About Birmingham
With 26.6% of its student population being international, Birmingham is one of the top cities in the UK when it comes to education. Here is a breakdown of the proportion of international students by level of study in Birmingham:
Undergraduate: 38%
Postgraduate: 73%
Research: 65%
Birmingham offers high-quality education through its renowned universities, the University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham, and Newman University. It’s also one of the most affordable cities to live in for students, compared to other major cities in the UK, like London.
Popular Student Accommodation Areas in Birmingham
Popular Birmingham areas among university students are Selly Oak, Moseley, and Harborne. There are a few things to keep in mind while searching for the perfect student area to stay in, including transportation, cost, and amenities.
1. Students living in Birmingham’s Selly Oak will be near the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University, City South Campus, and purpose-built accommodation would cost around £150–£300/week.
Travel time from Selly Oak to the City Centre by different modes of transportation:
Bus - 15-30 minutes
Train - 15-20 minutes
Taxi - 8-12 minutes
Walking - 45-60 minutes
Tram - 40-45 minutes
2. Students living in Moseley would pay approximately £120–£300/week.
Nearby universities include Birmingham City University International College.
Travel time from Moseley to the City Centre by different modes of transportation:
Bus - 20-30 minutes
Train - 15-20 minutes
Taxi - 5-10 minutes
Walking - 40-50 minutes
Tram - 15-20 minutes
3. Students living in Harborne purpose-built student accommodation would pay around £140–£300/week. This area includes Birmingham City University: City South Campus.
Travel time from Harborne to the City Centre by different modes of transportation:
Bus - 20-25 minutes
Train - 4-10 minutes
Taxi - 10-15 minutes
Tram - 15-20 minutes
Walking - 45-50 minutes
Best Student Accommodation in Birmingham
Birmingham has various student room options, and students can explore different areas in Birmingham near their universities and budgets.
Popular student Housing in Birmingham that provide almost every room type are iQ Broderick House, Harriet Martineau Unite, Staniforth House Unite, Altura, Metchley Hall, Kensington House, and True Birmingham.
Discover Student Room Types in Birmingham (Approx. £100 – £3000/ month)
The purpose-built student accommodation in Birmingham typically includes a variety of amenities included in the bills; it varies according to the provider's terms and conditions. But broadly, we suggest a student should consider budget, needs, and preferences while making decisions.
Here, we have categorised the room types given below based on preference and budget to help you in your decision-making.
Type 1: Affordable student rooms in Birmingham:
These cost around £100–£250 per week on average and are recommended for students who are comfortable sharing space. Typically, such properties are houses or apartments.
Shared room
Amenities: Self-contained apartment with multiple bedrooms, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £120 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £140 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £150/ month
Triple/ Quadruple rooms
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £100 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £110 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £130 / month
Entire place
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £250 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £300 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £350/ month
Recommended entire place accommodation include Delightful one-bed apartment in Bridgnorth.
Type 2: Affordable student rooms in Birmingham with privacy: These rooms cost around £400–£800 per month.
Student Single Room
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £600 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £750 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £850 / month
Recommended student single rooms are Metchley Hall and Queen's Hospital Close.
Student Shared Flats
Amenities: Private Bedroom in a shared house or flat, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £450 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £500 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £600 / month
Recommended shared flats include iQ Studios 51.
Student Twin Rooms
Amenities: One room with 2 single beds, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £480 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £600 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £650 / month
Student Double Room
Amenities: One bedroom with double bed, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £440 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £500 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £600 / month
Recommended double rooms include ibis budget Birmingham Centre.
Room Type 3: Birmingham student rooms with privacy, quiet space, and proximity to the City Centre cost around £520- £1,400 per month.
Birmingham Student Flats
Amenities: Private bedroom, private bathroom, private kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £450 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £600 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £650 / month
Browse through Birmingham student flats such as Harriet Martineau Unite, Mary Sturge Unite, and The Pavilion.
Birmingham Student En-Suite Rooms
Amenities: Single bedroom, Private bathroom, shared kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £550 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £700 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £800 / month
Browse through students' en-suites in Birmingham, such as Lakeside Unite, Jennens Court Unite, Altura, and Selly Oak Court.
Birmingham Student Studios
Amenities: private bedroom, Private bathroom, private kitchen
Selly Oak avg. Rent: £450 / month
Moseley avg. Rent: £500 / month
Harborne avg. Rent: £600 / month
Popular student studios are iQ Penworks House, Beechenhurst House, and Pebble Mill.
Room Type 4: Students who prefer amenities over budget
Student Penthouse in Birmingham costs around £1,000–£3,000 per month.
These are suitable for students who prefer to have private bedrooms, a private balcony, a terrace, privacy, spacious rooms, and a top floor that is more over budget.
International students in Birmingham, UK also search for:
Cost of Living in Birmingham for Students (Approx. £370 – £800)
It varies depending on students’ lifestyle choices, but overall, apart from your Birmingham student accommodation rent, other expenses cannot be ignored. We have suggestions to help you save money while living in Birmingham as a student:
Food: £200–£300/month on average.
We suggest buying groceries that cost around £200/month and cooking your own meals.
Shop from grocery stores such as Tesco, Co-op, Iceland, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. They offer student discounts.
Transportation: £100-£180/month on average
Get a Transport for West Midlands Swift Card for free and enjoy 50% discounts on all buses, trains, and trams within the West Midlands region.
Rent a bicycle from West Midlands Cycle Hire for £2.50 per day for a daily commute.
University bike schemes: Some universities, such as the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, and University College Birmingham, offer their students discounted bikes.
Buy a new bike for £200, easily available for students. This equals one month's rent and will benefit you for the entire year.
Kitchen Essentials: Market worth around £70-£130.
Some properties do not provide utensils in that case, student can check online where some websites provide utensils at discounted prices for student from market prices.
Former students generally leave their kitchen essentials on the property while leaving the city due to airport luggage weight restrictions. You can find someone in your friends circle and reuse the stuff.
Bedding Essentials: Market worth around £100.
Only a few providers provide bedding packs to their tenants, either included in bills or as an offer. Otherwise, after move-in, students have to buy on their own.
Former students generally leave their bedding essentials on the property while leaving the city due to airport luggage weight restrictions. You can find someone in your friends circle and reuse the stuff.
Bathroom Essentials: Market worth around £50
While booking a student room, the focus remains on whether it has shared or private bathrooms, but forget about bathroom essentials. Some properties do not provide Bathroom Essentials in that case, student can check online where some websites provide utensils at discounted prices for student from market prices.
Cleaning Essentials: Market worth around £40
