The cheapest and most expensive universities for students

The cost of student living revealed across the country

The University of Leicester has been named the most affordable place for undergraduates to study in the UK for the second year running.

That’s according to new research from HSBC, which has investigated the cost of living for students in 20 towns and cities across Britain with the largest student populations.

The research looked at the cost of weekly essentials (including food, activities and university supplies), rent, travel and a weekly supply of beer and wine in order to determine where student loans could stretch furthest.

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The table below sets out how the 20 universities ranked on the cost of living for first-year students living in halls.

Rank	University	Weekly essentials	Weekly rent (self-catered halls)	Weekly bus pass	Cost of five pints of beer	Cost of two bottles of wine	Total weekly living costs
1	University of Leicester	£76.07	£81.20	£7.75	£15.25	£11.80	£192.07
2	University of Nottingham	£67.24	£102.76	£12.00	£15.00	£15.00	£212.00
3	University of Cardiff	£92.75	£88.00	£15.00	£16.10	£14.00	£225.85
4	University of Edinburgh	£81.88	£99.41	£15.00	£17.50	£14.00	£227.79
5	University of Leeds	£87.00	£102.50	£10.50	£12.25	£16.00	£228.25
6	The University of Bristol	£70.77	£116.86	£11.90	£14.75	£14.00	£228.28
7	University of Southampton	£90.00	£100.03	£7.33	£18.00	£14.00	£229.36
8	University of Liverpool	£72.75	£130.55	£9.75	£13.50	£11.48	£238.03
9	University of Sheffield	£95.20	£114.52	£7.00	£13.60	£12.00	£242.32
10	University of Cambridge	£91.53	£107.50	£13.00	£19.25	£12.00	£243.28
11	University of Kent	£90.00	£120.90	£6.15	£17.00	£14.00	£248.05
12	University of Plymouth	£90.00	£121.16	£9.35	£15.50	£14.00	£250.01
13	The University of Glasgow	£102.50	£110.60	£13.00	£13.75	£12.00	£251.85
14	University of Newcastle	£122.00	£87.64	£14.60	£15.50	£14.00	£253.74
15	University of Manchester	£98.63	£122.36	£7.75	£15.00	£12.00	£255.74
16	University of Warwick	£102.30	£124.00	£9,23	£12.50	£14.00	£262.03
17	University of Sussex	£120.00	£122.30	£12.50	£17.50	£13.00	£285.30
18	University of Birmingham	£135.00	£123.00	£8.88	£12.90	£16.00	£295.78
19	UCL/Imperial	£155.76	£114.87	£14.70	£18.50	£14.00	£317.83
20	The University of Oxford	£120.25	£145.25	£23.00	£19.10	£16.00	£323.60

Source: HSBC

The University of Leicester costs £192.07 a week, according to the research, which is actually down £4.40 from 2014's research.

Meanwhile, those attending UCL/Imperial or The University of Oxford can expect to pay well over £300 a week. A room in self-catered halls at Oxford costs £145.25 per week, which is far and away the most expensive accommodation. Accommodation at the University of Leicester cost just over half this amount per week.

It isn't just the south that's expensive though; students at university in Manchester and Newcastle can expect to pay over £250 per week in living costs, while those at the University of Birmingham will come close to spending £300 each week.

In terms of travel, students at the University of Kent get the cheapest journeys, paying just £6.15 for a weekly bus pass compared to the whopping £23 per week paid by students with a bus pass at Oxford.

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The cheapest universities for second-year students

Only four universities offer self-catered rooms in their student halls at an average of less than £100 per week: Leicester, Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh. So serious savings can be made from the second year onwards on the cost of accommodation.

Below are how the 20 universities ranked on the cost of living for students that choose to do this.

Rank	University	Weekly essentials	Weekly rent (private rented accommodation)	Weekly bus pass	Cost of five pints of beer	Cost of two bottles of wine	Total weekly living costs
1	University of Liverpool	£72.75	£67.00	£9.75	£13.50	£11.48	£174.48
2	University of Leicester	£76.07	£68.00	£7.75	£15.25	£11.80	£178.87
3	University of Nottingham	£67.24	£75.00	£12.00	£15.00	£15.00	£182.24
4	University of Warwick	£102.30	£59.50	£9.23	£12.50	£14.00	£197.53
5	University of Manchester	£98.63	£65.00	£7.75	£15.00	£12.00	£198.38
6	University of Cardiff	£92.75	£61.00	£15.00	£16.10	£14.00	£198.85
7	University of Bristol	£70.77	£88.00	£11.90	£14.75	£14.00	£199.42
8	University of Southampton	£90.00	£70.50	£7.33	£18.00	£14.00	£199.83
9	University of Sheffield	£95.20	£74.50	£7.00	£13.60	£12.00	£202.30
10	University of Leeds	£87.00	£78.50	£10.50	£12.25	£16.00	£204.25
11	University of Plymouth	£90.00	£77.50	£9.35	£15.50	£14.00	£206.35
12	University of Kent	£90.00	£79.50	£6.15	£17.00	£14.00	£206.65
13	University of Edinburgh	£81.88	£86.00	£15.00	£17.50	£14.00	£214.38
14	University of Glasgow	£102.50	£90.00	£13.00	£13.75	£12.00	£231.25
15	University of Newcastle	£122.00	£73.00	£14.60	£15.50	£14.00	£239.10
16	University of Cambridge	£91.53	£114.50	£13.00	£19.25	£12.00	£250.28
17	University of Birmingham	£135.00	£80.00	£8.88	£12.90	£16.00	£252.78
18	University of Sussex	£120.00	£101.50	£12.50	£17.50	£13.00	£264.50
19	University of Oxford	£120.25	£98.00	£23.00	£19.10	£16.00	£276.35
20	UCL/Imperial	£155.76	£152.50	£14.70	£18.50	£14.00	£355.46

Source: HSBC

The University of Liverpool has the cheapest living costs from the second year onwards, overtaking the University of Leicester by £4.39 a week. At the other end of the scale, studying at UCL/Imperial will cost an astonishing £355.46 per week, with more than a third of this made up of an average weekly rent of £152.50.

In fact, it's only in London that students see their cost of living rise after the first year, largely due to a very expensive private rental market.

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Student finance

While the cost of living is important, you shouldn't let this compromise the course you want to do and where you want to study.

Students in England living away from home and studying outside London are eligible for a Maintenance Loan for living costs of up to £5,740 for courses starting from September 2015. However, students living away from home and studying in London are eligible for a bigger Maintenance Loan of up to £8,009 per year.

Depending on your household income you may be eligible for a Maintenance Grant of up to £3,387, which you don't have to pay back (unless you leave your course early) but this will reduce any Maintenance Loan you are eligible for. The loan is reduced by 50p for every £1 you receive as a grant.

If you're struggling, you might be able to get help from your university. For more read How to find student bursaries, grants, and scholarships.

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