Top 5 Best student cities in the UK

Adriaan De Bolle
UNBLND
Published in
7 min readJul 11, 2021

Harry Potter. Beatles. Tea time. In which country these great inventions came from? Which these whole three things? That´s right! The United Kingdom, a.k.a UK. The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Best student cities in UK
Best Student Cities — Photographer: simon frederick | Source: Unsplash

It is the birthplace of Beatles and Harry Potter. Moreover, UK led the 1960–1980s heavy metal culture and brings up the popular football clubs.

Harry Potter UK best student cities
Best student cities_ Photographer: Artem Maltsev | Source: Unsplash

Moreover, UK is the most preferred country to study for international students. Which cities are the most appealing to students in the UK?

1.London

London is the capital of England. When we think about London, a red double-decker bus will pop up in our mind. Red buses run all day long since London is a very busy city with 9 million citizens.

London best student city in UK
Best Student Cities — London — Photographer: Lucas Davies | Source: Unsplash

Historically, London was the center of Europe and the home base of the British royal family. It possesses places which were important in world history, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Palace of Westminster, and it attracts millions of international tourists all over the world.

Buckingham palace in the best student city in UK
Best student city — London: Buckingham palace — Photographer: Dan | Source: Unsplash

Also, London offers a variety of stunning night light experiences which are essential to students. Especially, Soho is the most famous district for the notorious London nightlife. Students can experience the best pubs and clubs in London in Soho. Also, students can enjoy cultural life with various musical performances. Let´s get along with local London people! You might find some like-minded people in Soho.

Soho the best student city iin the UK
Best student city- London, Soho — Source: Mark Hayward |Unsplash

In London, the high-ranked universities are located, equipped with academic reputations internationally. University College London (UCL), King’s College London, and The London School of Economics and Political Science are the most difficult universities in the UK to enter due to the high competition. Most international students want to be accepted into these universities.

Best university in Best student cities in London
King´s College London — Source: Pixabay

2.Manchester

Where is the most famous city for football derby in the UK? That´s right! Manchester. Manchester is located in northern England and was the center of the Industrial revolution. It is the fifth most populating city in the UK. The city has also fame for its two football clubs: Manchester United and Manchester City. When there is a derby match between these two teams, the whole city is crowded with football fans, with passionate cheering and sometimes sighing.

Best student city in the UK Manchester
Best student cities — Manchester United Old Trafford stadium — Source: John Peters/Getty Images

Where can we find new people and hang out with like-minded people in Manchester? The Northern Quarter is a vibrant neighborhood, full of street graffiti, independent bars, and indie record shops. It is a perfect place to meet local people and have a drink. Lots of live music performances happen in every corner of the district.

The nothern Quarter the best student city Manchester
Best student city — Manchester: The Northern Quarter — Source: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

The University of Manchester was established in the late 19th century. Its buildings are spread all over the city. The University of Manchester is the third-largest university in the UK. It offers programs that fulfill a wide range of academic interests. The University of Manchester attracts numerous international students from 154 countries around the world. It produced 25 Nobel Prize winners in the sector of Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, Medicine, and Economics.

University of Manchester in the best student city in the UK
Best student city — University of Manchester — Source: University of Manchester

3.Nottingham

Where did Robin Hood come from? That´s right! It´s Nottingham. Nottingham is located eastern middle of England. Since the city is full of historical and medieval architecture, Nottingham is the top 5 tourist city in the UK; in 2018, the city received the second-highest number of overnight visitors in the Midlands.

Best student city Nottingham
Best student city — Nottingham — Source: Gettyimage

The Lace Market is the historic center of Nottingham. It was once a hub of the British lace market. Victorian redbrick warehouses are reborn as fashion boutiques, gastropubs, and creative agencies which produce a unique and charming atmosphere. It offers provocative art shows, trendy cafes, and restaurants. If you are new in Nottingham, you can find definitely new friends here.

