Whatuni

Whatuni is a UK-focused course and university search service for students weighing where and what to study. It is strongest for applicants who want to compare courses alongside student perspectives and practical next steps. Its free app covers a broad planning journey, though UK-only listings and registration for full functionality narrow its reach.

Overview

Whatuni brings course discovery, university comparisons and application planning together, from early career exploration through to Clearing. Its catalogue spans over 61,000 courses at hundreds of UK universities and higher education colleges. That breadth makes it useful for building and refining a shortlist; it is not an international college search tool.

Whatuni says its course and higher-education information draws on UCAS and HESA data. Partner university placements can appear as Featured Results, Our Top Picks or banners, so users should distinguish promotional visibility from student-review evidence when comparing options.

Key features

Search and student perspectives

Users can browse, favourite and shortlist courses and universities, and compare colleges. 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, offering a concrete student viewpoint alongside course information. The annual Whatuni Student Choice Awards rankings are based on reviews submitted on the site, except the Submission Award, which is selected by a student panel.

Planning tools

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. Together, these tools add useful context to course comparisons, though their focus remains on UK study and living decisions.

Students can order prospectuses at no cost and check and book university open days. The app also supports student chats and filtering saved favourites, making it a practical companion for organizing options. For applicants facing Clearing, the Clearing Hub combines advice, course browsing, chance-of-acceptance information and university hotline numbers.

Pricing

Whatuni is free, with a free plan listed as free. There is no free trial because access is free, and the app plan has no in-app purchases. Prospectus orders are also free. Registration costs nothing, but full functionality requires an account, and users must be at least 13 years old.

The main trade-off is scope rather than price: the Whatuni app plan covers UK universities only and does not provide international college search. Users who need international options should look elsewhere rather than expect a paid tier to expand the catalogue.

Platforms

Whatuni is available on web, Android and iOS, with mobile access on both major platforms. The app supports course browsing and saving, chats, open-day bookings, prospectus orders and favourite filtering.

Who it's for

Whatuni suits prospective UK students who want to move from broad course discovery to a shortlist, compare student feedback and arrange open days or prospectuses in one service. Its career and cost-of-living tools may also help students who are still deciding what or where to study. Parents and other people helping students choose a learning provider can use the same research tools.

It is a weaker fit for anyone seeking international college listings or full functionality without registering. Users should also account for the possibility that partner universities receive prominent placements, and note that personal data is shared with learning providers they choose to engage with, such as when requesting a prospectus or making an enquiry.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A catalogue of over 61,000 UK courses and more than 190,000 verified student reviews gives applicants substantial material for comparing options.
• Pros: Free prospectuses, open-day bookings, career matching, cost-of-living exploration and Clearing guidance cover practical steps beyond search.
• Pros: Web, Android and iOS support let users browse and manage favourites across platforms.
• Cons: Listings are limited to UK universities, so international applicants need another search service.
• Cons: Full functionality requires registration, which may put off users who want to research without an account.
• Cons: Featured Results, Top Picks and banners can give partner universities added visibility, so placement alone should not decide a shortlist.

Alternatives

For a broader set of college-search options, browse College Search Platforms. Shiksha is another free-to-start service on web, Android and iOS. Choose Collegedunia if exam alerts and mock tests are priorities alongside college comparison; its listed free plan includes those features. CollegeData is a free college-planning service, though some tools require a free account.

CollegeDekho may suit students seeking personalised expert counselling through its free Career & Course Selection Guidance plan. educations.com, College Raptor and Niche are also free services to consider. For students focused specifically on postgraduate study, Mastersportal offers free search and comparison of Master's programmes, universities, scholarships, tuition fees and study destinations.

Verdict

Choose Whatuni if you are researching UK higher education and want course comparisons, substantial student-review coverage and practical planning tools without paying. The combination of search, student perspectives and next-step support is its clearest advantage. Look elsewhere if you need international college listings or do not want to register to access the full service.