South West London
136 Reviews by Students #46 out of 172 University locations
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 student such as discounts and a student travel card you should be fine. There are lots of great food shops that you can choose from depending on how much you willing to spend. There’s also a shopping centre close by when you feel like treating yourself or getting stuff you need. You’re spoilt for choice with so many places to eat and the prices are decent.
Student Review: 5 /5
By member1280442 On 6th March 2023
Study in South West London
The universities that you will find in South West London are Kingston University, St George’s, Roehampton University, Richmond American International University London and the University for the Creative Arts.
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Imperial College London
Founded in 1907, Imperial College London is located in South West London (Zone 1) in the neighbourhood of Kensington. The university is made up of around 19,000 students and is part of the Russell Group with a world class reputation for science, engineering and medicine programmes. Imperial College London is focused entirely on STEMB subjects and has a TEF Gold rating.
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Kingston University
Kingston University was founded in 1899 and has around 18,000 students. It is made up of 4 campuses located in Zone 6 in the neighbourhood of Kingston upon Thames. Kingston University has a Bronze TEF rating and is an extremely diverse and multicultural uni, specialising in arts, design, fashion, science, engineering and business.
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St George's, University of London
St George’s, University of London is located in Zone 3 in the neighbourhood of Tooting, has around 4,300 students and a TEF Bronze rating. The private medical school was founded in 1722 and was the second institution in England to provide formal training for doctors.
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University of Roehampton
The University of Roehampton is a public university located in Zone 3 and is made up of 4 colleges based around 3 sites in Roehampton. The university was founded in 1975 and has a TEF Silver rating.
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University for the Creative Arts (UCA)
UCA is a multiple-campus university, with the main campus UCA Farnham and business school UCA Epsom being located South West of London. Offering a range of creative university degrees, UCA has over 8,000 students registered across every campus.
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St Mary's University, Twickenham
St Mary’s University, Twickenham is located in Zone 5 in the neighbourhood of Twickenham. The university was founded in 1850, is now home to around 5,500 students and has a TEF Silver rating.
Study in South West London? Review your location
Student Life in South West London
Living in South West London, you can experience the best of London living with leafy green neighbourhoods whilst also being a short bus or train ride away from bustling Central London.
Cost of Living
London is very expensive but with very good travel.
Student Review: 4 /5
By member1249823 On 9th July 20
Nights Out
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Putney
Putney is a popular SW London spot for students to go out in. Le Fez is somewhere you’ll get to know quickly, especially as a Roehampton student. Every Wednesday they host a night for the uni, with free buses to and from the university. Other places to try are Revs, Toy Shop and Tequila Mockingbird.
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Clapham
Clapham Grand puts on regular student nights at the weekend which is normally an expensive night to go out, but here you can get drinks from as little as £3.50. Somewhere else in Clapham that you’ll love to hate is the infamous Infernos (the less said the better, find out for yourself...)
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Public Transport
There’s an excellent network of trains and buses to get around South West London. Make sure to get an Oyster card to get 30% off travel costs. Getting to Central London is easy and fast and there is a great train network to the rest of the UK. You might also find getting a bike handy. Just remember to get fully kitted out with a helmet, lights and brightly coloured clothes.
Eating Out
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Award-winning Tooting Market is the ideal place to go to try out delicious foods from all around the globe, you’ll be sure to find something at nice student-friendly prices. It has a buzzing atmosphere with evenings often ending up with dancing in and around the bars.
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Get the best falafel at The Cheeky Pea in Kingston: a favourite among students and locals! The cheeky pea is a local independent family run business, who proudly represent food from the Middle East. They are well know by there Falafels & Hummus, all their dishes are made from scratch.
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Chain eateries
As with any city, you’ll find a huge choice of chain restaurants in whichever area you are living in. Whether that’s Franco Manca, Wagamamas, Nandos, GBK etc. Make sure you check out where is offering student discounts before you head out!
