With the second biggest student population in the UK, you’ll be in good company in Glasgow. Voted the world’s friendliest city in a 2021 Rough Guides survey, it’s home to a thriving cultural scene and a wealth of green spaces. Its leafy streets are lined with historic buildings and decorated with colourful street art, making the city as vibrant as the people who live there.
Read on to find out more about what makes Glasgow such a fantastic place to be a student.
A choice of renowned and well-respected universities
Students can choose from the University of Glasgow, the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University and Glasgow School of Art, which all cater to a range of passions, interests and career paths. When it comes to places to study, there’s something for everyone in Glasgow.
The University of Glasgow is one of the top 100 universities in the world and is known for its historic buildings, which are said to have inspired the Harry Potter school, Hogwarts.
Winner of the UK University of the Year Award in 2019, the University of Strathclyde has a five-star QS ranking — which speaks to academic excellence and student employability. It also has some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in Scotland.
Glasgow Caledonian University has a high-tech campus and its focus on careers means 95 per cent of graduates are in employment or higher education within six months of leaving. Its international student support is award-winning, so you can rest assured you’ll be looked after.
With Art Nouveau buildings designed by artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Glasgow School of Art is a home for creatives, offering study programmes across a variety of disciplines and a welcoming, community feel.
As well as the universities’ own state-of-the-art learning facilities, Glasgow offers plenty of study spots. Try the Mitchell Library, the library at the Gallery of Modern Art, or one of the city’s many cosy cafes.
It’s a place where students feel at home
Glasgow has been rated one of the top 50 cities in the world for students and it’s not hard to see why. It’s known for being warm and welcoming, and is home to 185,000 students from 140 different countries, which speaks for itself.
With 90 parks and gardens, cities don’t get much greener than Glasgow, whose name translates to ‘dear green place’ in Gaelic. You can take a riverside stroll in the extensive grounds of Kelvingrove Park or soak up the flora and fauna of the Botanic Gardens
Once you’ve got to grips with the inner-city green spaces, some of the UK’s most spectacular countryside is close by. Glasgow is located in the Clyde Valley and is surrounded by several country parks, perfect for hiking and bike rides. It’s also less than an hour’s train ride from Loch Lomond, known for its exceptional scenery.
Thanks to the metro and bus service, exploring the city is easy and you’ll feel like a local in no time. Plus, students in Glasgow are well-placed to discover more of Scotland, with the capital city, Edinburgh, just a train ride away and the Scottish Highlands and Islands practically on its doorstep. With an airport and several train stations in the city, adventures further afield in the UK and Europe also await.
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