AFS City Guides

The complete student guide to Nottingham

8 min read·Last updated: 13 July 2026

Curated and written by

Ella Hanson-Mayne

8 min read

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Nottingham has it all: endless places to see, things to do, and food to eat, balanced with abundant green spaces and beautiful nature spots. Choosing one single favourite thing about being a student in Nottingham feels near impossible. However, one thing I will forever be grateful for is the diversity of community, intertwined with the city’s art, music, and food culture, which truly makes it feel like a home away from home. Nottingham always welcomes you with open arms.

“I love that Nottingham is a very student centric environment. There are so many nice libraries, cathedrals and entertainment sites.”

GOGloria OyeniyiNottingham Trent University

Why study in Nottingham

Plenty to do
The best thing about Nottingham is that you’re never far from a green space, an art gallery, an activity or a food spot. One of the best places to go to is the Nottingham Contemporary Gallery, it is one of the largest galleries of contemporary art in the UK, with different art galleries, creative and educational events, film screenings and music performances.
Great nightlife
There’s almost never a day when something isn’t open. The standout clubs are Ink, Rock City, Stealth, and Unit 13. The SU hosts a weekly Saturday club night, themed nights, and Thursday Quid’s In — more of a chilled bar vibe with extra-cheap drinks and £3.50 Rock City Q-Jump tickets. Then the city bars are often visited during Ocean Wednesdays bar crawls, but can be busy throughout the week.
Part-time jobs
Many young adults look for part-time roles to support their student life. Jobs can go quickly, so applying early, especially at the end of summer, is essential. However, Nottingham Trent University have employability support for students, as well as part-time job fairs every month, to support you through this and help you find work that fits your uni schedule.
Shopping spots
Some of the best places to explore in Nottingham are tucked just beyond the main shopping streets. The Hockley and Lace Market areas are great spots to walk around and wander. Hockley has a creative feel — full of vintage and charity shops, cosy cafés, and amazing record shops where you can spend ages flicking through vinyls, even if you can’t always afford them!

Key facts about Nottingham

Student life in Nottingham

During my three years of study in Nottingham, Arboretum Park became my safe space, my peace, and my comfort throughout all seasons. A three-minute walk from the City Campus Student Union and a ten-minute walk from the Victoria Centre, the park attracted everyone — students and the wider community alike. Picture endless trees, blooming flowers in the sunshine, carpets of leaves in autumn, and snow-covered branches in winter. Although smaller than Forest Fields nearby, the Arboretum had it all: benches, flower paths, duck ponds, a bird sanctuary, hills, tree trails, historic structures, and most importantly — friendly squirrels! Never in my life have I met squirrels so approachable. The Arboretum provided comfort, community, healing, and connection. Even when I spent time alone, the nature and animals within the park made me feel surrounded. One of the best things about studying in Nottingham is the nightlife, and in my opinion, it is one of the best student cities for it. You will always find something to do on a night out, and there’s almost never a day when something isn’t open — there really is a club for every night! For freshers, as well as those well into their university journeys, the standout clubs are Ink, Rock City, Stealth, and Unit 13. All are student favourites in the city centre, offering multiple rooms with different music genres: one room for pop hits, throwbacks, house, and drum & bass, and other rooms for R&B, rap, dancehall, and more. I have had some of my best nights out in all of these clubs — nights I will cherish forever, dancing and singing as if there were no tomorrow. On campus, the NTU Students’ Union (SU) Saturdays are a staple, especially in my final year. The SU hosts a weekly Saturday club night, themed nights, and Thursday Quid’s In — more of a chilled bar vibe with extra-cheap drinks and £3.50 Rock City Q-Jump tickets. I can’t forget the city bars, often visited during Ocean Wednesdays bar crawls, but busy throughout the week. Places like Faradays, Oz Bar, and Bierkeller have a great vibe, perfect for meeting new people and enjoying student life. Despite misconceptions that university revolves around drinking, I remained completely sober from the end of first-year term one and still went to every club and event. You can absolutely have fun without drinking, and it shouldn’t limit your experience. On top of this, there are endless cafes, bars and a variety of shops – Hockley and the Lace market remains my favourite area in the city centre, a great place to walk through in the day as well as in the evenings. Go to the lace market fish bar – I promise you won’t regret it. When you want some fresh air and a change of scenery, Trent Bridge is perfect for a peaceful walk along the river. The views are lovely, especially at sunset, the perfect way to unwind and see another side of Nottingham. It shows off how scenic Nottingham can be, and became another one of my favourite walk longer walk spots, especially in the summer. The pathways along embankment are often full of runners, dog walkers as well as the river full of rowers and paddleboarders – a great place to people watch.