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Shopping
As with the whole of London, you’re never far from a high street with supermarkets and shops. If you are looking for more choice or a bigger shopping day out, Kingston will certainly fit the bill. The Bentall Centre is a large shopping centre which has a large selection of well-known brands. Aside from Bentalls, Kingston has a great high street with even more shops!
Top 10 free things to do in South West London
You can walk along the whole length of the Thames but that takes 14 days… Rather, head to the south side of the Thames whenever you fancy and follow the path for as long as you want. Run, walk, cycle, rollerblade... whatever floats your boat.
One of the biggest gems in SW London is also free! It’s the largest of London’s Royal Parks and is famously home to over 600 deer that have been roaming freely since the 17th Century.
Park Run is a fantastic initiative that takes place all around the country. It’s a free 5 km organised run every Saturday morning, and you can take part in both Clapham and Tooting Commons.
You wouldn’t typically imagine finding a windmill in the city but head to Brixton and you will see for yourself. Brixton Windmill was built in 1816 and is still a working windmill today. For a brief minute, you might think you have escaped the big smoke.
More on the ‘south’ side of South West London, Battersea has a lot to explore for free. There’s a huge park, with many endless different areas to discover. Across the road is the lovingly-restored iconic Battersea Power Station; make sure to walk around and take in this new thriving community.
Ever heard of disc golf? Well, you have now! Think of golf and instead of holes there are baskets, instead of balls there are discs and, nope, you don’t need clubs. It’s free to play if you bring your own discs!
The Boat Race has been taking place between Cambridge University and Oxford University since 1829. The legendary rowing race starts in Putney, so head down early, grab a spot by the river and watch the two teams battle it out. It’s jolly good fun!
For the most ‘Instagrammable’ field close to London, you’ll need to head just outside of Croydon in the summer months to view the beautiful lavender fields of Mayfield. Just remember to put your phone down and smell the flowers!
Head down further south into Surrey to get a wild swimming fix! Hop on a train to Guildford and from there you can get to the River Wey, a sandy stretch of river which is slow-moving and shallow; ideal for wild swimming beginners.
Back in South London, just south of the Thames is Vauxhall City Farm, a free urban farm. We all know being around animals can help with stress, so why not take some time away from the books and mingle with the alpacas, Shetland ponies, rabbits and relax..?
Top 10 South West London Accommodation
Read South West London Reviews
It’s averaged pri...
It’s averaged priced as expected read more
Nothing to compla...
Nothing to complain about when it comes to this read more
Too many question...
Too many questions now this is too much read more
Lots of thing tod...
Lots of thing todo lots of stuff read more
Love greenich, to...
Love greenich, too expensive for the average student including myself read more
Cost of living an...
Cost of living and transport costs are terrible read more
I hope the underg...
I hope the underground can get my town read more
Stupid expensive,...
Stupid expensive, that's what you get from london tho read more
Brilliant locatio...
Brilliant location and a great connection to london living read more
Cost of living sh...
Cost of living shouldnt affect studentd this badly. All the halls are ridiculously expensive. Food shopping is ofcourse over priced and can't go clothes shopping because all money goes to UAL accommodation. read more
Prices are low in...
Prices are low in this area which is very good for students! But safety wise, I try to go out with at least one person for groceries etc. but generally okay if you keep to yourself! read more
It’s a big city a...
It’s a big city and it costs a lot. read more
Expensive.lots to...
Expensive.lots to do. Great fast transportation thats everywhere. Shops close late. read more
Very nice to live...
Very nice to live here, because of the super conveniences to all the supermarkets and restaurants nearby read more
Great experience...
Great experience Overall wonderful place to stay read more
Nice school nice...
Nice school nice teacher！Everything is good read more
It’s a good area...
It’s a good area to live in at the moment read more
That is a great c...
That is a great city. I‘d like it. read more
Lots to do, Very...
