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Best Student Cities in the UK

18792 Reviews by Students

Student reviews reveal the best and the worst cities and towns for students in the United Kingdom.

Not sure what the best student cities in the UK are? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Our list of best student cities and towns in the UK is the only live league table which is chosen 100% by students who are actually studying at each university.

It is constantly updated with new student reviews about the important areas of city life: cost of living, restaurants, nightlife, shopping options and public transport.

Because we only publish reviews from students using their university email account, you can guarantee all our reviews are from real students. You will hear directly from the experts which university cities in the UK top the chart for student experience.

Click on a location below to read all the independent student reviews and find out more about what each location can deliver.

You can help future students by reviewing your student location when you get there.

Review your town or city here!

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle I would say is a fine city with activities and amazing places to visit and explore. The transport system is excellent for me and the night l...

By member587095 On 31st May 2023

Liverpool

Liverpool for students is so amazing, I couldn’t recommend the city enough. The transport links to and from the city centre are very good, and if you’...

By member486545 On 22nd May 2023

Sheffield

Teachers are very concerned about students when they encounter difficulties, and they can always find teachers. The school's public facilities are als...

By member1086131 On 14th May 2023

Belfast

I have felt at home since the day I arrived. From the front door to the flat the staff and students have been so welcoming and I have felt so comforta...

By member1174287 On 12th December 2022

Nottingham

Nottingham offers a diverse range of options, from buzzing bars and pubs to live music venues and nightclubs. The city has a reputation for its lively...

By member1084739 On 23rd April 2023

Manchester

Lovely place to live. My accommodation's location is so great and everything is really only a hop away. I have never had to take public transport to g...

By member586245 On 16th May 2023

Leeds

Leeds is a vibrant city located in West Yorkshire, England. It is the third largest city in the UK outside of London, with a population of over 750,00...

By member1184840 On 24th April 2023

Glasgow

Glasgow is a vibrant, friendly, and multicultural city with a rich cultural heritage, excellent food, music, and entertainment scene, and beautiful ar...

By member1178510 On 15th February 2023

Cardiff

Cardiff is the perfect combination of small city and nature all in one place! Has a decent night life and there's a lot of young people. It's not too ...

By member482482 On 27th March 2023

#10

Birmingham

Very nice city, the locals are very welcoming. Transport is great you can choose between train and bus to school. There is a bustling city centre. The...

By Nanyi On 13th February 2023

#11

Southampton

If you attend UOS you receive a free bus pass for the first year which is super helpful as the unilink buses get you to pretty much all around southam...

By member777566 On 7th February 2023

#12

Edinburgh

utterly gorgeous city. incredibly beautiful. the galleries are nice, the architecture is stunning. cost of living is much less than you’d expect from ...

By member772452 On 16th October 2022

#13

Bristol

Bristol is a vibrant and culturally rich city located in the south-west of England. With a rich history, thriving arts and culture scene, and stunning...

By member977142 On 5th February 2023

#14

York

I love York, it is beautiful and all citizens are friendly. The transportation here is convenient. The most important, here has many Chinese restauran...

By member784723 On 22nd April 2023

#15

Bournemouth

There are more than enough places to go out for food with reasonable prices. There are a good range of clubs around for nights out most within walking...

By member1173648 On 25th November 2022

#16

Portsmouth

I’m not very experienced with going out clubbing and stuff like that… but I’ve just found as long as the people I go with are great, it’s pretty good…...

By member1182308 On 26th March 2023

#17

Chester

Chester is a beautiful town I could not fault it. It’s very clean, has amazing shops and there is always buskers out on the streets at the weekend. Th...

By member1380506 On 6th March 2023

#18

Norwich

Nights out in Norwich can be a hit or miss. Sometimes they are great, and sometimes there's a creep that follows you home. Stay in a group, do not go ...

By member478578 On 16th February 2023

#19

Central London

Living in London is an exciting and vibrant experience. The city's public transport system is fantastic, making it easy to get around and explore all ...

By member1382646 On 28th March 2023

#20

High Wycombe

It’s a bit far away from home....

By member478953 On 20th February 2023

#21

Reading

Great transport, a little confusing compared to london but easy to get used to. Town is great, has a never ending variety of places to visit and eat o...

By member1084629 On 20th April 2023

#22

Lincoln

Bus services, but you can basically walk everywhere. Lots of great bars to go out to with different interesting vibes! Great restaurants and most plac...

By member677752 On 9th February 2023

#23

Leicester

Leicester is a place I’ve never been to before moving to uni and I enjoy it quite a lot because I have registered to do a sport which is rowing and ro...

