The University of Manchester is one of the 40 most international universities in the world. Lots of overseas students come to the exciting, friendly city of Manchester to live and learn at this institution. Its history goes back to 1824 and the creation of UMIST (the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology), but it has since merged with the Victoria University of Manchester to become the university students know today.
Manchester is the largest single-campus university in Britain, with the widest range of available undergraduate programmes and courses. What really makes The University of Manchester special, though, is the amazing postgraduate research happening on campus every academic year.
The University of Manchester library has some of the best resources in the country and is recognised as one of the world’s top research libraries. 25 Nobel Prize winners have studied or worked at Manchester University, and it was ranked the 35th best university in the entire world in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021. It also came ninth in Europe and fifth in the United Kingdom.
There are over 40,000 students currently enrolled at Manchester University, and almost 14,000 of them are international. This equals over a quarter of the student population, creating a diverse student community. International students can access a wide range of targeted student services during their time at Manchester University, from the day they’re accepted until years after they graduate (the alumni network, for example, is very strong).
Manchester is also a university that cares a lot about the future. It has a long history, but it’s never been stuck in the past. It was the first British university to set social responsibility as a goal, and it’s been supporting important global academic research for decades.
The University of Manchester is the perfect place for international students to learn and grow, living a traditional British student life and getting a great education in the process. The Oxford Road campus in the city centre has some of the best student facilities in England, the standard of teaching is very high, and the city of Manchester has lots of student recreation options to enjoy after class.
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The University of Manchester is part of the prestigious Russell Group along with 23 other well-respected institutions across the UK (including Bristol University, Oxford University and Warwick University). Manchester has a reputation for its high-quality teaching and exciting research, and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 placed it 51st in the world and eighth in the UK.
Research at Manchester often has an international impact, and there are lots of important projects focused on sustainability and the environment. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) has confirmed that Manchester is one of the UK’s top research universities, with 83 per cent of research activity considered globally leading or internationally excellent.
The University of Manchester lecturers and tutors create an ideal learning experience and environment for undergraduate and postgraduate students. During their studies, students can network with talented academics, access dedicated enterprise centres and benefit from the university’s strong connections with local, national and international employers. Teaching quality is maintained across all courses. Students know they can always expect excellence.
Manchester is at the top of the list (and there are 1,100 other universities on the list) when it comes to action taken towards UN sustainability goals. Any person who wants to get an education at an institution with an important history and an eye on the future should consider Manchester University. Here, students transform from intelligent, hard-working young people into highly employable graduates.
The University of Manchester is breaking down education barriers and focusing on social inclusion so that all talented students can access higher education opportunities. Admission to the school is competitive, but the admission team can be flexible in certain circumstances.
There are some university entry requirements that all students will need to meet to be considered for admission, and there are some course-specific entry requirements (so lots of research is recommended before an application is made). The general university requirements for undergraduate applicants are:
For postgraduate applicants, similar requirements apply, but the education level changes. Applicants usually need previous university qualifications to at least the level of a bachelor’s degree, and grade requirements will be different from course to course.
International students can apply for a student visa to study in the UK (as mentioned, if they are 16 or over). Students from outside the UK can arrive up to one week before their course starts if their course lasts less than six months. Or, if their course is longer than six months, they can arrive up to one month before. Students must not travel to the UK before the start date given on their visa.
Since university classes are taught and assessed in English, international applicants need to meet specific English requirements to study at the university. The UK Visa Authority requires every student who needs a visa to study in the UK to show evidence of a minimum level of English proficiency, and the university has the same requirement.
International students applying from English-speaking countries or mostly English-speaking countries don’t have to prove their English proficiency, and nor do applicants who have most recently completed four years in a row of study in an English institution. If an applicant doesn’t meet these exceptions, there are lots of testing options for proving English proficiency, including the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Pearson Test of English (PTE).
Applicants will need a minimum IELTS overall band score of 6.5 or a minimum PTE score of 59. These are the general requirements, but they will sometimes change in either direction from course to course, so applicants should look into their specific proficiency requirements.
