Whatuni

Whatuni is a course and university search service for people considering higher education in the UK. It is best suited to prospective students and families who want to weigh course information against student perspectives and plan next steps. Its strongest case is the combination of a large UK course catalogue, reviews and application support; anyone seeking international college options should look elsewhere.

Overview

Whatuni brings course discovery and decision support together, from exploring careers to navigating Clearing. It lists over 61,000 courses across hundreds of UK universities and higher education colleges, with tools to browse, favourite, shortlist and compare options. UCAS and HESA data contribute to its course and higher-education information.

University partners may appear as Featured Results, Our Top Picks or banners. That visibility can help users find providers, but it is promotional placement rather than an independent measure of fit; compare it with course details and student reviews.

Key features

Course search and student reviews

The catalogue supports program search, admission requirements, college comparison and financial aid information. More than 190,000 verified student reviews rate aspects of the university experience on a five-star scale. Reviews can be submitted using an authorised university email address. The annual Whatuni Student Choice Awards use reviews submitted on the site, except the Submission Award, which a student panel selects. Reviews add a student perspective to course comparisons, though they are not a substitute for checking the particulars of a course.

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 by UK city and university. Users can order prospectuses at no cost and book open days; these tools make Whatuni useful beyond the initial search, especially when narrowing a shortlist.

The Clearing Hub combines advice, course browsing, chance-of-acceptance information and university hotline numbers. It gives applicants a focused place to work through Clearing, while those not facing that process can simply use the broader search and planning tools.

The app supports course browsing and saving, student chats, open-day bookings, prospectus orders and filtering favourites. Whatuni says personal data is shared with learning providers a user chooses to engage with, for example when requesting a prospectus or making an enquiry. It also describes security measures including encryption, firewalls and intrusion detection, and lists privacy rights such as access, correction, erasure and portability. Visitors can email [email protected] with university-related queries.

Pricing

Whatuni is free to use. The Whatuni app plan costs nothing, has no in-app purchases and covers UK universities only. There is no free trial to weigh against a paid tier: registration is free, but full functionality requires an account. Users must be at least 13 years old. The free model makes it accessible for applicants, while the UK-only scope is the key limitation for anyone comparing international colleges.

Platforms

Whatuni is available on web, Android and iOS. Mobile access is useful for saving options, chats and booking open days while planning; the app's stated university coverage is limited to the UK.

Who it's for

Whatuni suits students, parents and other supporters comparing UK higher education options, particularly those who want student reviews, course shortlisting and practical planning tools in one service. It is less suitable for an international search, since international college search is not supported.

Pros and cons

Pros: Over 61,000 UK courses and more than 190,000 verified student reviews give applicants substantial material for comparing options.

Pros: Free prospectuses, open-day bookings, career matching, cost exploration and Clearing support cover distinct stages of the decision process.

Cons: The app is limited to UK universities, so it does not serve students seeking international college options.

Cons: Full functionality requires registration, and partner listings may receive prominent promotional placement.

Alternatives

For a different college-search service, consider Shiksha; its free app listing does not state paid plans or feature limits. Collegedunia is another free option, with exam alerts, mock tests and college comparison included. Choose Niche if you want free college profiles, comparisons, scholarships and personalized recommendations for students and families. BigFuture is a free online college and career planning resource, while CollegeData offers free college planning, with some tools requiring an account. CollegeDekho offers personalized expert counselling for career and course selection. For postgraduate programme search, PhDportal is free for students; Bachelorsportal provides free student search and comparison for programmes, universities, scholarships, tuition fees and study destinations. Browse the College Search Platforms list for more options.

Verdict

Choose Whatuni if you are planning for UK higher education and want course comparisons grounded in student reviews, with free tools for prospectuses, open days, careers and Clearing. Its broad planning coverage and no-cost access make it a practical shortlist builder. Look elsewhere if your search needs international college coverage or you would rather avoid registration for full functionality.