Lots to do, Very busy and expensive most of the time. read more
Best city I have...
Best city I have ever lived in read more
Very expensive, w...
Very expensive, well connected to the center, quite area read more
The connections a...
The connections are really good to central vua tube and bus. read more
Putney is a great...
Putney is a great place to live with a lively night scene and cheap dinners. read more
Fine if you live...
Fine if you live there, kinda bad if you're a student read more
Great public tran...
Great public transport, spoons as always saves the pennies read more
Good experience a...
Good experience and quiet. Feel comfortable And cozy read more
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Good overall just...
Good overall just annoying when they are issues with transport read more
London is spectac...
London is spectacular but very expensive. The parks and its commute make it worthwhile though. read more
There are so many...
There are so many things to do, and see, and places to eat but if you’re living off maintenance loans there is hardly enough to spend and enjoy it. The cost of tfl has been increasing massively, spending hundreds each week to get to university with barely any left over to eat. read more
Egham is a hard p...
Egham is a hard place to live in. read more
South London is g...
South London is good for people who like peace, there’s mostly old people around here, so there is a lack of noise and so on. I also feel like it’s safe. read more
I like the locati...
I like the location a lot but it is very expensive looks nice though read more
So much cool stuf...
So much cool stuff to do here I love it wow amazing read more
Nice town centre...
Nice town centre good places to eat and hang out and shop read more
It’s south west l...
It’s south west london, u have to live here read more
it’s quite expens...
it’s quite expensive here and eating out can be a bit costly. public transport is really good as there are loads of buses (even night buses) and trains stations read more
Very expensive wi...
Very expensive with food prices way too high but generally a nice area to live in read more
High living cost...
High living cost as in london, eat out always cost £20 or more for a single meal read more
Convenient, every...
Convenient, everything is close by read more
Great public tran...
Great public transport. Wide selection of restaurants. Everything you need in a town. read more
I live in the stu...
I live in the student accomodation, clayhill, and the cost of living is quite affordable. A typical weekend would be going to the pub, clubbing, going out for food and even shopping. All of this is located very close thus it is very convenient. My personal favourite our the number of charity shops close by for thrifting! In terms of public transport, my accommodation provides a free bus to the Surbiton station, and different campuses. You can also walk to the station as it is only a 15-minute walk and there are a number of public buses as well. read more
Perhaps the best...
Perhaps the best place to live in Greater London, connected with rest of the city & yet very peaceful read more
Nice place to liv...
Nice place to live, happening area read more
Living in 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 student such as discounts and a student travel card you should be fine. There are lots of great food shops that you can choose from depending on how much you willing to spend. There’s also a shopping centre close by when you feel like treating yourself or getting stuff you need. You’re spoilt for choice with so many places to eat and the prices are decent. read more
This part of Lond...
This part of London are you can get around on public transport like buses, but there is a train station if you want to get into central London as well read more
Great city for st...
Great city for students with great access to local amenities and transportation read more
It’s nice to live...
It’s nice to live here with some perfect shops although the price is a bit high read more
Quaint town but y...
Quaint town but you could find quite a lot here. read more
Convenient place,...
Convenient place, easy to buy food and new furnitures. read more
The biggest pain...
The biggest pain point is that at night there is a lot of noise on the street, people Shouting, motorcycles roaring, sometimes car stereos. But the most satisfying thing is that life is convenient, almost all the necessities can be bought read more
Very great, easy...
Very great, easy to get to places and good shops read more
Quite place to li...
Quite place to live and enjoy studying read more
Very Expensive an...
Very Expensive and isnt the easiest place to go read more
There are better...
There are better places to live. read more
Quick and accessi...
Quick and accessible public transport read more
Kingston is a gre...
Kingston is a great place to live in, convenient transport facility and lifestyle facilities. read more
Twickenham is a n...
Twickenham is a nice city to live. read more
Wonderful place,...
