The best cities for alternative and quieter socialising
With an impressive mix of parks, coffee shops and bookshops for its small population, Aberystwyth comes out on top for alternative and quieter places to socialise.
York also scores very strongly with a huge variety of coffee shops and green spaces. “York is known for its independent coffee and brunch scene and, whether you’re in the final year of a PhD or the first year of an undergrad, there’s always something new to discover,” says York student Cailin.
She picks out Black Sheep Coffee, Criminally Good Books and Sewcialising as particular highlights and adds: “York’s green spaces are phenomenal. With a generous selection of parks and lakes near the uni campuses, students are used to wildlife keeping them company on the commute to classes - hence the existence of DuckSoc!”
Student tips for settling into university
Our network of Content Ambassadors - current and recent students from across the UK - share their top advice to people starting uni:
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to make friends straight away and worried that everyone else was settling in quicker than I was,” says Emma Wood, a Masters student at the University of Derby. “Looking back, I really didn’t need to worry so much.
“My biggest piece of advice would be to just start the conversations, even if they feel a little awkward at first. Ask someone on your course if they want to grab a coffee post-lecture, introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you or try out a society you’re interested in. You never know how you might meet someone - I made my first uni friend because we got stuck in a lift together!”
“Also - don’t ever feel like you’ve missed your chance if you haven’t found ‘your people’ straight away. It can take months - don’t try and be someone you’re not just to fit in; the right friendships will come naturally,” adds Emma.
Third-year Coventry University student Isabelle Miller agrees. “Even if you don’t become friends immediately, just opening yourself up to conversation with new people will increase your confidence to socialise. Everyone’s in the same situation, so don’t be afraid of judgement - they’ll be just as nervous as you are.”
If nightlife isn’t for you
“Let’s be real: not everyone wants to spend their uni nights sweating it out in a club, queuing for the loo, and waking up with a questionable wrist stamp and zero memory of how they got home,” says recent Nottingham Trent grad George Okonkwo. “I know that’s exactly what I don’t want.
“Being a student doesn’t have to mean nights out every night. I found Nottingham has plenty of alcohol-free options that are fun, social and don’t come with a hangover.”
It’s an experience echoed by Ash Sutton, who graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2026. “A lot of students absolutely love getting sloshed and dancing the night away to loud music in a crowded room,” she says. “Those of us who don’t quite gel with that side of life can feel a bit lost and unattached to the city we’ve chosen to spend three years of our life in.
“Birmingham’s social life doesn’t just exist in the nightclubs though; there’s plenty to do that doesn’t require shots and spirits.”
“Don’t feel pressured to drink or club if that’s not your thing,” Isabelle advises. “Do things because you want to do them, not because you feel like you have to. Even if nights out aren’t your style, Freshers’ Fairs are a great way to get familiar with campus, sign up for socials and sports, and meet people with similar interests.”
Me time and tackling loneliness
Even if you do make loads of like-minded friends, getting comfortable spending time solo is a great life skill to develop, too, as Isabelle recommends: “Living at uni means spending a lot of time by yourself, but this doesn’t have to be a bad thing!
“Get comfortable with your own company while exploring your new city. Find new coffee shops or places to eat and treat yourself, or explore green spaces and the local scenery. Creating your own routine or taking yourself places helps to turn being alone from feeling lonely to feeling independent, especially in those first few weeks.”
“Establishing some sort of routine from the get-go is really important,” adds Gabriella Farrugia, a recent graduate from Bournemouth University and UniHomes’ Bournemouth Content Ambassador. “I allocated certain days for exercise, and every Tuesday I’d go to my friends’ house for dinner. Having a routine stopped me from staying cooped up and feeling isolated.
“I couldn’t recommend finding places outside your room to study enough,” Gabriella continues. “Whether that’s a local coffee shop, the library, or a friend’s house, it makes you feel less lonely and means you’re guaranteed some social interaction. Joining societies was one of the best decisions I made too.”
Anxious about getting involved with societies? Extra-curricular clubs and activities were a huge part of our Content Ambassador Sophie Layton’s time at the University of Sheffield, and she’s written a guide to what she wishes she’d known about societies when she started uni.
Making student living stress-free
"With the majority of students moving away from home for uni, settling into their new city is a huge deal and can be really nerve-wracking," says Lian Chambers, Head of Marketing at UniHomes.
"We want to make that transition easier by highlighting the things that each city excels at when it comes to student life. Most cities genuinely do have something for everyone, and students should be encouraged to pursue the uni experience which is right for them, rather than the one they're expected to have. We hope this data and the first-hand tips from our student ambassadors will put their minds at ease.
“As with your choice of uni city, the accommodation you choose has a huge bearing on student life. We help students find the best accommodation for them by bringing options from across the market into one platform, flagging nearby points of interests on each property listing, and by sharing insights into what makes each major student area in a city popular.”
For more tips, check out our guide to starting your search for next year's student accommodation.
Campaign overview and methodology
We scored 40 major UK cities and towns across three measures of student life: nights out affordability, choice of societies, and variety of alternative/quieter venues.
Nights out
Average pint costs were sourced from Finder’s 2026 data, with Numbeo and WhatUni used for a handful of cities missing from their index. Average nightclub costs were calculated from the stated ticket prices for September 2026 Freshers’ events in each city listed on Fatsoma. Average taxi fares were calculated using average starting tariff plus 3km and sourced from Numbeo, or WhatUni for a couple of cities missing from Numbeo’s index. These three averages were then aggregated to calculate a typical night out cost per city.
Societies
We took the largest university in each city by student population and divided the number of unique societies (as listed by that university’s Student Union) by the student population to calculate the number of societies per 1,000 students.
Alternative/quieter venues
We sourced the number of coffee shops per city from Capital on Tap’s 2026 data and the Pure Gusto Study, using Food Standards Authority data for a small number of missing cities.
Bookshops data was sourced from the Booksellers Association. Parks data was sourced from the Office of National Statistics for cities in England and Wales and from local council data for cities in Scotland.
Combined ranking
Cities were ranked in each category and assigned a score out of 10 based on their performance relative to other cities. We then calculated each city's overall score out of 10 based on their performance across the three categories relative to other cities, with each category weighted equally.