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CONTENTS

1. Why study in Birmingham?

2. About Birmingham

3. University of Birmingham

4. Birmingham City University

5. Aston University

6. Birmingham Newman University

7. Living in Birmingham

8. Entry requirements 

9. Transport links

10. Getting around Birmingham 

11. Things to do in Birmingham

Why study in Birmingham?

Birmingham is a modern student city in central England with a vibrant arts, music and events scene. With four universities, Birmingham has a student population of around 90,000 from across the world. It has a wide range of halls and private accommodation to suit your needs. For a large, urban city, Birmingham has a lot of parks and green spaces that provide a peaceful backdrop to city life. Its central location also gives great access to other cities in the UK. 

About Birmingham

Located in England’s West Midlands, Birmingham is a thriving city known for its diverse cultural landscape. Arts, music, business and sport all are key in forming the city’s identity.

Birmingham can proudly call itself the second largest city in the UK, and one of the more popular student destinations. An attractive city that won’t break the bank, students move to Birmingham from the UK and abroad to study at one of its universities.

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is consistently in the top 20 universities in the UK, offering courses in a wide range of disciplines. It has a history of research, innovation and excellent teaching, nestled in a leafy campus with close links to Birmingham city centre. 

Location 

The main campus is in Edgbaston. With plenty of green space and trees, it's a peaceful place to hang out between lectures and studying. Yet it's easy to get to Birmingham city centre – just catch a train from the station on campus.

Another campus is in nearby Selly Oak, along with a newly built Health Innovation Campus. The student village at Selly Oak is where most second and third-year students choose to live after they move out of first-year halls. Other student villages are found at Pritchatts Park and The Vale.

Facilities 

The University of Birmingham has one of the largest libraries in the country, open 24/7 during term time. Specialist libraries are available for medicine, dentistry and history of art. The Edgbaston campus has all you need – including theatres, hairdressers and a large sports centre.

See the University of Birmingham profile page for an interactive map and more information. 

Birmingham City University

The second largest university in the city is Birmingham City. Founded in 1843, it achieved university status in 1992. Since then it has grown to attract over 30,000 students from around the world. 

Location 

Birmingham City University has two main campuses – one in the centre and the other to the south. City Centre campus is near Aston University, while City South is in Edgbaston, not far from the University of Birmingham.

Facilities

Birmingham City university has a huge range of facilities. They include four libraries, with a 24-hour library at the City Centre campus. Extensive student support includes money advice, study skills suport and wellbeing support.

See Birmingham City University profile page for an interactive map and more information. 

Aston University

In the heart of Birmingham, Aston University is home to a large and diverse student population. Aston is known for its good teaching, impressive graduate prospects and its links to graduate employers.

Location

Aston University’s campus is on a self-contained site in central Birmingham. It's near Birmingham Children’s Hospital and close to the main business and entertainment locales. Students enjoy a campus experience in the heart of a large city.

Facilities

Aston's large library offers print and digital resources, and several computer labs are available for study. Refuel between lectures and studying at the various cafes, food outlets and supermarket on site.

See Aston University profile page for an interactive map and more information. 

Birmingham Newman University

Founded in 1968, Birmingham Newman University is the smallest of Birmingham's universities. An innovative university, it inspires and challenges students to think creatively and individually. You'll find it on the outskirts of the city. 

Location

The university is located a few miles to the south west of Birmingham, in a rural location overlooking the Bartley reservoir. A frequent bus service connects the Newman campus and surrounding areas to the centre of Birmingham.

Facilities

Birmingham Newman University offers extensive learning resources, both digital and printed. Students get support from academic advisors. It has a chaplaincy that celebrates diversity, hosting events and activities for students to get involved in. 

See Birmingham Newman University profile page for an interactive map and more information.

Living in Birmingham

Most students live in student accommodation during their first year. Universities prioritise first-year students in their halls. You may be offered a guaranteed place, subject to meeting the criteria. The benefits of halls include:

• Ability to meet lots of new people
• Different room options (single or shared, with or without an en suite)
• 24/7 support from staff
• Access to facilities like gyms and study spaces

From the second year onwards you’ll move into private accommodation. Most students organise who to live with during the second half of first year and will begin searching for flats during this time. Selly Oak and Bournbrook are thriving student areas, particularly for those at the University of Birmingham. Edgbaston houses many BCU students while Harborne, or the city centre, are also popular student living areas.

Entry requirements 

Entry requirements vary from uni to uni and course to course. The best way to check what you need to get into your preferred course at each university is to use our . There you can see what each course’s entry requirements are.

Transport links

Average train journey times from Birmingham

Getting around Birmingham

You’ll have more than one way to get around Birmingham. A sunny day might call for a walk or a cycle. For rainy days, there's an effective public transport system which offers student rates. 

With National Express headquartered in the city, coach travel provides a cheap and easy way to get around the UK.

The city is served by Birmingham International airport. This gives easy access to European destinations as well as countries further afield. To reach the airport you can use the bus or train.

Train

Birmingham has three main train stations – Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham New Street. All provide good connections to other parts of the country and a  will get you discounted ticket prices. If you're going to University of Birmingham's Edgbaston campus, simply alight at University Station for a quick walk to lectures.

Metro tram

Birmingham’s metro tram service is another option for getting around the city. It can take you as far as Wolverhampton, and trams run frequently.

Bus

Birmingham’s bus services are popular amongst students. They connect the city, university campuses and wider areas. Many services offer student rates and student passes too, so check with your university to see what these are. Invest in a Birmingham student bus pass if you use the bus often.

Cycle

Cycling has grown in popularity in the city, particularly as it's cheap and a great means of exercising daily. You can buy your own bike or use West Midlands Cycle Hire, which gives you 24/7 access to bikes across the city. Check also with your university to see what cycling schemes they offer.

Walk

Student halls and typical student living areas aren’t far from university campuses. The city centre is also very accessible on foot and walking can be a chance to unwind after a long day of study.

Other transport

There’s a taxi network that runs throughout Birmingham, along with ride-hailing schemes like Uber. Note that these services will be more expensive than public transport.

Things to do in Birmingham

You can really get to know Birmingham through its array of things to do and places to see. Dine out on independent street food, head to a gig in Digbeth or wander through a choice of natural spaces – there's plenty to keep you entertained.

Food and drink

Birmingham is famed for its Balti Triangle – it's where you’ll find the UK’s best Balti houses serving Balti curry, a Birmingham staple. For other great independent food and drink, check out Hockley Social Club or Herberts Yard. Follow  to find recommended cafes, bars and restaurants.

Arts and culture

Birmingham expresses itself through art and culture. Set aside time to visit Ikon Gallery, among the many art galleries in the city. Stroll through Digbeth and you’ll find groovy street art, and don’t miss checking out Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Events

Live music can be found at Birmingham O2 Academy and Sunflower Lounge. Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City are the three main football teams to watch. The city also has impressive sports venues after hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games. You can also look forward to Birmingham Comedy Festival, Pride, Chinese New Year and Birmingham Film Festival.

Outdoors

Although it's the UK’s second-largest city, Birmingham has over 8,000 acres of green space. Waseley Hills Country Park, Perry Hall Park and Handsworth Park are all wonderful places to escape to. All are accessible via public transport. A stroll down the canals, through St Paul’s Square or among the Martineau Gardens is ideal when you’re after some fresh air.