Course and higher-education information draws on data provided by UCAS and HESA. Partner university placements can appear as Featured Results, Our Top Picks or banners, so applicants should treat prominence as advertising rather than an indication of independent ranking. Whatuni also hosts annual Student Choice Awards based on reviews submitted on the site, except the Submission Award, which is chosen by a student panel.

Key features

Course comparison and student perspective

Users can browse, favourite and shortlist courses and universities, and compare colleges. The service includes admission requirements and financial aid information. More than 190,000 verified student reviews rate aspects of university experience on a five-star scale; reviews can be submitted using an authorised university email address. This gives applicants a sizeable student perspective to weigh alongside course information, though reviews represent experience rather than a substitute for comparing course requirements.

Planning tools and application support

Career Matcher uses a questionnaire to suggest career matches and provide profiles across sectors and industries. The Student Cost of Living Calculator helps users explore living costs in UK cities and universities, which can add a practical lens to comparing destinations. Users can order university prospectuses at no cost and check and book open days through the service.

The Clearing Hub combines advice, course browsing, chance-of-acceptance information and university Clearing hotline numbers. That makes it particularly relevant to applicants navigating Clearing, rather than only those at the early discovery stage. The mobile app supports course browsing and saving, student chats, open-day bookings, prospectus orders and filtering favourites.

Pricing

Whatuni app costs nothing, with no in-app purchases. Registration is free, but full functionality requires an account; users must be at least 13 years old. There is no free trial because the service is free. There are no paid tiers or seat quotas to weigh, but the free plan is explicitly limited to UK universities and does not include international college search.

Platforms

Whatuni is available on Android, iOS and the web. Mobile access supports browsing and saving courses, student chats, bookings and prospectus orders, while the web option provides another route into the UK-focused planning service.

Who it's for

Whatuni is a strong fit for prospective UK students and the parents or others helping them choose, especially those who value student reviews and want discovery, comparison and next-step tools in one service. It is less suitable for anyone searching internationally, or for applicants who want provider visibility without promotional placements alongside results.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Over 61,000 UK courses and more than 190,000 verified reviews give applicants substantial material for shortlisting and assessing student experience.
• Pros: Free prospectus orders, open-day bookings, Career Matcher, cost exploration and Clearing guidance support different stages of decision-making without a paid plan.
• Pros: Android, iOS and web access make the service available across common devices.
• Cons: UK-only coverage rules it out for international college searches.
• Cons: Featured Results, Our Top Picks and banners mean paid partner visibility can sit alongside organic discovery, so placement alone should not guide a choice.
• Cons: Full functionality requires registration, so users cannot get the complete experience without creating an account.

Alternatives

For applicants considering other college-search services, compare college search platforms as a broader starting point.

• BigFuture is a free online college and career planning resource on Android, iOS and web, making it an alternative for users looking for college and career planning rather than a UK-only catalogue.
• CollegeData is a free college planning service on Android, iOS and web, with some tools requiring a free account; it suits users who want a no-cost planning option and are comfortable registering for certain tools.
• CollegeDekho offers free personalised expert counselling on Android and web, so it is worth considering when counselling is the priority.
• Collegedunia is free on Android, iOS and web and includes exam alerts, mock tests and college comparison, making it a better match for users who want those exam-focused tools.
• Niche is free for students and families on Android, iOS and web, with college search, profiles, comparisons, scholarships, personalized recommendations and a Niche Profile; choose it for that broader US-oriented college-planning toolkit rather than Whatuni's UK-provider focus.
• Uni Compare is a free alternative available on iOS and web.
• College Raptor is a free alternative available on web and Android.

Verdict

Choose Whatuni if you are exploring UK higher education and want course comparisons backed by a substantial body of student reviews, with free planning tools from open days to Clearing in the same service. Its main limitation is equally clear: international applicants should look elsewhere, and all users should distinguish promotional placements from student evidence when forming a shortlist.