Suffolk’s university has been ranked as one of the worst in the country for its nightlife and sporting opportunities.

More than 16,000 undergraduates were surveyed by the consumer watchdog Which? and the results ranked University Campus Suffolk (UCS) in Ipswich as having one of the poorest records for offering a “diverse local nightlife” and options for sporty students.

But Chris Mitchell, 21, vice president for the UCS Union, defended the university.

He said: “What we try to do with sport is work with local companies and have a real relationship with them to provide facilities.

“Whenever students want a team we do whatever we can to set it up. The university is only six years old and is quite small.”

He said the university had a high percentage of mature students who took part in sport outside UCS.

Mr Mitchell added the university is now providing a new bar, on the Waterfront, called Cult Cafe, which opened last month.

A spokesman for UCS said: “Sport plays an important role at UCS and the institution works closely with UCS Union and other local partners to provide a variety of opportunities such as clubs, societies and student discounts.

“UCS is also pleased to support the growth and development of wider sporting activity within the local area, for example through events like the recent UCS Ipswich and Coastal Grand Prix.

“This commitment to improving the student experience is reflected in the National Student Survey statistics which saw UCS record a record high for student satisfaction in 2013.”

He said the university would work with the union to provide a “diverse range of entertainment”.

The findings of the Which? survey showed that 85% of students said they were satisfied with their university, with the same proportion happy with their course nationwide.

But more than a quarter said they wished they had done more research and one in 10 regretted the university they had chosen.

Jenni Allen, head of Which? University, said: “The academic and extra-curricular experience at universities varies widely.

“With increased tuition fees, it’s never been more important for prospective students to weigh up all the options and make sure they make the right choice for them.”