What makes a good student city? Good nightlife? Access to high quality education and good places to study? Having things to keep your parents entertained when they visit?
Parents of students are a vastly under appreciated demographic. They do your laundry when you come home, they probably send you money to keep you afloat, and chances are that when they pop by they take you for lunch.
If your kids are heading off to uni, we know you secretly want them to go somewhere you can enjoy visiting as much as they enjoy living in, and so does the Times. That’s why the newspaper has revealed its top picks for student towns which parents will love, so they can subtly try to get their kids to choose somewhere that works for everyone.
The Times’ number one pick is the Scottish capital itself. Known for its beauty, it’s no surprise that Edinburgh topped the list. The newspaper recommends passing the time by wandering around the old town, finding your way to the independent shops of Grassmarket, and grabbing a coffee in one of the city’s many, many cafés.
Second was Cambridge, which you may already have considered for its prestige and quality, but did you know that it’s also full of ‘ancient architectural masterpieces’ and winding cobbled streets? Ideal for lovers of history and punting, encouraging your children to go here won’t just be good for their future but yours too.
London took the bronze for all the usual, boring reasons. Endless things to do, miles of cultural heritage, some of the best restaurants in the world; you know the drill. There are also quite literally dozens of reputable institutions of higher education in the capital, so the students themselves will have plenty of places to choose from.
If none of those take your fancy, here’s the Times’ full list of the best uni towns for visiting parents.
The best student cities in the UK according to the Times
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
- London, England
- Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Cardiff, South Wales
- Oxford, Oxfordshire
- Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
You can have a look at the Times’ full list of recommendations for what to do in each city here.
Higher education with Time Out
Maybe you want to consider more than just where the best coffee shops are when discussing university with your children. If you’re stuck choosing, why not check out what the Academic Ranking of World Universities thinks are the best UK unis, this is what QS named the best universities in the country for 2025 and here’s what real students ranked the UK’s best unis for student satisfaction. Plus, these are the UK uni courses with the highest-paid graduates.
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