Top Reasons to Attend University in
Leicester
- Population 300,000
- Student population 30,000
Leicester is a compact and friendly place, rich in green spaces. Students find the city ideally sized and its central location means that it attracts students from all over the UK. Student social life tends to be spread evenly all over the city centre. A strong ethnic diversity has contributed to a cosmopolitan and cultured atmosphere and the strength of the local economy recently has resulted in much new development. Life in the city is inexpensive, and the fresh food market, the largest outdoor market in Europe, helps stretch tight student budgets. Accommodation is still not too hard to find and the rents are among the lowest in the country.
Some of the best universities in Leicester
Getting around
- There is a good cheap bus service and travel cards are available.
- Leicester has miles of cycleways.
- London is 93 miles away, and trains take 1 hour 10 minutes.
- The nearest airports are East Midlands (less than half an hour away) and Birmingham.
- Road links are good and Leicester is well served by the coach network.
Attractions for students
Sport
- Leicester has a selection of sports and leisure centres, including swimming, tennis, rugby, golf and squash.
- Leicester City Football Club, Leicestershire County Cricket Club and the Leicester Tigers Rugby Club are based here.
- Nearby Rutland Water is popular for a range of water sports.
Culture and nightlife
- Leicester is bursting with bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants.
- The city attracts big name bands, DJs and classical music performances. Jazz can be found at the Y Theatre and new bands can be found playing in the pubs. The Curve, Phoenix Square Digital Media Centre and De Montfort Hall are the big venues. The Cinema de Lux, situated in the Highcross centre, has 12 screens, exclusive Directors Hall and a bar/restaurant.
- Leicester enjoys a number of annual festivals reflecting the city's cultural diversity, such as the Caribbean Carnival and the Diwali celebrations, reputed to be the biggest outside India. The annual Comedy Festival is held in the city each February.
- The New Walk Museum, Guildhall Museum, Jewry Wall Museum, Abbey Pumping Station, Newarke Houses Museum, National Space Centre and the University of Leicester Botanic Gardens are the main visitor attractions.
Shopping
- Leicester's main shopping centre, Highcross Leicester, offers a huge mix of fashionable and stylish restaurants, including three major department stores: Debenhams, House of Fraser and one of the largest John Lewis stores in the country. More high street names can be found at the Haymarket shopping mall.
- The arcades of St Martins Square, Silver Street and the Leicester Lanes offer more individuality in shopping. Belgrave Road, also known as the Golden Mile, offers jewellery shops, saris and a large number of Asian restaurants.
Proximity to the city centre
- De Montfort University: one campus in the city centre.
- University of Leicester: campus about 1 mile away.
Crime in university cities
Content was accurate at the time of compilation.
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