Which University?

Obviously this will be dependant on what grades you get, but if you do well then you will have the choice of applying where you want to. Manchester is home to the largest student population in Europe. There are currently three universities in Manchester, The University of Manchester is the largest of these, then there is Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and The University of Salford, which is based in the Salford Quays just outside the city centre.

The University of Manchester

In 2004 when UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester merged the University of Manchester was created, making it Britain's largest single-site university. Shortly after in 2005 the University won the inaugural Times Higher Supplement's University of the Year prize in 2005. The university is also the most popular University in Britain receiving more applications than any other, in 2007 the University received more than 64000 undergraduate applications alone. Currently there are 25,656 undergraduates with a further 9000 postgraduate students. Without a doubt The University of Manchester is the best university with respect to ranking, in 2008 it was ranked as 40th in the world and 5th in the UK by Shanghai Jiao Tong in their annual list of the world's top 500 Universities. The university has a bold ambition called the 2015 Manchester agenda, in which the university is aiming to become one of the world's 25 best universities. In the most recent RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) The university was placed only behind Cambridge and Oxford in terms of world leading research. The university offers an unparalleled selection of courses from Medicine to Russian Studies, in total offering just over 500 courses. The university's career service is consitently voted amongst the best in the country, appointments can be made before hand or you can just drop in, so you will receive excellent help in applying for your dream career.

The union plays an important role in university life, housing a bar, shop, eye clinic and underground club. Many socieities have offices in the union building, you are strongly advised to join a society as this will add to your uni experience and is a great way of getting to know people and to forget studying. There is a whole host of societies and clubs you can join, from sports clubs to the Sikh society. Next door to the union building is the Manchester Academy, open to the public and students of other universities, which plays host to briliant bands at an affordable price. Past performers have included Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and the Arctic Monkeys (to find out more click here).

The University has an excellent location, mainly centred around the Oxford Road corridor and it is just a 10 minute bus ride into the city centre. It is possible to walk into town from the university and it is conveniently located a short walk from the Rusholme area home to the "curry mile" although not exactly 1 mile long there are plenty of cheap Indian restaurants as well as some Chinese restaurants and bars, like Varsity, which are very student friendly.

Manchester Metropolitan University

MMU is one of the largest universities in Britain, offering around 700 courses to over 33,000 students and the majority are from state schools with a 94:6 ratio of state to privately educated students. MMU has a more grown up feel than Man uni because of the high number of local and mature students, with a fifth of the students being over the age of 25. The MMU is more spread out than its neighbour, with the All Saints campus located next to the University of Manchester on Oxford Road, the Elizabeth Gaskell campus (about a mile away from the main site)with further sites in the Didsbury area and sites further away in Cheshire (Crewe and Alsagar). Although not known for its academic prowess, the university was the first new university to achieve a 5* for research in 2001. The university also has good career prospects with 92% being employed 6 months after graduation.

The union building is located at the main site on Oxford Road, which has several bars including the K-Two bar which plays host to 3 or 4 club nights a week. The K-Two has also been a site for gigs such as Eagle Eye Cherry, Trevor Nelson, Chemical Brothers and Dreem Teem in the last couple of years. The Capitol theatre is also a great place to watch plays put on by the drama society.

Salford University

Salford university is the smallest of the three unis in Manchester with over 12,000 full time undergraduate students. Just over a mile away from the centre of Manchester, it is an exciting time to be living in Salford as it is undergoing a big regeneration. The majority of the university's bulidings are modern the campus is very green, so if you want an alternative to the busy cosmopolitan life in Manchester, Salford is a little bit quieter. The university has 3 main sites, Peel Park, Frederick Road and Adelphi, all within 10 minutes of each other where the majority of students are based. There’s also Irwell Valley, a further ten mins from Frederick Road, near the Castle Irwell Student Village. The nearby docklands will be home to 5 BBC departments and is the BBC's largest presence outside of London. This is part of the MediaCityUK development, which will give the area a boost and provide excellent opportunites for media students. There is a good careers service which can help graduates start their own business and provide placements in local industries.

Media courses are the most oversubscribed courses at Salford and there is also a new £8 million law school. The union has three bars, eight cafes, a stationary shop and offers a late night minibus. There are plenty of societies to join. Although Salford won't attract big bands it is a short bus ride into Manchester where the MEN arena is easily accessible and plays host to a variety of major international performers.