University can be an expensive time - and that’s not even counting the student loans.
For many students attending university will be their first time living outside the family home, and managing their own finances. On top of that almost everyone is feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, which is having a huge impact on things like rent and grocery prices.
With secondary school finishers last week wrapping up their A-Level exams, many will now be looking towards heading off to university in Autumn. And with dozens of universities and campuses where you can study towards your degree spread right across the UK, there are options aplenty - including many cities where it will be much more affordable to be a student than the likes of London.
To help students navigate the financial landscape, researchers from student furniture supplier Deskup have looked into which are the most and least affordable UK cities for students to live in. They have calculated results from 100 towns and cities right across the UK’s four countries, based on 13 different factors assigned different weights.
These include monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the CBD (13%); the price of a monthly public transport pass (13%); internet (13%); monthly grocery average (13%); electricity, heating, water and rubbish bills for a 915 square-foot apartment (13%); average monthly coffee cost (9%); the cost of two McDonalds’ meals a week per month (8%); a four-pack of domestic beer every weekend per month (5%); a monthly fitness pass (5%); the number of parks in each city (2%); the cost of one cinema ticket per month (2%); city tours under £20 (2%); and the cost of coworking spaces (2%).
Using the data - collected from Numbeo, Tripadvisor, and Coworker - they then calculated ‘affordability scores’ for each city. Perhaps unsurprisingly, London had the lowest score by quite a large margin at just 34.14. Oxford was not much in 97th place, while Edinburgh sat at 91st; Cambridge at 90th; Manchester at 86th; Bristol at 72nd; Sheffield at 67th, and Cardiff at 48th.
But which cities and towns worked out the most affordable for students? Here’s what they found:
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5. Kingston upon Hull
Next up is the East Yorkshire port city Kingston upon Hull, offering a monthly cost of living of £984.20 for household essential household. Despite this, students can find budget-friendly coffee and beer, and even enjoy cheaper cinema tickets compared to other cities - as well as an average gym memberships costing just £24.60 for those wanting to keep fit. The city is home to the University of Hull. | James Hardisty/Yorkshire Post

6. Darlington
In the North East's County Durham, Darlington boasts significantly cheaper rents that Hull, averaging £500 monthly with utility bills around £200. It extends its affordability to food and drinks too, and for newcomers wanting to explore the city for the first time, it boasts a variety of tours and activities for under £20. Teesside University’s health sciences campus is in Darlington. The town’s also just 15 minutes on public transport from Durham - home to the prestigious Durham University, one of the UK’s top 10. | Adobe Stock

7. Blackpool
Another option for those that love the sea, Blackpool in the North West is next. It has a cost of living of £1015.70 for home essentials, and somewhat average prices for groceries and utilities. The monthly transport pass is on the expensive end too at £55.50, but on the bright side, gym memberships are budget-friendly at an average of £20 per month. Blackpool has four campuses of Blackpool and The Fylde College, a local partner of Lancaster University. It's also very close to Preston which hosts the University of Central Lancashire, and less than an hour on public transport from Lancaster, opening up its university too. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

8. Bury
Bury, in Greater Manchester, presents a more affordable alternative to living in the city itself. This city has lower rent and more affordable groceries compared to Blackpool, but slightly more expensive monthly transport passes and food. The Bury College University Centre, a local partner of the University of Bolton, is based here offering some university-level study. It's also less than an hour to Manchester city, opening up the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, or the University of Salford. | Adobe Stock