Dundee
139 Reviews by Students #35 out of 80 University locations
A great city where everything is in close proximity and cost of living is much cheaper than other cities.
By member1047473 On 22nd April 2020
Study in Dundee
There are two universities in Dundee: University of Dundee and Abertay University. Dundee has the highest ratio of students to locals in Scotland. This is good news if you’re studying because it means that a large portion of life in the town is geared towards you!
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University of Dundee
The University of Dundee has been named Scotland’s most student-friendly university. It has a reputation for excellent teaching which has been recognised with a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, with particular strengths in life sciences and medical research.
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Abertay University
Abertay University is known for being a small and friendly university, so you can expect to be on first name terms with your lecturers. They are a specialist university in tech-driven degrees such as Ethical Hacking and Computer Games as well as Business and Social Science degrees.
Study in Dundee? Review your location
Dundee Student Life
Dundee is one of the top 10 most affordable cities for students with an array of nightlife spots, restaurants and shops. It is vibrant and cosmopolitan as well as being friendly and compact.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Dundee is incredibly cheap
By member91794 On 23rd April 2015
Nights Out
Great nightlife…
Great nightlife no shortage of things to do whatever your interest.
It's not too bad…
As a whole it’s not too bad but if u like going out having fun with ur mates then Dundee isn’t really for you. There are only around 3 clubs in Dundee and they’re nothing compared to clubs in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Plenty of nightclubs…
Best place for students plenty of nightclubs, cinemas and places you can go and things you can do
Lots of places…
Lots of places to eat and plenty of bars and nightclubs to enjoy the social life to a greater extent.
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Public Transport
Everywhere is reachable by foot or bike in Dundee, there is also a frequent bus service. Dundee is in an ideal location for exploring Scotland with scenery, skiing, mountain climbing and sailing within an easy reach by road and rail. There are also good rail connections to main UK cities, with Edinburgh just over an hour away and Manchester 5 hours away. Dundee airport is close to the city centre and with flights direct to London Stanstead. Other Scottish airports make it easy and affordable to reach the main cities in the UK and Europe.
Eating Out
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Rancho Pancho is bringing a little bit of Mexico to the heart of Dundee! You can expect beautiful Mexican food served with delicious cocktails.
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The Tinsmith is a favourite among students and locals, boasting a beer garden, live music, delicious pub grub and with £1 coffees its clear to see why! Not to mention, they have student promos on drinks Monday through Thursday!
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Head to The Palais Tearoom to sample a slice of Dundee’s famous cake. Enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere and generous portions!
Shopping
Dundee’s city centre is largely pedestrianised, making it easy to stroll around and pop into your favourite shops. Overgate and Wellgate Shopping Centres are in the heart of the city and house all your high street favourites. The city also has great independent shops too, such as Groucho’s Record Shop and Spex Pistols which doubles up as a glasses shop and intimate gig venue!
Study in Dundee? Review your town
Cultural Guide
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Museums & Galleries
Dundee has an excellent selection of museums and galleries. In 2019 the impressive V&A Dundee opened, which is Scotland’s first design museum and part of the city’s £1bn waterfront regeneration project.
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Theatre
The Dundee Rep Theatre is home to Scotland's only full-time company of actors, as well as Scotland's principal contemporary dance company, Scottish Dance Theatre, providing a broad programme of drama, musicals, dance and live music.
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Festivals
There’s a range of festivals that take place year-round in the city. Some of the most popular are the Dundee Design Festival, Dundee Food & Flower Festival, Dundee Jazz Festival and Dundee Literary Festival.
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Music
Caird Hall brings in nationally and internationally renowned musicians, as well as comedy shows and classical concerts. For smaller venues offering live music weekly, check out Clarks on Lindsay Street, Fat Sams Live, Number 57, Dukes Corner and Buskers.
Top 10 Dundee Accommodation
Read Dundee Reviews
Not really fair t...
Not really fair to compare these ratings to most places in England read more
Nice parts but mo...
Nice parts but most areas aren't great... city accommodates for cars a lot. The lidl next to westport roundabout is way too small for the number of shoppers at peak times. Other than that a very affordable city relatively. Free buses for students are grand (when buses bother showing up). Going to St Andrews for whatever reason always feels like a nice escape. read more
Nice, beautiful,...
