About London
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), London is very popular amongst students. Here is a breakdown of the proportion of international students by level of study in London:
- Undergraduate: 39%
- Postgraduate: 52%
- Research: 53%
The proportion of international students in London has been increasing steadily over the past few years due to a number of factors, including the growing reputation of London's universities, the increasing globalization of higher education, and the UK government's policy of encouraging international students to study in the UK.
Popular Student Accommodation Areas in London
London is divided into nine concentric zones, with Zone 1 being the city centre and Zone 9 being the outermost zone. The zones are used to determine the cost of public transportation fares. The further you travel from the city centre, the higher the fare.
Popular London zones amongst university students are Zone 1, 2 and 3. There are a few things to keep in mind while searching for a perfect student area to stay in, including transportation, cost, and amenities.
1. Students living in London Zone 1 will be near UCL, University of London, QMUL, KCL, and purpose accommodation would cost around £350-£450/week.
Travel Time from London Zone 1 to the city Centre by different modes of transportation:
Underground (Tube)- 10-20 minutes
Bus - 20-30 minutes
Taxi - 15-20 minutes
Walking - 30-45 minutes
2. Students living in London Zone 2 would pay approximately £275-£325/week.
Nearby universities include Goldsmiths University, London Metropolitan University, University of Greenwich, Kingston University, St George's University, University of London.
Travel Time from London Zone 2 to the City Centre by different modes of transportation:
Underground (Tube) - 15-30 minutes
Bus - 30- 45 minutes
Taxi - 15- 20 minutes
Walking - 45- 60 minutes
Overground - 20- 40 minutes
3. Students living in London Zone 3 PBSAs would pay around £220-£275/week. This Zone includes Brunel University London, University of West London, St Mary's University Twickenham, Kingston University Kingston Hill Campus, Royal Holloway, University of London, Queen Mary University of London Stratford Campus, and University of East London.
Travel Time from London Zone 3 to the city centre by different modes of transportation:
Underground (Tube) - 20-45 minutes
Bus - 45-60 minutes
Taxi - 30-45 minutes
Walking - 60-90 minutes
Overground - 30-50 minutes
Best Student Accommodation in London
London has a vast choice of student room options, and students can explore different zones in London in proximity to their colleges and budgets.
Popular student housing in London which provide almost every room type are:-
- iQ Magenta House
- iQ City
- iQ Shoreditch
- The Valentine
- Mannequin House Roost
- Emily Bowes Court Unite
- Olympic Way Unite
- McMillan Residence
- iQ Sterling Court
- Station Court Unite
Discover Student Room Types in London (Approx. £392 - £1820/ month)
The purpose-built student accommodation in London typically includes a variety of amenities included in bills; it varies according to the provider's terms & conditions. But broadly, we suggest a student should consider budget, needs, and preferences while making decisions.
Here we have categorized the room types given below on the preference and budget to help you in decision-making.
Type 1: Affordable student rooms in London:
These cost around £400 - £700 per month on average and are recommended for students who are comfortable sharing space. Typically, such properties are houses or apartments.
Shared rooms
Amenities: Self-contained apartment with multiple bedrooms, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £486 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £445 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £392/ month
Recommended London student accommodation for single rooms iQ Arcade.
Triple/ Quadruple rooms
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £806 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £747 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £676 / month
Entire place
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £815 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £760 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £688/ month
Type 2: Affordable student rooms in London with privacy: These rooms cost around £1100- £1400 per month.
Student Single Room
Amenities: Private bedroom, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,227 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,125 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £1,012/ month
Recommended student single rooms are:-
Student Shared Flats
Amenities: Private Bedroom in a shared house or flat, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,227 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,125 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £1,012 / month
Recommended student-shared flats are:-
Student Twin Rooms
Amenities: One room with 2 single beds, Shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,468/month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,354/month
Zone 3 avg. Rent:: £1,221/month
Recommended London student accommodations with Twin Rooms are:-
Student Double Room
Amenities: One bedroom with double bed, shared bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,578/month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,462/month
Zone 3 avg. Rent:: £1,329/month
Recommended student accommodation in London with double rooms is Maida Vale
Room Type 3: London student Housing with privacy, quiet space, and near the city Centre cost around £1600- £1700 per month.
London Student Flats
Amenities: Private bedroom, private bathroom, private kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,800 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,600 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £1,400 / month
Browse through London student flats such as
London Student En-Suite Rooms
Amenities: Single bedroom, Private bathroom, shared kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,754 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,648 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £1,521 / month
Browse through students' en-suits in London, such as
London Student studios
Amenities: private bedroom, Private bathroom, private kitchen
Zone 1 avg. Rent: £1,820 / month
Zone 2 avg. Rent: £1,708 / month
Zone 3 avg. Rent: £1,571 / month
Popular student studios are:-
Room Type 4: Amenities over budget
- Student Penthouse in London costs around £2000- £3000 per month. iQ Shoreditch in London Zone 1 provides a penthouse starting from £600 per week.
These are suitable for students who prefer to have private bedrooms, a private balcony, terrace, privacy, spacious rooms, and a top floor more over budget.
International students in London, UK also search for:
Cost of Living in London for Students (Approx. £420 - £685)
It varies depending on students’ lifestyle choices, but overall, apart from your London student accommodation rent, there are other expenses which can not be ignored. We have suggestions to help you save money while living in London as a student:
Food: £300-£400/month on average.
We suggest buying groceries that cost around £28/month and cooking your own meal.
Shop from grocery stores such as Iceland, Food Basics, Metro, United Supermarket, Sobeys, Valu-mart, and Real Canadian Supermarket. They have some specific days for students' discounts.
Transportation: £120-£150/month on average
- Buy a student oyster card and get around 30% discount on Transport of London services(TfL) public transport buses, trains etc.
- Rent a Santander Cycles by TfL worth £1.65 per day for a daily commute.
- Rent electric bikes and folding bikes for £10 per day from private companies for weekend commutes.
- University bike schemes: Some universities, such as Imperial College London, offer bikes to their students at discounted rates.
- Buy a new bike for £200 easily available for students. Which is equal to one month's rent will benefit you for the entire year.
Kitchen Essentials: Market worth around £100-£132.
Some properties do not provide utensils in that case, student can check online where some websites provide student at discounted prices 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 £57.
Only a few providers provide bedding packs to their tenants 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 in 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 £54
Some properties do not provide bathroom essentials in that case, student can check online where some websites provide at discounted prices from market prices.
Cleaning Essentials: Market worth around £51
