Research by student accommodation platform – UniHomes – reveals the cost of renting around 27 of the top coastal universities in Britain, and it highlights which are home to the lowest rental outgoings for students keen to study by the sea. UniHomes analysed student rental costs within reach of each coastal university and found that on average, students paid £157 per week.
Despite the additional allure of living by the coast, this is actually marginally more affordable when compared to non-coastal universities, where the average weekly cost equates to over £100 more per year.
Rental costs by region
The most affordable regions for students to rent are Yorkshire and the Humber at £90 pw, the North East at £90 pw and the North West at £132 pw. Although affordable, these regions also offer the least choice, with each home to just one coastal university ranked within Britain’s top 100.
Wales is the next most affordable area at £156 pw with five coastal universities ranking within Britain’s top 100. Scotland is home to the most choice with no less than nine coastal universities and an average rental cost of £157 pw.
The highest rental cost of all regions were the South East at £167 pw and the South West at £174 pw.
Most affordable coastal universities for renting
In terms of the most affordable overall, Teeside University in the North East and Yorkshire’s University of Hull rank top at just £90 pw.
The University of Plymouth in the South West is the next most affordable for a coastal student rental at £95 pw, while Scotland’s Robert Gordon University is £100 pw and the University of Aberdeen is £104 – and completes the top five.
Also ranking within the top 10 overall and as the most affordable in their respective regions are Lancaster University in the North West at £132 pw, Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales at £135 pw and the University of Portsmouth in the South East at £144.
In contrast, Falmouth University in the South West and the University of St Andrew in Scotland are the coastal universities home to the highest cost of renting – at £234 pw.
“We have some outstanding coastal cities and towns in Britain and a number of these are also home to some excellent universities. This means many students can combine their higher education endeavours with a year-long trip to the seaside.
“Of course, with the unpredictable nature of the British weather there’s no guarantee of sun, but a scenic university can provide many students with a completely different pace of life to that of their hometown.
“Generally, the cost of renting around these universities is no different to their non-coastal counterparts although this is, of course, dependent on which university you opt for.
“Some of the more traditional seaside tourism towns will set you back a fair bit more, but there are options across all areas of coastal Britain that can provide you with a fairly affordable university rental.”
Phil Greaves, Co-Founder, UniHomes