By member1383173 On 4th April 2023

#24

Aberdeen

I would highly recommend a visit to Aberdeen to anyone looking for a beautiful, historic city with plenty of culture, great food, and stunning natural...

By member1280802 On 9th March 2023

#25

Preston

Preston is decent little city that will satisfy most of your needs. It doesn't have the same aura as big northern cities such as Manchester or Leeds b...

By member1180439 On 6th March 2023

#26

Bradford

Bradford is a good city with good people and different cultures within it. I would definitely recommend it to my friends to apply here....

By member472982 On 3rd November 2022

#27

Swansea

The cost of living in Swansea is relatively low compared to other cities in the UK. Swansea has an excellent night life with so many restaurants where...

By member985490 On 30th April 2023

#28

South West London

Living in London is definitely going to be expensive but as long as you budget your money well and take advantage of all the benefits you have being a...

By member1280442 On 6th March 2023

#29

Plymouth

Plymouth is a lovely place to live, situated right by the sea which is perfect on sunny days. The transport in the city centre is perfect for wherever...

By member685092 On 27th April 2023

#30

Cambridge

Cambridge, whilst expensive in places, is the most beautiful place to go out in. I’ve had so many good nights out with friends since moving here in Se...

By member577456 On 7th February 2023

#31

Dundee

Brilliant place to stay, has it’s rough parts like any city but overall good. The people are friendly and there is a lot on offer for students. The pu...

By member1284602 On 20th April 2023

#32

Exeter

I simply adore Exeter. It is so green and beautiful. There are many walks and areas to loose yourself to the scenery. The quay and river Ex is beautif...

By member485635 On 3rd May 2023

#33

Hull

Not many good shops for young people but loads of great places to eat out and different things to do, it's a lovely city...

By member767875 On 6th April 2022

#34

Cheltenham

Cheltenham is a beautiful and historic city that has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike. I was struck by the picturesque architecture, the ab...

By member684960 On 26th April 2023

#35

Loughborough

Loughborough is a very good place to live in if you are tight on cash, I am able to budget efficiently, there are many options for shopping and I can ...

By member981084 On 13th March 2023

#36

East London

East London is a vibrant and exciting part of Greater London that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and diversity. The area is home to a wide...

By member1084923 On 25th April 2023

#37

Coventry

To be honest I would say Coventry is best place for students. There are a number of hotels and restaurants for a variety of people whether it can be I...

By member1078705 On 16th February 2023

#38

Durham

Durham is a beautiful town where you can be yourself. Hang out with friends when you're okay and feed the birds by the river. The only inconvenience i...

By member1276575 On 30th January 2023

#39

Stirling

A place mix with culture and history. This is best for adventure lovers and a beautiful environment to stay in....

By Sakshi On 13th December 2022

#40

South East London

South east London is a great area of london with a diverse population and a plethora of activities for people to do...

By member984713 On 21st April 2023

#41

Brighton

I absolutely love it here. I had no previous experience or knowledge of Brighton, but I am beyond happy with what I have found here. Being from the Sa...

By member970784 On 13th August 2022

#42

Salford

Life is expensive but I work hard so I can enjoy myself. Cost of living is always a problem. Oh well...

By member982037 On 22nd March 2023

#43

Oxford

Oxford is an expensive place, there's no getting away from that. However, I have chosen to stay here after my course as I have completely fallen in lo...

By member970807 On 15th August 2022

#44

Bolton

Bolton is a nice place to stay, it’s city centre has the university and lots of places to shop, eat and relax. It’s also close to Manchester....

By member1272611 On 21st October 2022

#45

Sunderland

Sunderland is a beautiful place to live and studying. The Cost of living is not too high but is affordable. Sunderland have diverse eating establishm...

By member884845 On 24th April 2023

#46

Canterbury

Canterbury is a beautiful city to live and study in, night life is incredible, plenty of pubs and bars for everyone unique tastes....

By member973165 On 8th November 2022

#47

Worcester

Town centre is in walking distance, can walk back from a night out safely...

By member769854 On 7th July 2022

#48

Stoke-on-Trent

Its a small town with all the facilities you can ask for. Public transport is always within reach and living costs here are inexpensive as compared to...

By member584552 On 19th April 2023

#49

Derby

If you're a person like me, I like to stay somewhere quiet and peaceful. Derby is the city I was looking for! Yes, I know crime happens everywhere, bu...

