Crowded campus: Most overcrowded universities revealed

University students have emerged as the leaders of the protest movement – Copyright AFP Ahmad GHARABLI

The most overcrowded university in the world is Sapienza University of Rome, located in a city with a population density exceeding 272,000 people per square kilometer.

A recent study by Edumentors revealed the ten most overcrowded universities by analyzing campus population density—the number of students, faculty, and staff relative to campus size (km² – square kilometers). Unlike traditional rankings that focus on academics or funding, this study raises important questions about how limited space affects access to resources, study areas, and student well-being.

Another interesting finding is that UCLA has the largest campus population among U.S. universities, with over 82K students, faculty, and staff, making it the most populated academic community in North America.

The ranking list is:

1 Sapienza University of Rome
2 University of Manchester
3 University of Edinburgh
4 University of Göttingen
5 University of Copenhagen
6 University College London
7 Harvard University
8 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
9 National University of Singapore
10 Imperial College London

As indicated above, Sapienza University of Rome ranks first as the most overcrowded university in the world, with over 272,000 people per square kilometer. The institution stands out with the largest student number among the top 10, hosting over 112,000 students within a compact 0.44 km² campus.

Coming in second, the University of Manchester has a density of 165,000 people. Unlike Sapienza’s student-heavy distribution, Manchester hosts 46K students and 11,000 staff members in its 0.35 km² campus.

The University of Edinburgh ranks third with 149.7,000 people/km², housing over 52,000 people within 0.35 km² of campus space. The University of Göttingen ranks fourth with 102,000 people. While its total population falls below Edinburgh’s, Göttingen employs 8,825 administrative staff – the highest ratio of administrative personnel among European universities in the top 10.

With over 80,000 people/km², the University of Copenhagen secures fifth place. Its 0.58 km² campus – larger than Göttingen’s – maintains an even split between academic staff (4,421) and administrative personnel (5,541). University College London ranks sixth with a density of 67,900 population.

Coming in seventh, Harvard University has a density of 50,800 people per km². The institution has the highest staff-to-student ratio among US universities in the top 10, allocating significant resources to support services while maintaining efficient space utilization.

UCLA ranks eighth and the National University of Singapore ranks ninth. Imperial College London rounds out the top ten, with 30,000 people per square kilometer.