Scots university named cheapest for students in the UK

A new UK-wide study has revealed the university that is the cheapest place to be a student in the UK.

And not only have two Scots universities made the top five, but the University of Dundee has come out on top.

International education provider Oxford Royale, analysed the cities that are home to the Complete University Guide’s (CUG) top 40 universities, using data from Expatistan to find where students can live at the lowest cost.

The analysis was based on the average price of student accommodation as well as prices for a pint of beer, a cocktail, a fast-food meal and a taxi fare.

The University of Dundee was revealed as the most affordable place for students to live with an average weekly spending of just £157.

Dundee city offers the third-cheapest student accommodation at £106 per week and has the cheapest taxi fare at £10.

In joint second is the other Scottish entry in the University of Aberdeen, which along with Newcastle University, and Northumbria University have a total weekly spend of just £161.

In third place is the University of Liverpool with a weekly total of £170. Liverpool offers the fourth cheapest rent for students costing them around £109 per week.

Unsurprisingly, London is the most expensive city for students to live in with an estimated total weekly spend of £302. The average weekly rent in London for a student shared flat is £211 and the average cost for a five-mile taxi journey is £26.

William Humphreys, CEO & Founder, Oxford Royale Academy (ORA) commented on the findings: “There is no doubt that students are always looking to save money living on a budget so it’s great to see that there are many areas in the UK where people at university can have a good time without breaking the bank.

"With rising student costs nationwide, it’s more important than ever for students to know how to manage their money and this list can offer some guidance and insight into where their loan will stretch further”.

The top 10 universities to be a student in the UK

UNIVERSITY	CITY	Beer (Weekly average)	Cocktails (Weekly average)	Fast food (Weekly average)	Taxi	Average rent shared flat shared bathroom	Weekly Total
University of Dundee	Dundee	£9.24	£21.00	£10.54	£10.00	£106	£157
Newcastle University	Newcastle	£13.26	£24.00	£11.88	£11.00	£101	£161
Northumbria University, Newcastle	Newcastle	£13.26	£24.00	£11.88	£11.00	£101	£161
University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen	£11.58	£24.00	£10.86	£15.00	£100	£161
University of Liverpool	Liverpool	£13.44	£24.00	£11.88	£12.00	£109	£170
University of Lincoln	Lincoln	£11.97	£24.00	£10.04	£16.00	£113	£175
University of Leicester	Leicester	£9.09	£30.00	£11.84	£11.00	£114	£176
University of Sheffield	Sheffield	£11.34	£21.00	£10.10	£15.00	£122	£179
University of Birmingham	Birmingham	£12.72	£24.00	£11.84	£13.00	£118	£180
Aston University, Birmingham	Birmingham	£12.72	£24.00	£11.84	£13.00	£118	£180
University of East Anglia	Norwich	£11.85	£24.00	£10.66	£11.00	£124	£182
Swansea University	Swansea	£9.63	£16.98	£10.96	£13.00	£135	£186
Cardiff University	Cardiff	£10.29	£21.00	£11.80	£11.00	£134	£188

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