The Lace Market in the best student city in Nottingham
Best student city — The Lace Market — Source: Alastair Wallace/Shutterstock.com

The University of Nottingham has a long history from the 18th century. The institution’s alumni have been awarded prestigious awards, including 3 Nobel Prizes, a Fields Medal, a Turner Prize, and a Gabor Medal and Prize. It has a big campus, and also smaller campuses and sites spreading in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The university of Nottingham in the best student city UK
Best student city — University of Nottingham — Source: https://universitycompare.com/

4.Edinburgh

Let´s look at another land of the UK, other than England. Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. The city offers a medieval Old Town and gorgeous Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. All the beauty of Scotland is lying in this city. You will understand why William Wallace, the Scottish rebel and the real character of Braveheart, wanted to protect this beautiful land from the British Kingdom.

Edinbugh the best student city in the uk
Best student city — Edinburgh — Source: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Edinburgh is also known for its festival: Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is the world´s biggest arts festival. It offers open access to performing arts, where anyone can participate and perform any kind of art. If you are interested in performance, you should definitely visit here. Before going to the festival, you can find new friends to go to together with via Unblnd, who have also the same interest in the arts. You can enjoy any genre of performances; Opera, Theater, Comedy, dance, etc.

Best student city Edinburgh festival fringe
Edinburgh Festival Fringe — Source: https://www.visitbritain.com/

Edinburgh’s Old Town is the place where you can hang out with your friends. The district is full of pubs and bars and lives music. If you want to feel the mixed atmosphere of old and modern times, you should visit here.

Best student city in the UK Edinburgh Old Town
Best Student city — Edinburgh’s Old Town — Source: Getty Images

From naturalist Charles Darwin to philosopher David Hume, the University of Edinburgh has its fame for its alumni which are the essentials in modern history. Its buildings are spread all over the city, with a mix of historic and modern buildings, including Scotland’s oldest concert hall. If you want to study Medicine, Social Science, and Economics, the University of Edinburgh will not disappoint you to fulfill your academic interest.

The university of Edinburgh in the best student city in the uk
Best student city — University of Edinburgh — Source: University of Edinburgh

5. Glasgow

It would be a shame if we don´t mention Glasgow as one of the best student cities in the UK. Glasgow is the second-largest city in Scotland. The city has beautiful scenery with mountains and also historical architecture. With the sweet melody of Celtic music, get ready to explore the city.

Glasgow the best student city in the uk
Best student city — Glasgow — Source: Craig McKay/Unsplash

If you wanna taste the real Scotch (Scottish Whiskey), you should visit Glengoyne Distillery. With the fame of “the most gorgeous Scottish distillery”, Glengoyne distillery opens every day waiting for you to offer you a unique Whiskey tasting experience. Be prepared to fill your mouth with deep and flavorful Scotch!

Best student city in Glasgow Glengoyne Distillery
Best student city — Glengoyne Distillery — Source: https://www.visitscotland.com/

After having fun, we gotta get back to our original goal: Studying! There are 5 universities in Glasgow. The most famous one is the University of Glasgow. This university is actually one of the oldest universities in Europe, which was founded in 1451. The campus itself is a museum. The buildings are from ancient medieval times. If you wanna be the next vet or work in the field of civil engineering, you gotta choose this university. It also offers Celtic Studies which you can be expertise in Scotland and Celtic culture.

Best student city in the UK University of Glasgow
Best student city — University of Glasgow — Source: https://www.gla.ac.uk/

If you are interested in other student cities in Europe, such as Germany, check out our recent article about the best student cities in Germany. You can also check out the best student cities in the world.

If you arrive in the new city and want to find out like-minded people, you should download our app Unblnd! It offers you the best opportunity to meet the people on your interest-based. You don´t have to worry about the lack of chances to socialize. With Unblnd, whenever and wherever you can find the best like-minded people around you! It is available on Appstore and Google Playstore. The best part of this app is: It is free of charge! So enjoy!

Best student cities to enjoy with people through Unblnd
Best student cities — Enjoy with Unblnd!

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