Leicester among top five most affordable university cities in Britain
The University of Leicester has been identified as one of the most affordable places to be a student - ranking in the top five in the country.
Leicester and Lincoln are identified as the top places in the Midlands – Leicester is ranked fifth in the new table from Marbles.com.
Students either starting or returning to university in September can view how their institution ranks across 8 different metrics here.
A spokesperson for the University of Leicester said: “The University of Leicester is an excellent choice for students for career outcomes, quality of education and student experience. Last year, the University had the biggest intake of students in its history and our caring and approachable staff ensure we have a welcoming and friendly campus community
“There can be a massive difference in the costs you face depending on where you choose to study. This survey shows one of the great advantages of studying at Leicester is that your money will go further, meaning you will not only be studying in a vibrant and diverse city, but you will also be studying in one of the best value cities for accommodation, food and other living costs.”
The infographic gives the reader a clear view of some of the costs attached to university life and how that looks comparatively in different areas of the UK. While universities like Cardiff and Southampton appear to resist trends, Marbles.com’s results show a glaring disparity between north and south.
See infographic here(via marbles.com).
Methodology
In order to determine where each University would rank, Marbles.com have used a weighted index to provide a score for each individual metric and then an overall index. The metrics include:
- Weekly rent
- Travel pass
- Gym membership
- Cinema
- Pint
- Kebab
- Meal out for two
- Taxi ride
The static infographic Marbles.com produced has all top 50 Universities according to thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk along the side of a map of the UK which positions each institute with a number demonstrating their rank. Below the map is a table that breaks down how each university performed across each metric and any change in position from the previous year.
Data on accommodation and gym prices has been gathered from individual university websites. Other living data has been sourced from Numbeo, which is the world’s largest database for cost of living.
Each university has been given a score out of 90. Each amenity is ranked out of 10 with the exception of accommodation, which is ranked out of 20 giving it a weighted index. Each location is then ranked from 1st to 50th based on its total score.