Why Manchester Is The Best Place In The UK To Be A Student

Manchester is a more manageable size than London. It is also full of culture and activities not found in smaller cities in the UK.

Manchester Has Awesome Culture

"Take That & The Pet Shop Boys, Manchester 12 June 2011 4" by Andrew Hurley - Flickr: Take That & The Pet Shop Boys, Manchester 12 June 2011. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

Manchester is world famous for two things: music and football. The city has two of the very biggest football clubs: Manchester United and Manchester City.

Manchester is also home to many world famous bands over the years; including Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Take That, Happy Mondays and Joy Division (which became New Order).

Click here for a full rundown of the bands and artists from Manchester. The list is too long to write here.

The city has superb nightlife with many bars, nightclubs, theatres and live music venues. The city is a melting pot for the arts, with a broad and creative selection of mini "scenes". There are some excellent art galleries and museums too. Plus very trendy shopping districts such as Afflecks Palace where Lady Gaga recently spend a few hours browsing the small shops selling various clothing and nik naks.

There are great College and University Options in Manchester

Communicate School / Via communicateschool.co.uk

Manchester has an excellent main university: The University of Manchester. It also has many niche schools for just about any course you can think of. There are also schools for international students such as Communicate School.

There are so many colleges to choose from that you can be sure to find a course which is right for you. Only London has more studying options. As someone who studied in both London and Manchester I can vouch for Manchester being the better of the two. The size of the city os not so overwhelming and there is less of a feeling of getting lost in the crowds.

The colleges and universities are generally based in or close to the city centre. The University of Manchester is just south of the city centre. I studied in Salford just west of the city centre. Plus there are smaller schools of learning actually within the city centre like the aforementioned Communicate School.

The close proximity of the schools to the heart of Manchester makes a massive difference. Generally you can just take a quick bus ride to class. When studying in London I would often have to take multiple buses and/or Underground trains. There is something cold and distant about commuting within London. I was delighted to escape back to Manchester after my 3 years there.

To find the perfect school, college or university for you in Manchester, just type in the name of your course or subject and the word Manchester. For example you might type in "English Courses Manchester" for studying English at Communicate School.

Manchester is Cheaper to Live in Compared to London

London is very expensive. Everything seems to cost more. When you are a student this can be unpleasent when it comes to accommodation. Personally I paid a premium price for terrible apartments in London.

When it comes to renting a place, the prices are much cheaper in Manchester compared to London. However it is not all good news; Manchester's reputation for being a great place to live and study means that accommodation supply is not meeting the demand, which means price increases.

Simple and Efficient Public Transport

"Greater Manchester Metrolink - tram 3009A" by Tom Page - Flickr: IMG_0876.jpg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

Manchester is home to the Metrolink: a very pleasant way to get into town. There are lots of buses service the whole city too. Taxis can be found easily with on the street in the town centre or by calling one of the taxi companies.

Getting around Manchester is a breeze compared to London. Rush hour on the roads can be tedious, but many students will be using public transport and often classes do not clash with rush hour.

Manchester is Centrally Located in the UK

Manchester is technically in the North West of England. This makes it fairly central when you take the UK as a whole, rather than just England. Manchester Airport is one of the busiest in the country and a quick 10 minute drive south of the city centre. There is also a massive list of train and bus services which connect the city with the whole of Britain.

This central location makes Manchester the perfect base for students who wish to explore other cities in the UK. It is also ideal for those who want to explore the countryside, such as the Lake District a couple of hours north, or Wales an hour west. The city is a short journey away from Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds which are also popular cities with students.

Your turn...

Why you you love or hate Manchester?