Nice, beautiful, calm city. Nothing much read more
dundee is a good...
dundee is a good city to live in as a student, however because of the cost of living crisis it is a little bit expensive for shopping and nights out read more
Brilliant place t...
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 public transport system is very good, with buses running to the majority of the city every 5-10 minutes. The Overgate offers shopping and food, while Perth Road has many restaurants and bars that host student nights or have student friendly prices. Plenty of places offer part-time jobs for students and there is always somewhere hiring. read more
Dundee is a great...
Dundee is a great city with lots of activities to do , the public transport is very well done and no shortage of buses. There is lovely places to walk and relax after studying in the library. read more
I quite like dund...
I quite like dundee as it’s very quiet and easy to navigate however I wish there was more to do. read more
Not a massive fan...
Not a massive fan of the city. read more
Nice city, not to...
Nice city, not too big but has everything I need. read more
Everything is eas...
Everything is easily walkable but not many things to do during the day read more
Uyuyuuhhhhhggyhhh...
Uyuyuuhhhhhggyhhhhhhfjfjdjdjej read more
Small city but fu...
Small city but full of lovely people and places read more
I’ve always lived...
I’ve always lived here so not much to say read more
A good place for...
A good place for your undergrad life and it being cost effective. read more
Nice and clean ci...
Nice and clean city and everything is a walking distance read more
The main shopping...
The main shopping centre closes at 6pm that is horrible read more
Not bad living he...
Not bad living here, good student place read more
Nightlife is limi...
Nightlife is limited but acceptable read more
Night life is rea...
Night life is really bad. I don’t want to go clubbing with 17 year olds read more
cute and small, g...
cute and small, good views - friendly people read more
Small and compact...
Small and compact, everything is withing walking distance and a really accepting atmosphere read more
A really easy cit...
A really easy city to find your way around read more
Love the city, fe...
Love the city, feels like home already. read more
nice museums and...
nice museums and the river is also very nice read more
Such a fun city t...
Such a fun city to be a student in with a great social life and it’s not too expensive. Also the uni is very central so easily accessible from wherever read more
overall good and...
overall good and nothings very far read more
Buses are absymal...
Buses are absymal most of the time and only turn up when they want to it seems. Leave in plenty time if you stay slightly out the centre! read more
clubs are mostly...
clubs are mostly underwhelming read more
Dundee’s a lovely...
Dundee’s a lovely small city, also the sunniest city of scotland which helps making the most out of the experience!! read more
Not really had th...
Not really had the chance to use public transport as most of the city is walkable. read more
Everyone is reall...
Everyone is really friendly in Dundee, great community. read more
Plenty of pubs an...
Plenty of pubs and restaurants, nice big shopping centre. read more
Nice and affordab...
Nice and affordable city with beautiful scenery. read more
Considered Afford...
Considered Affordable but it is actually very expensive and quite isolating read more
Good little city...
Good little city which is quiet. Very nice read more
There is a wide r...
There is a wide range of places to eat and things are relatively cheap-ish. Nights out are good, tbh most people tend to go to the same two nightclubs, but there are plenty of other pubs and nightclubs. There are some really pretty places, like along the riverfront, Law Hill and Magdalen green. Broughty Ferry Beach is only a few minutes away by train too. Most places are walkable, or there is free bus travel, and the train station is situated in the city centre. There is also an airport, but it is pretty small so it might be slightly more of a hassle for international students to travel to and from. Obviously, because Dundee is a smaller city, there are not an abundant amount of shopping centres, but most accessible brands are there and you have got pretty much everything you would need. Overall, Dundee is a cool and safe city to live and study in :) read more
Perth road is one...
Perth road is one of the best places to stay in Dundee for uni. Great location, great shops nearby, only a 10 minute walk to town. read more
Transport is good...
Transport is good throughout the city, there are two main shopping malls. Nights out are great, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Very affordable to live and lots of places to eat out. read more
I really enjoyed...
I really enjoyed living in Dundee but would have enjoyed more options for eating out. read more
Dundee is a very...
