Sheffield

Sheffield has been crowned the best city in the UK for students

We'll take that.

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 6th July 2026

It's good news for students in Sheffield, as the city has been crowned the very best in the UK for university life.

I mean, we can't say we're exactly surprised.

The news comes from a new report by Edumentors that reveals which UK cities offer new students cheap rent, safety, and quality teaching.

The research examined 40 UK cities to find which offer the best university life, tracking monthly rent rates from SpareRoom's data, crime rates from government records, and entertainment costs.

It also looked at how easy it is to get around and what students think of their teaching based on the National Student Survey. Each city received scores from 0 to 100 across all categories, with higher scores indicating a better student experience. 

Sheffield got the coveted top spot, undergrads here can find dorm rooms and shared flats for around £500, about £300 less than what students pay in Oxford or Cambridge.

Teaching quality also came up trumps, with nearly 9 out of 10 students saying they're happy with their courses at the University of Sheffield.

Coming in second place was Sunderland followed by Lancaster, Coventry and Aberdeen.

The higher education expert from Edumentors commented on the study: "It's not just Oxford and Cambridge ranking low; London and Edinburgh finish at the bottom too, despite having some of the world's most famous universities.

"But UK universities in general offer quality teaching across the board, so opting for budget cities is actually smarter for most students. You get a similar education while having money left over for a proper flat, going out with friends, and enjoying actual student life."

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