By member671845 On 28th September 2022

#50

Colchester

This city gives me a good life experience, a city with a sense of age. It has a castle and other nice views. The city facilities are perfect, except f...

By member672548 On 18th October 2022

#51

Huddersfield

The courses were very good, the students were very good, the teachers were very interesting, very responsible, gave me a lot of work opportunities, lo...

By member878229 On 13th February 2023

#52

Falmouth

I'm not really a nights out kind of person but I can see the pubs are good in both Falmouth and Penryn. There are train stations and buses that can t...

By member1181339 On 15th March 2023

#53

Keele

Although the busses can sometimes be a bit unpredictable, the town is overall very nice, however, small....

By member782563 On 28th March 2023

#54

Wolverhampton

Amazing city, not crowded like most cities are, most takeaways and cafes are in walking distance, same as the train, bus and metro station...

By member463014 On 20th October 2021

#55

Bath

The main reason I chose to come to Bath was because of the city itself. In terms of cost of living Bath is definitely on the more expensive side. From...

By member1186357 On 17th May 2023

#56

Lancaster

Nice city. Unfortunately due to Covid-19, don't have much opportunity to keep exploring the city. I wish I can come back in the future for travelling ...

By member860449 On 23rd June 2021

#57

Aberystwyth

lovely place, a good one if you want a mix of countryside and town vibes. comes alive in the summer. unfortunately everyone is an awful driver and a d...

By member765396 On 13th January 2022

#58

Ipswich

The cost of living in this town is relatively low, but finding housing as a first-time visitor can be difficult. I suppose this is a problem that affe...

By member1083161 On 4th April 2023

#59

Bangor

Bangor is a small city located in North Wales, with a population of around 18,000 people. It is situated on the coast of the Menai Strait, which separ...

By member983717 On 6th April 2023

#60

West London

A lot of students say that Egham is boring and there isn't much to do here. However, for a person like me who is not really into going out, Egham is p...

By member1183719 On 6th April 2023

#61

Guildford

Its a nice little town with close transports to London for nights out, and the cost of living is much cheaper compared to bigger cities. The town also...

By member480523 On 7th March 2023

#62

Newport

Although small, it is absolutely unreal. The people make the experience 100%...

By member784887 On 24th April 2023

#63

Middlesbrough

It's a small city but well-equipped. It's also safer to go out at night and it's easy to get around by public transport....

By member770764 On 15th August 2022

#64

Hatfield

Easy and good living. Shops around for students and to make food shopping easier....

By member769756 On 1st July 2022

#65

Luton

Luton is a small city and with a wide range of communities. The best part of it is that it has a close airport and it’s well connected to London and o...

By member1386968 On 30th May 2023

#66

North London

Clubs are the best fun easy to go to from here...

By member886982 On 30th May 2023

#67

St Andrews

good great excellent good great excellent good great excellent good great excellent good great excellent good great excellent good great excellent...

By member581228 On 14th March 2023

#68

Wrexham

A nice place to live not far from Chester and Llangollen. Plenty of bars and clubs. Fairly safe area....

By member884943 On 25th April 2023

#69

Winchester

It is a very peaceful city with an unparalleled environment and climate that is more comfortable and pleasant than many large cities and is ideal for ...

By member784206 On 14th April 2023

Inverness

Inverness is a great place to live....

By member858578 On 23rd May 2021

Gloucester

Lots of shops, good amount of events and things to do, loads of public transport, especially to and from cheltenham. Really enjoy living in the city c...

By member870957 On 20th August 2022

Buckingham

Close to shops and public transport....

By member1379747 On 27th February 2023

Gillingham

Thank you for everything. I am glad....

By member459926 On 10th June 2021

Chichester

Chichester has SO many places to eat out, some on the more expensive side but so many affordable restaurants between a scale of Wetherspoons to The Iv...

By member973148 On 8th November 2022

Ormskirk

Public transport is great there buses and trains to all over, the little town has all the necessary shops. The night life is great too as it’s not too...

By member463163 On 25th October 2021

Carlisle

Decent town. Lovely walks through it and parks are also nice...

By member559966 On 11th June 2021

Carmarthen

A lot of people who are sharing connections ideas and opportunities as a...

By member665016 On 15th December 2021

Writtle

A picturesque village though without many facilities....

By anonwrittle On 28th April 2021

Northampton

I came to Northampton for a day visit and I have to say it was a complete success I would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of history. I have ...

By member836304 On 27th February 2019

Cirencester

I don’t really leave campus on the 2.5 days in there just classes then back to the building...

By member1376399 On 30th January 2023

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