Dundee is a very upcoming city, with a wide range of places to eat out and shops. read more
A nice quaint tow...
A nice quaint town, though you won't be finding some 5 star dining experience here. It has enough to keep me satisfied. read more
Not the nicest pl...
Not the nicest place - I know many people like it - not me too much read more
More shops requir...
More shops required. Bring back zara! Friendly city. Beautiful waterfront . read more
Buy drinks at the...
Buy drinks at the supermarket and meet your friends somewhere, 2 beers from a pub (700 ml) you can buy almost 4 L in the supermarket. read more
Peaceful yet happ...
Peaceful yet happening place to live read more
there is 1 good c...
there is 1 good club, aura. everywhere else is either dead or dodgy. You get burnt out quickly. there’s a few nice bars and cute restaurants tho. everything is relatively cheap, the train station is easy to navigate but usually quite busy. read more
Less populated ci...
Less populated city, calm and quiet Student friendly city. Pubs and eateries are around with budget hotels .Overall city is good. read more
Great compact cit...
Great compact city undergoing a massive regeneration right now. Some areas do still look… un-regenerated though but that’s a more realistic Dundee read more
Very cheap city w...
Very cheap city which is great for student life. Plenty of bars & restaurants. Shops and public transport could be better. read more
Great for student...
Great for students like me to go for a quick shop. Wish the buses were more frequent after 6. read more
local train and b...
local train and bus station are ideal read more
I dont use public...
I dont use publick transport so allow my judgement on that but the rest is a vibe read more
Very quick walk t...
Very quick walk to the town centre which is full of everything you could need. read more
Great city filled...
Great city filled with students and great nights out with friends. Very easy to find transport and many places to eat out scattered all over the town. read more
Living next to th...
Living next to the seaside has been the biggest highlight of living here, coming from a big city it’s more motivating to go outside and take adventures when living next to the river and 10 minutes away from a beach read more
good student city...
good student city, cheap to live. read more
Great first place...
Great first place away from home as everything’s in walking distance. read more
Love dundee, glad...
Love dundee, glad I moved here for university read more
Dundee is a great...
Dundee is a great place to live and study even with covid restrictions ! There’s loads to do within walking/short bus distance and you’re always close to Edinburgh/Aberdeen/Perth if you want to go further afield. Plenty jobs too read more
Dundee is a great...
Dundee is a great city but would like more things to do outside nights out read more
I really like Dun...
I really like Dundee. I think that it has everything you could need within a short walk which makes life very easy read more
How do you expect...
How do you expect me to rate night outs and clubs and stuff dude? Locked in and following rules read more
Dundee is what I...
Dundee is what I like to call the “perfect student city”. Everything is close by and there are lots to explore! The scenery is also beautiful. Not to mention Dundee is the sunniest city in Scotland as well! read more
Dundee is a peace...
Dundee is a peaceful town to be in, it’s not even bad at all. read more
Good prices all a...
Good prices all around. Close by shops and buses make living and commuting much easier. read more
Dundee is great,...
Dundee is great, its a city but not too big. Generally everything you need is within walking distance. Depending on where you live will affect how close you are to the city centre. Though many accommodations are close to both the university and town meaning it is only a short walk to both. There are many shops catering to many needs and there are multiple places to eat in or take out. There are multiple buses and bus stops all over the city and they are running regularly. Overall it is a great place to live as a student or long time resident. read more
everything is clo...
everything is close by and very student friendly read more
Okay but some run...
Okay but some run out of things to do sometimes read more
Once again, due t...
Once again, due to covid, couldnt really experience these read more
Dundee has a bit...
Dundee has a bit of everything and makes for the perfect student experience. read more
Lovely location a...
Lovely location and place to live lots of things to do and see. Rent is a good price in comparison to other unis in Scotland an overall great plaice to be read more
Love Dundee it is...
Love Dundee it is a small city but filled with everything we need. read more
Dundee is a good...
Dundee is a good student city with a lot of opportunities! Would be nice to study here whit no covid! read more
A class city with...
A class city with plenty of opportunities to explore wider Scotland. read more
Limited options t...
Limited options to eat out but decent city to live in read more
It is really easy...
It is really easy to travel in Dundee and shopping is always good fun. read more
Everything is clo...
