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How to find affordable universities in the UK

There’s many factors to weigh up when you’re deciding what university to go to. With the increase in the cost of living, affordability will probably be one of them. 

As a very general rule of thumb, it tends to be cheaper to live in the north and more costly in the south.

When thinking about making your money go further, here are a few things to consider:

• Tuition fees vary between universities and degree programmes so do your research
• Accommodation – will you rent through uni or privately and what’s included in the price? 
• Travel – living on or close to campus could save you money but how far away are you from local facilities you’ll visit often like supermarkets 
• Socialising – some places are more student friendly than others. Prices will be cheaper on campus and increase the closer you get to a town or city centre 

Getting some part-time work on or off campus can help reduce your costs so think about how easy it might be to find a job in your potential new location and whether or not your course or uni will allow you to work. For example, some courses may have a very high workload or you may have to do on-the-job training as part of your course so it may be hard to find time to fit in a part-time job.

Cost of living for students

The cost-of-living crisis is creating significant challenges for students studying in the UK. Rising prices and stagnant wages mean many students are struggling to cover the high costs of rent, food and course materials. It can also make it difficult to afford extracurricular activities and travel. Being proactive by creating your own budget will highlight where you can afford to live and help reduce any money worries you might have. Read our tips on budgeting for university.

Student Cost of Living Calculator

Use our Student Cost of Living Calculator to discover how much your monthly costs would be studying in different regions and universities around the UK.

WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET

Affordable student accommodation

and the National Union of Students came up with some average costs of university student accommodation for the UK based on 2021 data. This gives a good starting point to compare figures when conducting your own research. You’ll also need to factor in deposits and establish if and what bills are included. Read more about accommodation costs.

Most affordable places to live in the UK

Although affordability does vary within a region, here are five with a reputation for being cheaper places to live: 

• North East England – with cities like Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham, this region offers some vibrant student communities and a relatively low cost of living
• East Midlands – cities like Nottingham, Leicester and Derby are known for their affordability
• Wales – a beautiful and economical part of the UK with places like Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea proving popular with students
• Northern Ireland – Belfast, in particular, has a lower cost of living compared to other regions in the UK
• Yorkshire and the Humber – places like Leeds, Hull and Sheffield are popular student destination and offer accommodation to suit all budgets

Discover more about these regions via our regional guides and learn about specific universities via our regional league tables.

How to find the right university for me

Our Uniselect tool can help you choose affordable universities in the UK by selecting your weekly accommodation budget along with other criteria important to you. Answer some simple questions based on your preferences and create some shortlists today.