Wonderful place, a lot of green places, good food around and a lot of shops and social places. Gave 1 star to nights out as I don't spend my nights out. read more
Most places are w...
Most places are within walking distance but the previous Burger King was awful. read more
Love this part of...
Love this part of london. A lot of traffic but there's everything you need here. Close to central so nice and easy to get there if you wanna go out out read more
good area and gre...
good area and great people have a good experience read more
a nice area that...
a nice area that is not many peopel aroud read more
Don’t know a lot...
Don’t know a lot about night life. Ok for living i guess. read more
Really enjoying t...
Really enjoying the city. Having the best time. People are great. Loving it here. read more
It is expensive!...
It is expensive! I did not have experience in shopping or nights out, therefore; the evaluation may not be accurate anyway. read more
Egham is a lovely...
Egham is a lovely little town with well equipped facilities and kind and warm residents. Having a good time here! read more
Yes, it's very ex...
Yes, it's very expensive, but hey you're living in LONDON, duhhhh. read more
The living cost i...
The living cost is not as high as other parts of London. Transport is very convenient, and you can easily get to the rest of city via train or bus. read more
Good location but...
Good location but a little bit expensive to live. read more
It's London, so i...
It's London, so it's very easy to find something to do and to get the things you need read more
Good law and orde...
Good law and order and good infrastructure. The weather is also suitable. read more
I love Kingston c...
I love Kingston cos it’s very cozy read more
ok and beautiful...
ok and beautiful area. Cost is quite high though read more
just London, as e...
just London, as east london, central London read more
Not much good nig...
Not much good night life but lots of good restaurants and shops, especially near the riverside. read more
Would say transpo...
Would say transport is very expensive. Good shopping opportunities and alright places to eat. read more
This is an incred...
This is an incredibly central part of London so easy access to public transportation, restaurants and entertainment. read more
Rochester is a cu...
Rochester is a cute town - quite small. It’s easily walkable since it’s only one main high street. There are plenty of cute cafes and restaurants and also loads of pubs for nights out - some are really cheap too. It’s only 40mins outside of London so it’s way to get to the city for big nights out. There’s a train station right in the middle of town. read more
It’s a good place...
It’s a good place of vibrant environment yet the living cost is high read more
I like Medway, an...
I like Medway, and I'm from the area, so I'm a little biased, but it's well-provisioned, equidistant from London and the coast, good transport links, good pubs, and a good community. read more
Overall, I really...
Overall, I really enjoy living in London, but I think sometimes it makes me feel insecure in nights. read more
Expensive and don...
Expensive and don't dare go out at night. read more
great location, r...
great location, really fashionable read more
good area, but qu...
good area, but quite far from city centre read more
It is very good a...
It is very good and very nice and very beautiful read more
Good if you are c...
Good if you are close to the underground. read more
Great great great...
Great great great great great great great read more
night life is awf...
night life is awful but nice place with lots of food places read more
Pretty good to be...
Pretty good to be fair. Just a bit expensive read more
Good location. Lo...
Good location. Lots to do. Only one night club though. Shopping is very good, and great transport links to central London read more
Great location fo...
Great location for public transport with good links to central london read more
It's a Royal Boro...
It's a Royal Borough so you get what you expect. Very expensive to live here. Experienced and witnessed my fair share of BLATANT racism. Kingston is always packed with people. read more
Very Expensive....
Very Expensive. Lots of shops and lots of places to eat! read more
Kingston is a lov...
Kingston is a lovely city, it has every city facility which you need with cheaper price. I can find fancy restaurants on the riverside. It'll be a good experience when you take a walk around the beautiful city. read more
London is very ex...
London is very expensive, no getting around that. However, it’s generally very social and has great links to anywhere you need to go or anything you need to get. read more
Very accessible a...
Very accessible across the city of London. Plenty of buses and trains to get to central. Great that the uni offers a free bus to commuting students from Hammersmith to Barnes read more
Good area, lovely...