The University of Manchester has a 56 per cent acceptance rate, application deadlines throughout the year and a student admission fee of GBP 25. International students might also need to pay a healthcare surcharge as part of their admission application. How much a student will have to pay for this surcharge depends on how long their student visa lasts. An international student may also be able to bring their partner and/or children over on their visa.
Applications can be made through the UK’s university admission service, UCAS. Applications to The University of Manchester are accepted from September first until a deadline around the middle of January (the exact date will change each year).
Russell Group universities like Manchester value early applicants, but the university recommends that students don’t rush over their applications just to get them in as quickly as possible. Applicants will usually hear back about whether they’ve been offered a place in January or February.
The later the application goes in, the longer it can take to hear back. If a student gets a conditional offer based on their current study, they’ll then need to confirm this offer once they have received their grades (usually in the summer before the September semester).
Manchester University’s annual tuition fees are GBP 9,250 for domestic students and GBP 21,000 for international students. Talented, hard-working international students are welcomed into the Manchester student community every year, and they can access a range of merit-based scholarships and awards, as well as financial hardship options.
A few of the university scholarships and funding assistance options offered to international students at Manchester include The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the Manchester Bursary, and the Living Cost Support Fund. The last two are bursaries of up to GBP 2,000 a year, given to students from low-income families/experiencing financial struggles.
In the past three years, the University of Manchester has provided more than GBP 12.3 million of funding through the Manchester Bursary, helping over 6,000 students gain access to a great education at the university. There are also lots of project grants and research funding opportunities available to students showing promise in their fields of study.
International students should make sure their funding plan for university accounts for the fees associated with getting a student visa to learn in the UK, as there’s a GBP 363 visa application fee to pay (which must be paid for every person that joins the international student when they come over to the UK).
There are over 1,000 different degree programmes offered across three core faculties at Manchester University: the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Each faculty contains schools, and most schools contain smaller divisions. This is the structure:
There are also lots of important collaborative research initiatives happening all the time at Manchester University. Nearly 50 per cent of the research staff are interdisciplinary. The institution has five key research areas, all great examples of how it is actively trying to combine new learning with social responsibility and sustainability:
Research is a key part of teaching at Manchester. Students don’t just learn in the classroom, they learn in the laboratory, too. Plus, there are lots of postgraduate research qualifications available to study. The university even partners with a range of organisations and companies on its research projects to offer student funding, modern facilities and exciting professional opportunities. Partnership programmes include Creative Manchester, Digital Futures and Policy@Manchester.
There are some amazing facilities on the Manchester campus in the middle of the city. There are also four global centres run by Manchester University. These centres are in Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore, and they offer a growing range of programmes that combine in-person and digital activities for a flexible, innovative learning experience.
There are modern, well-designed lecture theatres and smaller teaching rooms for collaborative group sessions on campus. There are also some other great learning-focused student activity centres available, like the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre and ID Manchester, a new district being developed in central Manchester.
The true student life centre for studying is the university’s main library (there are then eight more library spaces along with a lot of other bookable study spaces and group study rooms). The University of Manchester Library is one of just five National Research Libraries, and it’s definitely one of the largest academic libraries in the country, with over four million printed books and manuscripts, over 50,000 electronic journals and over 800,000 electronic books.
When class is over, there are lots of extracurricular activities. The university supports over 400 societies per year, so there really is something for every student, domestic or international, to enjoy. The Students’ Union building is a popular place for students to get together and socialise, and it’s where many of these societies meet.
There are also a lot of student recreation centres on campus. There’s the Armitage Sports Centre (a double indoor sports hall, an air-conditioned fitness suite with free weights, outdoor courts and pitches, four squash courts, four floodlit 3G five-a-side football pitches, two full-sized floodlit artificial turf pitches). Also, the Manchester Aquatics Centre (50-metre swimming pools, a diving pool, a fun pool, a fitness suite, a sauna and a steam room and spa).
