“preferred” by whom or for what?
All three are similarly ranked for biomedical sciences, though Sheffield and Bristol have the edge in overall ‘perceived prestige’. That’s in good part b/c they are older than Lancaster (which was formed in the 1960s) and are both part of the “Russell Group” of UK universities.
Living expenses are broadly lower in Sheffield than Bristol, and there are meaningful differences between living in the north of England or in the southwest