Everything is close and convenient. There are many bars near by although I havent been to any. There Are many food places to get food at. read more
Various available...
Various available clubs for nightlife and a large number of bars/restaurants for daytime and evening social read more
It would be bette...
It would be better if have more shops and restaurants open read more
Small city but gr...
Small city but great for student lifestyle. read more
During covid ever...
During covid everything was closed but Dundee is a beautiful, affordable, studentfriendly city with a lot of small shops and good public transportation. read more
Nice city, pretty...
Nice city, pretty cheap and small read more
Cost is very affo...
Cost is very affordable and location is good read more
an amazing city l...
an amazing city love it scumdee read more
Dundee is the bes...
Dundee is the best city for a student. It has two Universities, which means you’ll meet a lot of young people and there will always be a plan to do. Moreover, you won’t spend too much in public transport as everything is five minutes walking. read more
Dundee is a prett...
Dundee is a pretty good place for the social life and living here is pretty cheap compaire to the bigger cities. read more
My choice of plac...
My choice of place to study was purely based on university, not the city. It is an acceptable place to spend a few years. however personally it is not for me. read more
There are some ve...
There are some very nice local restaurants and pubs in dundee that many student enjoy going to. The social side of dundee is very fun as there are lots of student within the city! read more
All good 10/10 wo...
All good 10/10 would recommend. V&A isnt great tho read more
Everything is in...
Everything is in walking distance so transportation isn’t a problem. Wide ramge of stores which cater well to the student population. read more
Small student tow...
Small student town, very lively and easy to settle in read more
Honestly one of t...
Honestly one of the best places to be. Very low key and has got everything you would ever need. read more
Dundee is an alri...
Dundee is an alright place to live. There are not as many leisure facilities as I would like. There is not a sports centre nearby from what I know of. read more
There is everythi...
There is everything you need in the town, loads of shops, restaurants and bars with almost everything you can think of being catered for read more
Dundee is a low c...
Dundee is a low cost of living city. The people are nice and friendly. Unlike other big cities, Dundee is a place which is not very crowded and busy. read more
Hands down best p...
Hands down best place to live as a student!! Best night out, plenty places to eat, all student friendly prices too! read more
Quite a compact c...
Quite a compact city, perfect for students read more
Dundee is a small...
Dundee is a small city but it is full of students so you'll definitely make friends here. Everything is quite close so you can go walking everywhere you want. Also is one of the sunniest cities in Scotland read more
I think Dundee is...
I think Dundee is great, not as big as Glasgow or London obviously but for a city it has everything you need and in close proximity to everything else, I really love it. read more
I am not a big ci...
I am not a big city person making Dundee a very place for me to settle in as it is quite welcoming read more
Haven't been able...
Haven't been able to go on nights out or eat out due to pandemic however the years before were always good fun. read more
Cost of living is...
Cost of living is fantastic for students and overall due to how expensive the rest of the UK and especially London is. I haven't experienced nights out due to lockdown, but eating out is certainly better than where I live at home as take aways stay open all night in Dundee and still have good food. read more
Cool student city...
Cool student city. Cheap but with enough things in bus range to still be interesting to live in. read more
Lovely beautiful...
Lovely beautiful city by the sea read more
All really good!...
All really good! Not too overwhelming if moving away from home read more
Cost of living ca...
Cost of living can range but you can get very cheap flats. Cafes etc in Dundee are expensive even for sandwiches places can charge like £4. Dundee is very big for nights out. There are 2 shopping centres and then there's kingsway and a tkmaxx etc. There's bus links and trains. read more
A great city wher...
A great city where everything is in close proximity and cost of living is much cheaper than other cities. read more
As a city, it's p...
As a city, it's pretty good... a bit underrated I'd say. The shops are decent but not amazing. Food places are good and nights out are pretty decent. read more
Dundee is very ch...
