City Guides
Downing Students, we are in 9 cities across the UK. Here is what you need to know about each one.
Choose the right city for you
Choosing the right city can be just as important as choosing the right course for maximising your student life! These guides will help you explore these cities, focused on things that actually matter to students.
Downing Students has properties across these cities, so our team and students living with us have helped create these guides, meaning you can get real first-hand information!
Whether you are comparing university offers, exploring homes in your chosen city or are just curious, check these guides out now!
Coventry
With student population of over 50,000, Coventry is popular for its affordability, strong transport access and education and employment opportunities. Voted the UK City of Culture 2021, Coventry carries on its legacy with art, history and independent shops.Exeter
Conveniently located near Dartmoor national park and the Devon/Cornish coast, Exeter is a compact city with one of the highest quality of life for students. Top tier education institutions, low crime rates and great transport links to London, Bristol, and coastal areas. Enjoy a balanced student life in Exeter.Edinburgh
The Scottish capital is unlike anywhere else in the UK with its extraordinary beauty in its architecture and landscape as well as its rich culture and history. Home to the world-class University of Edinburgh, it boasts fantastic academic quality. Truly a majestic city.Glasgow
The most underrated city on the list! Glasgow makes for a great student city with excellent value and its genuine character. Its architecture transports you to the world of Harry Potter. It is also a renowned city for the arts, with over 29 museums and galleries and legendary live music scene.Leeds
Home to University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, Leeds is the perfect city for students. Students can enjoy great food scene and bustling nightlife. It truly is a city that never stops improving demonstrated by the South Bank regeneration project.Liverpool
A city with a warm and unique personality, Liverpool is in a league of its own. Home to the Beatles and 2 world-class football clubs. Students can enjoy walks by the waterfront, a pint in the Cavern club or enjoy art in the Tate Liverpool. With so many activities available, you will never be starved for entertainment!London (West)
With areas like White City and Shepherd's Bush, West London boats bustling energy and is intensely multicultural. With great connections to the central London, it makes it a great place to live in close proximity to London, but without the London costs.London (South)
South London is known as one of London's most rapidly transforming areas. From independent shops and cafes to eclectic mix of nightlife, it is a student friendly area with a youthful and energetic population. Bermondsey and Elephant & Castle are some notable areas.Manchester
Known as Britain's first industrial city, Manchester has earned reputation as the Northern hub, with rich history of music, football and nightlife, it is no surprise that it has such large student population. Affordable yet popular and always growing!Newcastle
A city known for its nightlife, but it is so much more! With a friendly and hospitable character, the 'Geordie' city blends rich industrial history with modern culture. The Quayside is home to the famous Millennium and Tyne bridges, alongside many pubs, bars and restaurants.
How to choose your student city
Size and Scale
Size of the city can greatly affect your experience.Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a bigger and busier cities like London or Manchester, with more variety of restaurants & bars, activities, etc. Or are you more drawn to more intimate cities like Exeter that might feel more welcoming at first?
Cost of Living
From accommodation to transport to eating out to socialising, the cost of living can differ largely based on what cities you live in. London being most expensive, with northern cities being better for value.More expensive cities can also mean better earning potential for that part-time work or your career.Cost of living is a key factor to consider when you are making this decision.
Social Life and Student Culture
While studying is important, your student life is also about making friends and enjoying your life!Different cities have varying 'flavour' of social life and student culture. Cities like Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle are known for their nightlife, whereas cities like Edinburgh and Exeter is more famous for the nature and outdoor lifestyle.Think about what you actually enjoy and want from your city!
Nature and Outdoor Lifestyle
Do you love the great outdoors? How important is it to you to have nature in close proximity? If you find this to be important, there are many cities with great access to outdoor areas. Exeter has Dartmoor, Newcastle has Northumberland, Edinburgh has the Highlands of Scotland and Manchester has the Peak district. Nature and exercise can be a great reliever of stress.
Career Opportunity and Graduate Prospects
Each city has its differences in the industries that are more prominent, the level of graduate salaries and number of opportunities available. Manchester has many companies in the tech, media and creative industries, whereas Edinburgh has more businesses in the finance, law and consulting field. And London, as the capital, has access to everything across all industries.
Frequently Askes Questions
What is the most affordable UK student city on this list?
Out of the list, Coventry, Glasgow and Newcastle are the 3 cities that are likely to be the best for value. Shared apartments in these 3 cities cost significantly less than in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. The other costs of living such as dining out and transport is also lower too.
Liverpool and Leeds are also more reasonable and you can find variety of options for lunch under £10.
It is worth noting that while the cost of living in cities like London can be higher, the rates of pay and availability of jobs are often also higher.
Do I need to visit a city before accepting my offer?
If possible, we definitely do recommend visiting the city and the universities before accepting. If a picture is worth a thousand words, actually visiting and experiencing the cities is worth a million words. Actually walking between the accommodation and the campus, taking in the atmosphere of the city will give you an understanding of the city that no information on the screen can do.
Most universities will hold open days and offer-holder days, often in Autumn and Spring, where they take you on a tour around the university and its surroundings. These are worth attending if you can, as you will also be able to meet other people in your situation.
These city guides from Downing Students are designed to help you know what to look for and where to visit when you visit!
What's the difference between Downing Students' two London guides?
London, as the capital, is an immensely large city, and with each area being so unique and different, we couldn't do it justice with a single guide. So we split it into 2 city guides, one for South London and another for West London, the 2 areas that our properties are in.
South London guide cover areas like Bermondsey and Elephant & Castle; areas that have changed considerably in recent years and is continuing to change, with a truly multicultural mix of food and culture, making it the city's one of most interesting areas.
West London has its own strong local identity shaped by the surrounding areas like White City and Shepherd's Bush. It has great access to central London, making it a great place to live in London, without the London price tag.
If you are interested in London but unsure about where to live, the 2 guides will give you an insight into the difference between the areas.
Do all these cities have Downing Students properties?
Yes! We have student accommodations in all 9 cities on this list. The city guides for each city gives you an insight into what life is like as a student into those cities. If you are interested in Coventry, Exeter, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester or Newcastle as a place to live and study, we recommend that you explore these pages, as they also include links to our properties in those cities!