The Most Instagrammed UK University Library

While we all know that getting a great degree, meeting new people, and bettering ourselves is the main goal of going to university, it would be naive to think the experience doesn’t also add to our social lives and to our social media. In fact, from tagging your university campus in that sunset pic to tagging your student halls in your pre-drinks selfie going to uni can do wonders for your social media. This raises an important question, which university has the most picture-worthy libraries?

In a quest to find out which UK university library is the most picture-perfect, we have taken to Instagram to identify how many hashtags each library has on the app.

The Top 35 UK University Libraries

We found that, to no surprise, the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries are the most Instagrammable uni library with over 2800 tags. Oxford University’s campus and grounds are well known for their impressive beauty and if you got into Oxford, you can’t blame anyone for wanting to show it off.

The University of Surrey takes 2nd place with over 2,250 tags, followed by Cambridge at 3rd place, the University of Manchester at 4th with over 1,500 tags, and the University of London’s Senate House Library coming in 5th place.

Here's the full ranking of the most Instagrammable UK University Libraries:

The Top 5 Instagrammed University Libraries

1. The University of Oxford

The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford is the largest university library system in the UK. The principal library, the Bodleian Library, is over 400 years old and is joined by 30 libraries across Oxford that includes major research facilities and department libraries.

With so much history and prestige, it is no surprise that Oxford’s university libraries are the most Instagrammed uni library in the UK.

2. The University of Surrey

The University of Surrey Library is easily recognised by students thanks to its gold and glass exterior at the heart of the Stag Hill campus. Recently refurbished in 2018, The University of Surrey Library provides the best library and learning spaces to its students and is open 24 hours.

With so much effort and funding put towards the library and learning spaces, it is clear the University of Surrey cares about its students who recognise this with some fantastic Instagram pics.

3. The University of Cambridge

Similar to Oxford, the Cambridge University Library is steeped in history and prestige. In fact, the library has been growing its collection for over 6 centuries. With so much history contained within the library, it is no surprise that students want to record their time at the University of Cambridge.

4. The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester Library is at the heart of the UK’s largest university that welcomes over three million students, researchers, and visitors per year. With so many people taking advantage of the fantastic facilities at the University of Manchester, it is no wonder the library is tagged in so many pictures.

5. The University of London

Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London and boasts over two million books in its impressive collection. Students and members have access to beautiful study spaces in Central London and access to special collections, archives, and a range of digital resources.

Just looking at the imposing two-story bookshelves is enough to understand why so many students choose to record their time at the Senate House Library.

London's Top 5 University Libraries

With so many universities in London, it is unsurprising that one would feature in the top five. However, we wanted to see the 5 most Instagrammed uni libraries in the UK’s capital. University of London’s Senate House Library obviously takes the lead but is closely followed by The London School of Economics.

King’s College London’s beautiful libraries also ranked in the top 5, followed by the University of East London and the London University of the Arts.

The North vs. The South

Rivalries between universities is a common and healthy form of competition and the North vs the South rivalry is a big part of the university experience. Going to a northern uni while being from the south and vice-versa can lead to plenty of banter during freshers’ week.

This is why we wanted to find the top 5 Instagrammed university libraries from the North and South of the UK and compare them. We didn’t include London in this friendly challenge as the south already had plenty of help from the University of Oxford!

The South's Top 5 University Libraries

The North's Top 5 University Libraries

While the northern universities didn’t have any standouts like Oxford, 4 out of their top 5 did have over 1000 tags each. Manchester was well represented with both Uni of and Man Met ranking in the top 5. Newcastle, Leeds Beckett, and Durham University make up the rest of the top 5 for the north.

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Published 26th October 2021

The Most Instagrammed UK University Library

The Top 35 UK University Libraries

Here's the full ranking of the most Instagrammable UK University Libraries: