Bristol or York for uni

Hi! I'm currently trying to choose between firming Bristol or York for 2026 uni entry (history) Both universities are asking for AAA, so little difference grade-wise. York is closer to home, Bristol is a fair bit further (but not ridiculously far).

I liked both cities, but I feel that York has a more homely vibe, whereas Bristol is a little bigger (anyone with experience of either - your opinion would be greatly appreciated), but I don't know if that's just because I don't know it as well as York. I'm curious as to what others think about the two unis and how they'd choose between them? Is there a big prestige difference? I've seen a lot of people say Bristol is the more prestigious of the two, but York is currently ranked higher than Bristol for my degree choice. However, would employers see a difference here?

The city and uni experience is more important to me than course specifics, although if anyone has had any nightmare experiences with the history course at either uni that would be helpful to hear!

I also want to take into account the fact York is campus, and Bristol isn't. Has anyone at York struggled with the connection between the city and the campus (I've heard it's not too bad)?

I'm super indecisive, so any help would be greatly appreciated! If it helps, I'm not too bothered about nightlife and I'm into theatre/the arts, so I hope to be able to pursue that wherever I go! For context, I think I will put Exeter as my insurance (AAB).

Set aside rankings and prestige, Bristol and York are so close, so do Exeter.
It's really difficult to choose between Bristol and York. Maybe you could think whether you are family-addicted. Uni life is completely new experience. Family support is critical to some students during the early months of transition.

Which course do you prefer? This should be your main reason for choosing a uni. Compare the modules and optional modules for both courses and think about which you would pick if you went there. Are there any placement or study abroad opportunities?
Bristol is a much bigger city than York and student accommodation is expensive and in short supply. Compare costs for both cities.

York seems fairly vague when it comes to modules - there seems to be much fewer than Bristol, and they provide few examples on their page in comparison to Bristol (who go much more in-depth). That makes me lean towards Bristol, however, I'm not entirely sure I want to be so far away from home. I'm also aware of the accomodation struggles in Bristol, which do stress me out a little! Cost-wise I think I'd lean towards York (it's closer to home, accomodation is generally cheaper, despite it being more expensive for a northern city its still cheaper than the south), but the course has me a bit stumped! Thank you for your help.

York seems fairly vague when it comes to modules - there seems to be much fewer than Bristol, and they provide few examples on their page in comparison to Bristol (who go much more in-depth). That makes me lean towards Bristol, however, I'm not entirely sure I want to be so far away from home. I'm also aware of the accomodation struggles in Bristol, which do stress me out a little! Cost-wise I think I'd lean towards York (it's closer to home, accomodation is generally cheaper, despite it being more expensive for a northern city its still cheaper than the south), but the course has me a bit stumped! Thank you for your help.

Hi! I'm currently trying to choose between firming Bristol or York for 2026 uni entry (history) Both universities are asking for AAA, so little difference grade-wise. York is closer to home, Bristol is a fair bit further (but not ridiculously far).
I liked both cities, but I feel that York has a more homely vibe, whereas Bristol is a little bigger (anyone with experience of either - your opinion would be greatly appreciated), but I don't know if that's just because I don't know it as well as York. I'm curious as to what others think about the two unis and how they'd choose between them? Is there a big prestige difference? I've seen a lot of people say Bristol is the more prestigious of the two, but York is currently ranked higher than Bristol for my degree choice. However, would employers see a difference here?
The city and uni experience is more important to me than course specifics, although if anyone has had any nightmare experiences with the history course at either uni that would be helpful to hear!
I also want to take into account the fact York is campus, and Bristol isn't. Has anyone at York struggled with the connection between the city and the campus (I've heard it's not too bad)?
I'm super indecisive, so any help would be greatly appreciated! If it helps, I'm not too bothered about nightlife and I'm into theatre/the arts, so I hope to be able to pursue that wherever I go! For context, I think I will put Exeter as my insurance (AAB).

I was at Bristol this year and I dropped out and I'm transferring to York next academic year so I think I can give some insight. For me I live in the North around 20 mins away from Durham and this distance from home to uni was absolutely excrutiating. The train was always EXTORTIONATE around £200+ one way so I would get the coach for £30 and it was horrible. A 10 hour coach with smelly toilets is not for the week and will absolutely drain you which meant I didn't really go home that often and felt really homesick. Bristol is also ridiculously expensive. My rent this year was coming to around £210 a week and my food shop was like £40-£50 a week so I was barely scraping by. Being broke meant I barely had money to enjoy myself go out etc and struggled to make friends so if you're planning to go to Bristol make sure you're loaded. I will say though everyone I met there was really lovely. It definitely has a slight diversity problem and a large portion of the student body were privately educated and southern so would pick up on my northern accent often. Overall I think it all just kind of depends on the experience you want out of uni and if it works for you.