Good area, lovely at atmosphere and people read more
nice place, most...
nice place, most people are friendly, still some Racial discrimination read more
The safest areas...
The safest areas in london!!!! read more
I live in Kingsto...
I live in Kingston town center and everything one could need is just a short walk away read more
The town is amazi...
The town is amazing with wonderful view. read more
A lot of nice res...
A lot of nice restaurants for dining by the water. Supermarkets are accessible everywhere. A nice local mall for shopping. Finding public transportation is very easy. read more
Kingston is a ple...
Kingston is a pleasant and busy borough. The town has a large shopping centre and multiple food shops and restaurants. read more
Kingston is a lov...
Kingston is a lovely area to love but definitely expensive read more
I love living in...
I love living in Kingston! Cheap enough to be able to afford other luxuries in life rather than your whole loan being on rent, close enough to London to allow for amazing days out. Beautiful city and riverside read more
living here very...
living here very cheap, and kingston sits close to central london, so good transport read more
Kingston is small...
Kingston is small enough and just right for the simple things. The river makes up for it read more
I haven't gone ou...
I haven't gone out much in Kingston mainly due to lockdown. There are two clubs but personally I am not a big fan of them. On the other hand there are a few pubs for relaxing night out. There is Bushy park and the walk among the Thames for exercise or piece of mind. You have everything you need in the centre regarding shopping. There is the Kingston train station if you want to go into the heart of London, and several bus stops throughout the town. read more
Beautiful town ne...
Beautiful town near london and read more
Kingston is very...
Kingston is very well connected read more
fairly expensive,...
fairly expensive, but that’s just the location. the town is amazing for all sorts of days/nights out, and there’s buses going everywhere read more
Perfect place to...
Perfect place to live even tho it's a little expensive. To be honest I've fallen for Kingston in the last year hahahaha read more
Lovely town! Fun...
Lovely town! Fun and active. Not boring read more
It is a peaceful...
It is a peaceful town and lovely read more
Clean and beautif...
Clean and beautiful. I will stay for long periods if I can. read more
Great student lif...
Great student life, loads to do, always busy read more
Excellent transpo...
Excellent transport network and lots of student friendly shops read more
It is Very safe a...
It is Very safe and close to town I really would recommend read more
Nice location, fr...
Nice location, friendly environment read more
Kingston is a rea...
Kingston is a really beautiful town. Cost of living are not so high, people in here are kind. And it’s really convenient to go to London city center. read more
Good uni experien...
Good uni experience however limited cause of COVID read more
Living in London...
Living in London is always going to be expensive. There are various pubs and nightclubs just round the corner and whole streets of shops for various things. Bentalls shopping centre is great too and public transport around London is a breeze read more
Nice safe good pl...
Nice safe good places to eat shop go out read more
It's amazing! You...
It's amazing! You could find anything you want or need in Kingston. read more
The best outside...
The best outside central London always something to do! read more
Kingston town is...
Kingston town is good for all sorts of things food shopping etc read more
Of all the places...
Of all the places I've lived in greater London, Kingston is by far the best. Plenty of transportation links to Greater London and other parts of the UK. Lots of shops and a good variety. Especially with having the Bentall Centre. Plenty of pubs, restaurants, cafes, clubs, and parks to hang out with friends or study. The river and nearby Richmond Park provide plenty of space for exercising. Always feel safe no matter what time of day I am out. Easy transportation links to nearby airports, too. read more
Vibrant, good fun...
Vibrant, good fun, lots of great shops, bars restaurants and clubs, also a good theatre and close to Bushey park for a great unwind. read more
Very expensive bu...
Very expensive but really buzzing read more
The best of both...
The best of both worlds. Countryside and Hampton Court one side, central London the other. Safe, clean and fun. read more
Easy access to Lo...
Easy access to London Great uni Quiet and safe area to live read more
Cons?
Lack of night life
Lack of clothing shops
Transport stops early