Birmingham - Location Reviews - StudentCrowd

Study in Birmingham

The UK's second largest city, Birmingham, is home to Birmingham City University, Aston University, University of Birmingham, University College Birmingham and Newman University. So you’ve got a lot of choices and a big, bustling city to explore.

Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is based in the heart of Birmingham and over 26,000 students are enrolled from 100 different countries. They have 4 different faculties and their reputation for teaching has been recognised with a Silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. They have recently spent £340 million investing in their city centre campus and facilities and focus on developing practical skills in their graduates.

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Aston University

With a campus located in the centre of Birmingham, Aston University strives to be a leading university for business and the professional trades. Its roots began in 1895 and its reputation for teaching has been recognised with a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Over 15,000 students are enrolled from diverse countries of the world.

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University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham was one of the first red brick universities in the UK and is part of the Russell Group of universities with a big focus on research. Its campus was first developed in 1909 and is being redeveloped as part of a ten year investment plan costing over £600 million. It has received a Gold rating from the Teaching Excellence Framework for its teaching and over 35,000 students are enrolled.

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University College Birmingham

Nearly 5,000 students are enrolled at University College Birmingham which has six campuses around the heart of the city. It specialises in vocational courses and is popular with international students. It has been awarded a Silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

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Birmingham Newman University

Located in a quiet residential area only a few miles from Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham Newman University has a small student population of less than 3,000 students on their single-site campus and has been awarded a Silver rating in the TEF.

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Study in Birmingham? Review your location

Birmingham Student Life

Birmingham is one of the youngest major cities in Europe. It’s dynamic and diverse, making it an exciting and unique place to study.

Nights Out

Public Transport

The city is easy to get around by foot and bike; it has lots of walking routes and they are working on a new cycle highway. There are train stations dotted around Birmingham so it would be worth investing in a student railcard. The city has recently introduced a tram system, West Midlands Metro, which has made getting around even easier.

Birmingham is situated in the heart of England and consequently has fantastic connections to the rest of the country and Europe, whether it be by rail, road or air. London is around 90 minutes away by train and the international airport is just 10 minutes from the city centre.

Eating Out

Shopping

The city offers one of the best shopping experiences in the UK. The iconic Bullring and Grand Central shopping centres are brimming with high street brands and a four-storey Selfridges. If you are looking for independent boutiques and vintage shops, go to Digbeth which is a few roads down from the city centre, or head out a little further to suburbs Selly Oak and Kings Heath and you’ll come across some unique finds.

Cultural Guide

Museums and Galleries

There are so many brilliant museums and galleries to visit. Some of the favourites are Ikon Gallery for modern art, Thinktank Science Museum and Sareholl Mill which is a must if you are a Tolkien fan, as the mill and surrounding area were a source of inspiration for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

Festivals

Birmingham hosts a variety of festivals all year round. Top picks include MADE Festival, UK dance and urban music and Flatpack Festival, which features fantastic films, live performances, installations and parties that pop up across Birmingham over a week.

Theatres and Cinemas

The Hippodrome is the UK's most popular single auditorium theatre. It has regular performances from Birmingham’s Royal Ballet, as well as musicals, opera, drama and comedy throughout the year. Birmingham is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, The Electric Cinema, showing everything from blockbusters to cult and indie films.

Sport

Birmingham is a great city to catch some live sport; it's home to the world-famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground plus three football clubs: Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.

Top 10 Birmingham Accommodation

4.72 /5

(202 reviews)

Onyx 4.72 /5

Onyx by Prestige Student Living offers stylish, modern student accommodation in a prime Birmingham location near Aston and BCU, with standout amenitie...

4.44 /5

(109 reviews)

Altura 4.44 /5

This place is what u need as a students there’s no other accommodation that’s like this, before I was looking at places to stay but looking at other o...

4.43 /5

(22 reviews)

Brook Studios 4.43 /5

Luka and the staff at the reception were very friendly and actively helped me solve various problems...

4.4 /5

(139 reviews)

Battery Park 4.4 /5

Since being here, Aga especially has been really helpful to me. She has helped me with my queries about the property and this has been sequenced with ...

4.38 /5

(82 reviews)

Globe Works 4.38 /5

This is the best accommodation I've experienced as a student in Birmingham. The facilities are outstanding, featuring spacious rooms and social areas....

4.38 /5

(52 reviews)

Bentley House 4.38 /5

I have stayed at Bentley House for the last 2 years and my stay has been wonderful. The rooms are perfect, the common room is always thriving with fun...

4.33 /5

(118 reviews)

Staniforth House 4.33 /5

I've had a fantastic experience living here. It's truly exceptional value for money – everything from the facilities to the service feels premium. The...

4.27 /5

(30 reviews)

88 Bromsgrove House 4.27 /5

My experience has been nothing but amazing the staff here are really friendly and helpful. I had such a smooth transition since the first academic yea...

4.26 /5

(102 reviews)

Canvas The Old Fire Station 4.26 /5

I've really enjoyed my stay at The Old Fire Station. The location is convenient, with easy access to the city centre, university, and local shops. The...

#10

4.26 /5

(36 reviews)

Compass 4.26 /5

Really good place to live if you are going to the local unis (Brum city/Aston) the building is modern, had one issue with hot water which took over tw...

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1st July 2025