South West London
45 Reviews by Students #40 out of 422 University locations
A great experience. The city has a lot to offer especially historically. You will get to try various cuisines as well. Quiet expensive but worth it.
Student Review: 5 /5
By Farheen On 9th December 19
Study in South West London
The universities that you will find in South West London are Kingston University, St George’s and Roehampton University.
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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.
Richmond American International University London
Richmond American International University of London is a private liberal arts university founded in 1972 made up of 2 campuses, one in Richmond Hill (Zone 4) and another in Kensington (Zone 1). The university has around 880 students and a TEF provisional 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 but just 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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Kingston
Kingston offers an excellent nightlife for all SW London students. The most popular spots are PRYZM and Viper Rooms both have multiple rooms playing different music and good drinks deals. There’s also a lot of pubs and bars to try and tend to be cheaper than Central London.
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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 something for you and some 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! You can get a meal deal that includes hummus, salad, filling, fries and a drink for just £8.49. They also offer student discounts so keep an eye out for those.
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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 there 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
Viridian Studios
I love living here because the building is always well maintained and the location is perfect for going to Penrhyn Road and Roehampton Vale campus. Th...
Chelsea Lightfoot Hall
Very nice staff who are very welcoming and go beyond to help. Spacious big room with television and other students are friendly as well....
Ravenscourt House
I've been at Ravenscourt for 3 years and the staff and team have been nothing but understanding and caring of all the students who stay there. The loc...
New Orient House
Anna is the best receptionist and person in the building. She is always very smiley and helpful with any issues. The building has great facilities and...
Quebec House
I have lived in Quebec House from September 2020 to August 2021. I really enjoy the time I lived here. I got almost everything I can imagine in Quebec...
Woodward
Amazing value for money given its in London, only offered to 1st year students though. It’s located in North Acton so quite far away but it’s great fo...
Seething Wells
I had a great time at halls but all the flats need updating (especially the kitchens) - especially since they did SOME of them but charged the same am...
Clayhill
Really isolated terrible place to live. You’d feel seriously depressed by how bad the living conditions is e.g. the facilities. It is also very isolat...
Read South West London Reviews
Great location for public...
Great location for public transport with good links to central london read more
It's a Royal Borough...
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. Lots...
Very Expensive. Lots of shops and lots of places to eat! read more
Kingston is a lovely...
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 expensive,...
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 across...
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 at...
Good area, lovely at atmosphere and people read more
nice place, most people...
nice place, most people are friendly, still some Racial discrimination read more
I live in Kingston town...
I live in Kingston town center and everything one could need is just a short walk away read more
The town is amazing with...
The town is amazing with wonderful view. read more
A lot of nice restaurants...
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 pleasant...
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 lovely...
Kingston is a lovely area to love but definitely expensive read more
I love living in Kingston!...
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 cheap,...
living here very cheap, and kingston sits close to central london, so good transport read more
Kingston is small enough...
Kingston is small enough and just right for the simple things. The river makes up for it read more
I haven't gone out much...
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
Kingston is very well...
Kingston is very well connected read more
fairly expensive, but...
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 live...
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 and...
Lovely town! Fun and active. Not boring read more
It is a peaceful town...
It is a peaceful town and lovely read more
Clean and beautiful....
Clean and beautiful. I will stay for long periods if I can. read more
Great student life, loads...
Great student life, loads to do, always busy read more
Excellent transport network...
Excellent transport network and lots of student friendly shops read more
It is Very safe and close...
It is Very safe and close to town I really would recommend read more
Nice location, friendly...
Nice location, friendly environment read more
Kingston is a really...
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 experience however...
Good uni experience however limited cause of COVID read more
Living in London is always...
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 places...
Nice safe good places to eat shop go out read more
It's amazing! You could...
It's amazing! You could find anything you want or need in Kingston. read more
The best outside central...
The best outside central London always something to do! read more
Kingston town is good...
Kingston town is good for all sorts of things food shopping etc read more
Of all the places I've...
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, lots...
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 but really...
Very expensive but really buzzing read more
The best of both worlds....
The best of both worlds. Countryside and Hampton Court one side, central London the other. Safe, clean and fun. read more
Easy access to London Great...
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