The University of Manchester offers self-catered student accommodation to students (international and domestic) for between GBP 4,527 and 7,224 annually. Options include student halls (usually single, unshared bedrooms with shared bathrooms, living rooms and kitchens), ensuite rooms (with shared living rooms and kitchens) and private studios. In total, there are over 20 different halls of residence across three locations:
University accommodation is a common choice for first-year students, but many students studying in the UK find a shared student house with coursemates/university friends during their second, third and (if applicable) fourth years of study. Or, they choose to find private rented accommodation, like a studio or a one-bedroom apartment.
Living in the city of Manchester means that students never have a chance to get bored, no matter which accommodation option they choose. There are some great restaurants, shops, and evening entertainment options. Plus, Manchester was named the UK’s most affordable city for students.
The University of Manchester has a full student support programme, including mental health and wellness talks, academic skills workshops, career services and networking events with alumni and employers that students at all levels of study can attend. There’s also financial student support available in the form of a range of funding options and bursaries for people experiencing hardship.
There are many student guides to speak to and student resources to explore in person and online at the university. A student is never left alone or ignored when they have a problem. There are specific student services for disabled people and people with accessibility requirements, as well as services to help international students get settled in and fully connected to life in a new country, a new city and a new learning environment.
Overall, there’s no type of help a student can’t access. In fact, the student support at Manchester is broken down into simple categories on MyManchester (the student portal) so that everyone can find what they’re looking for when they need it:
The University of Manchester graduate outcomes are great. The university has strong connections with businesses across the world, with employers regularly recruiting on-campus. There are over 7,000 graduate recruiters, in fact, who actively search for new staff at the university, so students have some amazing career options right on their doorstep.
As well as industry connections and career fairs that welcome more than 600 groups and employers every year, there are some great career services available to students. These services include online career guides, CV writing and interview technique workshops, and alumni employability Q and As.
There are also employability-increasing options like the Manchester Leadership Programme and Stellify, along with a range of other volunteering, placement and work experience opportunities available across different courses and programmes.
Recruiters target Manchester for their new employees because the university’s high standards and great employment services combine to create qualified, prepared graduates. It’s one of the best universities in the world for employability, ranked 42nd by the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s 2016 figures, 94 per cent of Manchester graduates go straight into employment or further study.
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If you are studying right now or you have completed your studies, then help future students by sharing your experiences.
Anonymous, Mauritius
4
Uni life
Manchester, recently voted Britain's second city, is an amazing place to be a student. Secondly, the University won University of the Year, which demonstrates its strengths both academically and socially. The library is supposed to be the biggest University library in Britain.The Student Union building read full review
Manchester, recently voted Britain's second city, is an amazing place to be a student. Secondly, the University won University of the Year, which demonstrates its strengths both academically and socially. The library is supposed to be the biggest University library in Britain.The Student Union building holds everything from bars, cafes, shops to opticians and even a club. It also houses the Manchester Academy which hosts both up-and-coming bands and well established, well famous bands.A month ago,the Mauritian society organised the Mancunian sports festival which was a success and things like this make university life fun and dynamic.My advice would be to enjoy university life. show less
Anonymous, Korea DPR (North Korea)
3
University of Manchester is a best choice you can make
Manchester is the second biggest city in the UK, so if there's anyone who's thinking of coming to Manchester, I'd like to say it must be a great great great chance for your life. Not only Brits but so many foreigners are here that it should be a good opportunity to experience other cultures and study wh read full review
Manchester is the second biggest city in the UK, so if there's anyone who's thinking of coming to Manchester, I'd like to say it must be a great great great chance for your life. Not only Brits but so many foreigners are here that it should be a good opportunity to experience other cultures and study what you really want at the same time. The UK is well known as good education system, and the University of Manchester is also famous as one of the best universities in the UK which have many professors who got Novel Prizes. Therefore, getting into the University of Manchester is the best choice you can make. show less
