Five Russell Group uni cities make the top 10 for part-time student jobs, but Hull comes first

Five Russell Group university cities have made the top 10 for student part-time work, but none made the top three.

A new ranking by Novuna Personal Finance, a consumer lender, has revealed which UK university cities have the strongest markets for part-time jobs.

According to a recent survey from Advance HE and HEPI, 65 per cent of full-time undergraduates are in paid employment during the university term period, averaging at almost 14 hours of work per week.

For freshers starting university this year, the 2026 Unite Students and HEPI Applicant Index revealed that 87 per cent of uni applicants expected to be working during their course, with nearly a third anticipating they’d be working more than 16 hours a week.

Students report average living costs of £1,142 a month against an average maintenance loan worth £640 for English students, leaving a £502 monthly shortfall, with those in work earning an average £547.

Hull had the highest ratio of part-time jobs to students, with 37,000 in total, 251 per 100 students. It was followed by Derby at 217 part-time jobs per 100 students, and Swansea at 216.

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Among cities with a Russell Group university, Leeds had the highest ratio, with 155,000 part-time roles in total, or 209 per 100 students. Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool all also made the top 10, all with between 150 and 160 part-time jobs per 100 students.

Aberdeen and Plymouth completed the top six, with 170 and 168 part-time jobs per 100 students respectively.

The ranking compares the number of part-time employee jobs in each local economy against the city’s student population, meaning cities with smaller student bodies can rank highly despite having fewer jobs overall.

1. Hull – 251 part-time jobs per 100 students
2. Derby – 217 part-time jobs per 100 students
3. Swansea – 216 part-time jobs per 100 students
4. Leeds – 209 part-time jobs per 100 students
5. Aberdeen – 170 part-time jobs per 100 students
6. Plymouth – 168 part-time jobs per 100 students
7. Birmingham – 160 part-time jobs per 100 students
8. Edinburgh – 159 part-time jobs per 100 students
9. Cardiff – 158 part-time jobs per 100 students
10. Liverpool – 155 part-time jobs per 100 students 

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Featured image via Unsplash