It’s official, Manchester is the UK’s third best student city

In 2016’s edition of QS Best Student Cities, Manchester came 36th in the world and thirrd in the UK.

Despite often having to fork out £5 for a pint, London is ranked as the best city for students in the UK with Edinburgh in second.

Cities across the globe were judged by the ranking of their universities, affordability, desirability, employer activity and the “student mix.”

Who needs the streets of Milan when you have the streets of Manc?

QS Top 10 Student Cities in the World

1. Paris
2. Melbourne
3. Tokyo
4. Sydney
5. London
6. Singapore
7. Montreal
8. Hong Kong
9. Berlin
10. Seoul

And lets be honest, Manchester is a pretty great place to live as a student. We’ve got the big city buzz of London without the extortionate living costs, and we definitely know how to have a good time.

Students from across the UK make the pilgrimage to Manchester for the infamous Warehouse Project, which this year hosted acts such as Jamie XX, Annie Mac and Stormzy (because who isn’t a roadman these days).

We’ve got WHP

Even if raves aren’t quite your thing, Manchester has an unrivaled music scene and remains a hub for established acts as well as up and coming talents. There’s always something going on at The Academy, with plenty of affordable gigs all-year round on offer from UoM’s Student Union (the largest in the UK), as well as a number of live acts that play at Manchester Central. We’ve also got Pangaea, the UK’s largest student-run festival, which returns for its 10th birthday later this month.

First year Optometry student Laura agrees: “There’s always so much going on that there’s a real variety of activities to do for everyone, from charity events to Warehouse Project.”

For a big city, nights out are fairly cheap, something Spanish and Italian student Emma was quick to point out: “There are loads of cheap nights out to suit whatever you fancy, so even when your loan has run dry you can still afford to have a good time.”

We love you Magic Bus

And then there’s Magic Bus. First year Politics & International Relations student Oscar describes Manchester’s transportation system as: “excellent, the Magic Bus makes getting around Manchester so much easier without the hassle of taxis.”

Physicist student Alanna agrees: “At home buses only came every hour, so Manchester is heaven really.”

Keep your £5 London pint, mate. I’m off to Squirrels.