Aberystwyth
30 Reviews by Students #48 out of 81 University locations
Overall good town with plenty of selection some places can be a bit expensive though.
By member548374 On 18th May 2020
Study in Aberystwyth
Located between the Snowdonian mountains and the Irish sea, you’ll find the seaside town of Aberystwyth, home to Aberystwyth University.
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Aberystwyth University
Students have been attending Aberystwyth University since 1872. The university now has over 8,000 students studying across 3 academic faculties and 17 departments. Teaching at Aberystwyth has been recognised with a gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework and 97% of graduates are in full time employment or further education six months after graduating.
Study in Aberystwyth? Review your location
Aberystwyth Student Life
When all the students are in town, you almost outnumber the locals but, of course, that has the bonus of making Aberystwyth very much geared towards the needs of students. Due to it being smaller in size compared to big university towns, it would suit those who welcome a bit of calm in the usually hectic student life.
Cost of Living
Accommodation
Student accommodation costs range from £85 - £169 per week; the average is £110 per week.
Compare the average elsewhere: Swansea: £145/week, Cardiff: £157/week, Exeter: £203/week.
(prices are for all purpose-built student accommodation (both private and university-owned) over the last 12 months, as listed on StudentCrowd)
The average price for:
A cheap meal at a restaurant: £12
A pint of beer: £3.40
A regular takeout coffee: £2.47
1L of milk: £0.88
A loaf of white bread: £0.65
(Source: Numbeo)
Nights Out
The nightlife here is pretty relaxed, with the pubs and bars vastly outnumbering the nightclubs. The close-knit community means you’ll have no trouble finding your way around or spotting someone you know across the bar. Both cinemas, the Commodore and Magic Lantern, have an old-school feel to them that is hard to find in bigger towns. There’s also a couple of galleries and a theatre on campus used for drama, music and comedy events.
Public Transport
Thanks to its size, you can get around Aberystwyth easily by foot. From the main university campus to the middle of town, it’s just a 10 minute walk. Situated in the middle of the west coast of Wales, you’ll find it takes at least an hour’s journey to pretty much anywhere! The main station is in the centre of town, with the bus station and a taxi rank just outside.
Eating Out
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Y Ffarmers is a dining pub just 10 minutes from Aberystwyth. It looks traditional on the outside but on the inside, it’s a modern cosy pub serving homemade food and an array of drinks. The perfect location for when family visits or for a celebratory meal!
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It’s always important to know where you can get a good pizza from! Baravin is your place in Aber. A relaxed place on the prom, it's been going since 2012 and is a favourite among locals. They make seriously tasty pizza as well as being a buzzy bar too, with a great selection of cocktails and craft beer.
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Who doesn’t love a Sunday roast? And it’s even better when you don’t have to do the washing up after. Le Figaro is known as one of the best roasts in Aber. It’s centrally located and also offers all the usual pub grub favourites.
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Shopping
Aberystwyth has a couple of major supermarkets, but the town centre is a more interesting place to get your groceries, with award-winning markets and locally-run shops. On the high street, you will find the familiar names amongst independent shops and cafes.
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The Great Outdoors
There are three main beaches in Aberystwyth: North Beach, South Beach and Tan Y Bwlch. You’ll find South Beach is great for beach fires and barbecues, North Beach for swimming (if you are brave!), whilst Tan Y Bwlch is nice for walks. If you are into surfing, head to the harbour mouth and Ynyslas for a nice sandy beach and amazing views.
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In Aber, you are only a short journey from the edge of Snowdonia National Park. There are so many activities to do. In no particular order: hand gliding, rock climbing, horse riding, cycling, caving, hiking, and so on and so forth...
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Constitution Hill is a famous landmark just outside of Aberystwyth, with stunning views across Cardigan Bay. Trekking up and down is the ideal answer to not being able to afford the gym. Or just take the railcar!
Top 10 Aberystwyth Accommodation
Trefloyne
Great value for money, lovely location near to everything on campus but out of the way enough to have pretty views and woodland surroundings. I loved ...
Fferm Penglais
the best accommodation in Aber in my opinion that I've been in. everything was amazing and I wish I could have stayed again this year. absolutely gorg...
Rosser
For just over £4,000 a year, I expected a little more than a prison block resembling something from 'Shameless'. However, the kitchens are huge. (Don'...
Pentre Jane Morgan
First-year students can be difficult. The accommodation office, even though supervises, does not enforce sufficient limitations on partying students u...
Cwrt Mawr
Pleasantly Surprised. After choosing Aber through clearing I was mortified when I found out I had been allocated Cwrt Mawr and wasn't made to feel any...
Pantycelyn
I made the best friends I've had at university through living in Penbryn in my first year, and met my fiance through them. The cleaning staff were AMA...
Alexandra Hall
Alexandra halls is a fantastic place to live amazing for the price. The staff are incredible and if you have issues, they get solved really quickly....
Read Aberystwyth Reviews
lovely place, a g...
