Nottingham for students

Known for its proud links to the Robin Hood legend, Nottingham is located in the East Midlands of England in the UK.

Nottingham receives a high score in the student mix indicator of the QS Best Student Cities ranking. Not only is there a large international student population in Nottingham, but the city’s highest-ranked university, the University of Nottingham, has branch campuses in Malaysia and China, and has been praised for its international approach to higher education.

However, Nottingham’s highest score is for the student voice indicator, ranking 31st. The city is certainly proving popular with its students and received lots of praise in our student survey for its thriving student lifestyle, nightlife and friendliness.

One student said there’s a “great balance between top ranking university education and brilliant nightlife – I had the stereotypical student life and loved it!” Another explained: “The campus is beautiful, and the city is really affordable for the UK.”

Best universities in Nottingham - QS Best Student Cities ranking: 50th

More about Nottingham

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.

Why study in Nottingham

Excellent nightlife

With an extensive choice of late-night bars, clubs and restaurants, people travel from all over the UK to enjoy Nottingham’s nightlife.

Affordable rent and living costs

Although tuition fees are high for international students, rent and living costs are low compared to other student cities in the UK, such as Manchester and London.

Lots of history to explore

The city is packed full of museums and is famous for its links with the legend of Robin Hood. It even has its own castle!

What is the cost of studying in Nottingham?

Studying in Nottingham will cost international students an average of US$19,300 per year in tuition fees. A one-bedroom apartment in Nottingham’s city centre will only set you back around £619 per month (approximately US$854), making it a lot cheaper than other student cities in the UK – for example, rent in London is 65 percent more expensive. 

Life and culture in Nottingham

Getting about is easy in Nottingham thanks to its award-winning public transport system, and there’s a great deal of things to do, with large shopping centres, theatres, galleries, music and entertainment venues.

There’s also plenty of history and culture to explore, from museums to Nottingham Castle (along with the famous Robin Hood statue), and the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which claims to be the oldest pub in England.

Nottingham is also known for being a major sporting centre and was named the ‘Home of English Sport’ in October 2015. The city is home to two football teams: Nottingham Forest and Notts County, as well as a first-class cricket club.

Careers in Nottingham

Nottingham hosts a range of top graduate employers, with several large companies such as Speedo, Boots, Siemens and Capital One having their headquarters based there. 

The city also has a strong bioscience industry which employs lots of graduates each year. Other prosperous industries in Nottingham include the textiles industry, manufacturing, retail and pharmaceuticals, which all hire Nottingham’s graduates.