Dundee is very cheap but 'you get what you pay for' ;) The city is dead and has nothing to offer. Low-quality night clubs where you can see people fighting all the time. Bars with just the cheapest beer and vodka. No music scene beside a rock in pubs and mainstream pop music in discotheques. The last real club has been closed a few months ago. The city during the weekend at night looks like a ghost town. Dundee is boring and depressing especially with all those homeless people on the streets. It's a city for old people, not students. Also, everything is far away. Jumping to Edinburgh or Glasgow for a night out is limited to a few night busses. Oh, and it's always very windy and cold here all year. Wind very often spoil even the most sunny summer day read more
As a whole it’s n...
As a whole it’s not too bad but if u like going out having fun with ur mates then Dundee isn’t really for you. There are only around 3 clubs in Dundee and they’re nothing compared to clubs in Glasgow or Edinburgh. read more
Nothing much is h...
Nothing much is happening in Dundee. There's very little to say about it. read more
crap because ther...
crap because there is nothing there in the whole bloody town read more
Dundee, you reall...
Dundee, you really must avoid at all costs. The massive amount of money spent to regenerate this city would’ve been better spent on our failing public services. This town has a massive amount of dimwits every four years or so that come here to further their so called education , one would argue that the majority of them would’ve been fortunate to pass the11 plus. Our city fathers believe that Dundee will indeed be reborn with the likes of the new Victoria and Albert Museum. Bars and Restaurants alike to name but a few are tired , smelly and lack any quality of service , this gets no better as you head east to the so called posh suburb of Broughty Ferrty. Bars a plenty of which are at the very most average. Again most are manned by young immature staff with no formal training , the dimwits as previously mentioned , more interested in talking to pals abou whatthey got upto on Saturday night than paying any attention to the clientele. Although Broughty Ferry would like to believe read more
It costs quite a...
It costs quite a bit to live here but the fantastic nightlife and number of shops definitely make up for it. read more
As a city Dundee...
As a city Dundee is compact and everything is easily accessible. Great nightlife no shortage of things to do whatever your interest. Plenty of choice in resteraunts of varying price ranges. Public transport is relatively cheap. read more
Love Dundee, have...
Love Dundee, haven't left since graduating 2 years ago! read more
Best place for st...
Best place for students plenty of nightclubs, cinemas and places you can go and things you can do read more
Amazing city. Gre...
Amazing city. Great places to go eat. Nightlife is good. no need for public transport, we go everywhere walking. read more
Great little city...
Great little city... reminds me of home but soooo much better! Love living here! read more
Excellent locatio...
Excellent location. Easy access to both University and City Centre. Lots of places to eat and plenty of bars and nightclubs to enjoy the social life to a greater extent. read more
Everything you ne...
Everything you need is central, lots of clubs and restaurants read more
a bit small but p...
a bit small but perfect for student living- wouldnt stay afterwards! read more
Everything you ca...
Everything you can think of in one place, beautiful city, beautiful people, amazing nightlife, shopping heaven and amazing food! read more
The cost of livin...
The cost of living in Dundee is incredibly cheap. The halls you stay in aren't that cheap sadly and they're not catered however eating out and about is cheap, easy and convenient. The nights out are genuinely out of this world - the union is about 5 seconds away from the University halls and has 5 floors: Two bars, a games room, a nightclub and floor 5 (Which plays the best cheesiest music in all of Dundee!) Shopping is good although leaves a little to be desired compared to places such as Glasgow. However, I've never struggled to find anything I need, the choice is just is a little limited. The overgate shopping centre will generally satisfy all of your needs. Public transport is also good, train station in the centre of town, good frequent buses etc. Dundee has so much more to do in it that I ever expected and I've been pleasantly surprised at how nice it is. The West End is completely designed around students with hundreds of cheap bars, pubs, restaurants, shops, cafes, etc!10/10 read more
Great small town,...
Great small town, quite cheap, one of the best for night-life, yet provides excellent academic opportunities. One negative aspect is perhaps the limited job market if you're looking to work, though there are opening if you're patient. read more
Locals are a bit...
Locals are a bit hit and miss but the city and its people quickly grow on you. It's not the flashiest or the prettiest, but it's very loveable. read more
Such a great city...
Such a great city! Especially for people moving from Notthern Ireland as its great to be so far away from home for independence and living on your own, but you can get home via megabus and stenaline for £49 return lol! It's such a lively city at night, and during the day it had plenty to do! It truly is my second home :-) read more