If you’re considering studying in Loughborough but aren’t sure what the town has to offer, our list of reasons to study here is for you.
Updated: 10 Mar 2025
Located in the East Midlands, Loughborough is well-known for the sporting prowess of its uni, but what does the town have to offer students? Well, quite a lot actually! We’ve put together a list of 17 reasons why Loughborough is a great place to live and study as a student.
The uni in Loughborough is consistently well-ranked and recently came 7th in the UK according to Complete University Guide. As well as this, it came within the UK top 10 in 18 different subject areas, including sports science, architecture, sociology and English.
Learn more about Loughborough University.
Unsurprisingly considering how highly the uni ranks for sports science, the university is known for its sporting success, and teams from the uni regularly compete against teams from other UK universities and perform well, making the town an ideal choice for sports fans.
As it’s a smaller town, the cost of living here is less than the nearby larger cities such as Nottingham and Leicester, and it’s considerably cheaper than living in one of the UK’s major cities. You’ll notice this mostly in the price of rent, but the price of groceries and going out is also cheaper than in many other UK uni towns and cities, so you can make your money go further.
The town centre is small, which means you’ll be able to walk to get to your destination most of the time. It’s easy to get to one side of the town to the other, and although it isn’t a long walk, there are plenty of local buses to make getting around the town and local area even easier.
As well as the local buses we just mentioned, Loughborough is also well-connected to other UK cities. Its central location within England means nowhere is too far away, and it has good road and rail connections. From the rail station in town, you can get a direct train to towns and cities including Nottingham, London, Leicester, Sheffield and Lincoln.
Loughborough is situated in the countryside of Leicestershire and is close to many large parks and woods to explore and reconnect with nature. If you’re looking for a walk through more wooded areas, then you might want to check out the Outwoods or Beacon Hill. If open green spaces are more your thing, then you could head to the park in the centre of town, or travel a bit further afield to nearby Newtown Linford, where you’ll find Bradgate Park.
As Loughborough is a market town, it’s surely no surprise that there’s a twice-weekly market. You can pick up some bargains here, with vendors selling all sorts from clothes to curries to pies to fresh fruit and veg. As well as bargains, it’s a great way to meet some local small businesses and feel integrated into the community.
Thanks to the large student population, there’s a good nightlife scene in Loughborough, and you also have access to the busier city of Nottingham if you’re after a bigger night out. Regardless of if you stay in Loughborough or head to Nottingham, you’ll be able to find pubs, bars and clubs on offer, and several also offer special student deals or discounts to take advantage of.
You’ll find a packed events calendar if you study in Loughborough, as the town hosts regular festivals and celebrations. These are great ways to get more involved in the local community and also offer a great chance to celebrate things you’re passionate about, and meet others with shared interests.
The area is known for its cultural diversity, and the uni is also popular with international students. Living here, you’ll meet people from all different backgrounds and walks of life, so it’s a great opportunity for cultural exchange. The multicultural nature of the town also ensures it feels welcoming and inclusive to all, and it also means you’ll find lots of different traditional cuisines on offer!
The uni is relatively large, with approximately 14,000 undergraduate students. Especially given the small size of the town, this means that the area has a very high student population. As a result, the town is super student-friendly, with events and businesses catering to students. You’ll also find plenty of student deals and discounts around, so be sure to take your student ID out with you.
The town and area has plenty of history to explore. A good place to start is the Carillon Tower, though the town’s history dates back much further, to the Saxon era. If royal history is your thing, then you’ll want to pay a visit to nearby Bradgate Park, which was the estate and home of Lady Jane Grey, the nine days Queen.
The compact town centre offers a wide range of shopping and dining options. You’ll find a good mix of high street shops, independent stores, second-hands shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants specialising in all different cuisines.
Loughborough is located pretty much in the centre of England, which means there are several major cities within easy reach. Sheffield, Nottingham and Birmingham are all less than an hour’s drive away, and London and Manchester are also accessible by car within a couple of hours.
The area has a growing and thriving economy, and all the retail and hospitality businesses offer perfect student jobs. Thinking further into the future, the location of the town is ideal, as you’ll be able to access the Loughborough job market, as well as being within commutable distance to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham.
If you’re interested in history, then the local sites of interest aren’t the only thing here for you. The town is home to multiple museums, mostly focused on local history. You’ll find the Charnwood Museum, the Carillon Tower & War Memorial Museum, the Old Rectory Museum and more.
Loughborough has multiple different bus companies providing routes around the town, so you’ll not only be able to explore the town with ease, but you’ll also be able to pay a visit to the surrounding villages thanks to the excellent local transport connections.
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If you think Loughborough is the right fit for you for uni, then start searching for courses now.
Or, read our guide to studying in Loughborough.
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