THE University of Glasgow has been ranked fourth in the UK for encouraging students to live a healthier lifestyle including drinking less alcohol.

Research ranked universities for range and accessibility of health and fitness facilities, as well as availability of wellness-focused support and activities

It also looked at how student unions cater for sober students, with dedicated societies, and events for overall wellbeing.

The University of Glasgow was praised for running a ‘Sober Sonic’ club night. The research was carried out by student accommodation search engine, Mystudenthalls.com, which claims that one in five students are now teetotal. The sample size of the poll was not given.

Dan Roberts, founder of the site, said: “For so long, student culture has been synonymous with drinking and partying, but it’s clear that a wider shift towards wellness is reflective in the ways that students are spending their money and free time, as well as how they eat, sleep and live.

“For so long, student culture has been synonymous with drinking and partying, but it’s clear that a wider shift towards wellness is reflective in the ways that students are spending their money and free time, as well as how they eat, sleep and live.

“We have seen a demand for alcohol-free, quieter student accommodation, in which students who are avoiding late-nights and partying can be comfortable and feel supported with their choices.”

Edinburgh was ranked second in the UK for encouraging students to live healthier lives with St Andrews taking nine position.