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 danger to public safety. look both ways when crossing any street. try penguin pizza, its the best! read more
cheaper than most...
cheaper than most places, booze is cheap but bacci is stupendously expensive you should buy it online from Russia. read more
Plenty of places...
Plenty of places to eat out and a huge range of pubs if a pint is your thing to wind down. read more
Relatively safe t...
Relatively safe town - watch out for bad driving Plenty of shops and cafes in town Beautiful surrounding countryside and beach You are completely isolated from the rest of society once you are in Aberystwyth, the busy road out takes you into the middle of nowhere and lifeless Welsh towns The hill from town back up to the university campus and accommodation is a killer, even for those who are fit and healthy. (If you are shopping on a weekly basis get the bus to Morrisons or do two trips walking to the big Tesco) CK’s food store by the university and the shops on campus are lacking in decent options and are overpriced, stick with the main supermarkets in town if you can read more
It's a lively tow...
It's a lively town with a lot of unique shops and places to eat. The bus schedule needs improvement as it can be confusing at times (but you can always walk). read more
Aberystwyth has a...
Aberystwyth has a low cost of living compared to other major cities in the UK. read more
Nothing short of...
Nothing short of absolutely amazing. read more
it a lovely city...
it a lovely city with a lovely beach and lovely dogs and great for the sport of kicking children read more
Cheap public tran...
Cheap public transportation and cost of living comparing to larger cities. Eating out similar like everywhere read more
For a small place...
For a small place it hosts a lot of different shops and things to do. The local community is also very friendly and welcoming. read more
Overall good town...
Overall good town with plenty of selection Some places can be abit expensive though. read more
Small town not en...
Small town not enough shops. Both clubs are dirty and too expensive considering it's a student town. As it'd only a small town not much can be done about it read more
Aber has a grand...
Aber has a grand total of about 5 nice shops with the small advantage that they'll only order in nice gear, because they simply have no room for sh*te. Imagine a tiny little city, without the dark alleys full of corpses and the Mafia. It's like a city if we power washed it of all the s**t and kept all the nice bits... If that doesn't sound too 1940's Germany... Despite its size it's incredibly cheap to drink and eat here. All of the restaurants know that students are unable to pay a decent amount of money for anything, and thus charge next to nothing for quality food and drink. Whilst some places may charge "a normal" rate these places are reserved for special occasions, or you're so f*cked by the time you get there the only thing they'll serve you is water. Whilst there is a shuttle bus that runs literally everywhere you could ever want to go Uni wise, it's a bit of a mission to get to morrisons. read more
Very cheap to liv...
Very cheap to live here. A large variety of student housing. Pubs have excellent food as do some of the individual restaurants. McDonalds is a bit out of town sadly and only really suitable if you drive. Nights out are always good. Massive selection of bars. Taxis and buses are very very cheap. read more
Estate agents exp...
Estate agents expensive. Night life not good for clubs but good for pubs. Hardly any high street shops. Few places to eat out, some cheap and some more expensive but nice. read more
If you're wanting...
If you're wanting a massive nightlife then perhaps Aber isn't for you. We have a pub on every corner but only two clubs (and one of those is basically the pit of hell) so it's not the most lovely of nights out. Although, we do have "Vodka Tuesdays" - £1 vodka shots everywhere. The town itself is very beautiful. The seafront is beautiful rain or shine and the storms can be impressive! Plus the societies know how to run a pub crawl. read more
Cheap, trains to...
Cheap, trains to birmingham, good resteraunts all unusual not chain. read more
Cheap alcohol, b...
Cheap alcohol, but a limit in terms of high street shops. Lots of independent shops read more
Okay where to sta...
Okay where to start. There's no shops, the transport is about as reliable as a French car and the only nightclub was once a strip club and truly feels like it. It's only redeeming quality is some really nice restaurants and cocktail bars. read more
Amazing views and...
Amazing views and incredible outdoor opportunities. Nightlife is generic and boring for clubs but abundant in bars and pubs that are a lot better. Food scene is good but needs a lot more diversity! read more
The worst bit abo...
The worst bit about Aber is the shopping. The only big supermarket is a couple of miles out of town and it is a bit limited for chain stores on the high Street. But who needs that when you've got Amazon? Public transport is okay around town, buses are £1 unless you go Arriva and taxis are usually £3 for three people then £1 after that. The only transport issue is getting there, the nearest large town is Shrewsbury 1 1/2 hours by train and the same by car. HOWEVER once you are there, it is really cheap to live, the safest university town in the country, the pubs are great (more pubs per head than anywhere) and some great restaurants. read more
Nightlife is amaz...
Nightlife is amazing! Public transport here is £1 where back home it is £2.40 ONE WAY! So many places to see and eat out. Nightlife is amazing read more
There aren't many...
There aren't many ways to leave Aber, it can feel like you're living in a bubble a lot of the time, although the new Megabus to London via Cardiff helps. Trains are every two hours to Birmingham, although those might be changing as well. Lots of pubs, lots and lots of pubs! Good mix of places to eat out, nice restaurants, good pizza places, and fast food, although no Nandos. The main high street is ok, though not a lot of clothing shops. read more