Cost of living in Nottingham

Wondering how much it costs to live in Nottingham as a student? We’ve broken down typical monthly expenses and compared them to the national average, so you can plan your budget with confidence.

Expense	Nottingham average	National average	Difference
Rent (monthly)	£693	£891.63	£198.6322% less
Utilities (monthly)	£133	£112.25	£20.7518% more
Bus pass (monthly)	£61	£61.13	£0.130% less
Groceries	£15.06	£15.40	£0.342% less
Gym pass (monthly)	£33.59	£34.59	£13% less
Takeaway coffee	£3.30	£3.54	£0.247% less

Rent (monthly)
Nottingham average
£693
National average
£891.63
Difference
£198.6322% less
Utilities (monthly)
Nottingham average
£133
National average
£112.25
Difference
£20.7518% more
Bus pass (monthly)
Nottingham average
£61
National average
£61.13
Difference
£0.130% less
Groceries
Nottingham average
£15.06
National average
£15.40
Difference
£0.342% less
Gym pass (monthly)
Nottingham average
£33.59
National average
£34.59
Difference
£13% less
Takeaway coffee
Nottingham average
£3.30
National average
£3.54
Difference
£0.247% less

“I love the nightlife and all the opportunities it has to offer. I recommend going to Public for a coffee, Unit 13 for a club night, Wollaton Park for a nice walk.”

ETEmily ThomasNottingham Trent University

Universities in Nottingham

Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent University has been driving innovation since 1843, making it one of the UK's most established and renowned creative universities. Nurturing this forward-thinking mentality has won NTU a gold rating for outstanding teaching and learning in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

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University of Nottingham

Nottingham is known for having a vibrant social scene and is home to a students’ union that supports an eclectic range of organisations, societies, student groups, campaigns and community projects. The university is home to five faculties: Arts, Medicine and Health Sciences, Science, Engineering and Social Sciences.

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Getting around Nottingham

Nottingham has multiple forms of transport in order to make getting around the city as efficient as possible.

Buses

Key routes through the Nottingham City Transport app, serve both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The Uni 4 bus takes students to Clifton Campus every ten minutes during term time and even has night buses available until 4am. Specialised links cater to those at Brackenhurst Campus. Other services include the trentbarton which offers 35% off standard fares for students using a Student MANGO Card. The University Hoppers are free shuttle buses which connect the UoN campuses (University Park, Jubilee, Sutton Bonington).

Walking

Nottingham is a highly walkable city. Due to its compact city centre, the main areas can be traversed in roughly 15 minutes.

Metrolink

Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is a direct connection which will connect you to the top shopping, leisure and tourist attractions in Nottingham. It also stops in nearby surrounding areas. The tram runs roughly every seven minutes. Robin Hood Card: Provides flexible, cheaper travel across all bus operators, trams, and trains in Nottingham

Trains

Keeping it nice and simple, the only train station in the city is Nottingham Station which sits beside the canals and is only a ten-minute walk from Nottingham Castle. Reduced fares are available with a 16-25 Railcard which you can purchase online either yearly or for the full three years.

Life after uni

Nottingham as a city tends to produce strong students for graduate opportunities and employment.
Here are some key facts about employment prospects in Nottingham:

Employment rates
Around 91% of University of Nottingham students are in employment or further study within 3–5 years. The University also says that Nottingham has been ranked #1 in the UK for graduates entering highly skilled jobs in recent years.
Key sectors
Nottingham is a major regional business hub, but also has many roles in the healthcare and science, government, creative industries and media sectors.