If the University of Portsmouth is on your radar, our guide to student life in the city of Portsmouth has all the information about the local area you'll need to decide whether it's for you.
Updated: 28 Jan 2026
Portsmouth is a unique city located on the south coast of England. If you’re getting ready to study here then you’ve picked a great uni and an equally great location. Portsmouth is a fantastic student city, filled with history and culture, world-class attractions, natural beaches and fresh seafood. In this guide, we’ll share some of our favourite spots and and top tips to help you make the most of your time here.
For its size, Portsmouth has an incredible number of attractions. Too many to describe in great detail, in fact, so we’ll list a few here. The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship; Spinnaker Tower observation deck; Portsmouth’s historic dockyard, home to Nelson’s flagship the HMS Victory and the HMS Warrior; the house of Charles Dickens; the D-Day Museum; Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery.
It’s a lot to see, and it’s all worth a visit. Fortunately as a student in the city, you’ll have all the time in the world. For a more relaxed afternoon, you can visit the many shops and eateries which Portsmouth has to offer. One of our favourites, which wonderfully combines music and food is called Pie and Vinyl. What is it, you ask? A pie shop and record store. It’s as great as it is surprising, and serves a range of meat, vegetarian and vegan pies as well as a wide range of music genres.
NEXT: Read our list of the top 10 student things to do in Portsmouth.
With nearly 30,000 students in the area, Portsmouth provides a top-quality night out. It’s a highly walkable city, with inexpensive restaurants serving fresh seafood and world cuisines. A dinner for two typically costs £60, and the average cost of a pint of beer is around £4.50.
The city is teeming with pubs, bars and clubs for taking the evening a little later into the night. To truly see what’s out there, you really have to come and see it for yourself, but in the meantime here are a few of our favourite picks.
The Liquorist - This cocktail bar is a slightly more upmarket establishment than your local pub, however it is still completely student friendly and they love a good happy hour. Food is served here too, and the best part is that it’s right by the quay, and has wonderful views out into the harbour.
The Astoria - Famous or infamous, depending on who you ask, but a student favourite and part of the Portsmouth late-night scene. The Astoria opens three nights per week, has multiple rooms and is known for playing a lot of house and alternative music.
When it comes to accommodation, you’ve got two main options for first-year – university halls of residence or renting privately. The advantage of going into halls is that you’ll pay a weekly rate which covers all your housing-related expenses, including utilities bills, internet and contents insurance, in a contract package with the same duration as your academic year. Very convenient, and also very social.
You’ll live among classmates and new friends, making it easier to find people to share a place with in second and third years. The University of Portsmouth has 10 halls of residence buildings, with rooms ranging in price between £115 – £198 for self-catered flats.
Renting privately is another option for students, and one that most students in their second and third year will follow. A one-bedroom flat costs an average of £1,050 per month in Portsmouth’s city centre, and a three bedroom apartment costs £1,548, which works out around around £500 per person each month.
You’ll find yourself walking around Portsmouth quite a lot, especially if you’re living in student halls of residence for your first year. This is obviously the cheapest way to get about, and you’ll also benefit from regular exercise.
In terms of public transport, there are several bus services which include Stagecoach and First Bus, and a single journey ticket is priced around £3. Monthly passes are worth getting, if you use the bus at least once per day, and prices start at £66. Our best advice is to use the two free student bus services which stop at the uni campus. The U1 takes a round route around Portsmouth, and the U2 goes between Langstone campus and the city centre several times per day.
University expenses usually boil down to three or four key costs. Firstly, tuition fees. These can’t be avoided and are usually set at £9,790 per year. How you finance them is up to you, but most people take out a student loan to cover this cost.
Another regular expense is food. Grocery shopping in Portsmouth is a little bit cheaper than in big cities like London or Bristol, however there is quite a bit of variation between supermarkets. Find your favourite, and don’t forget to grab a loyalty card so that you can accrue points and access discounts. Students typically spend £146 per month on groceries, and if you’re smart about it then you can eat very well on this budget.
Finally, you'll need to have some spending money left over! Your spending budget will have to cover any social activities such as going out to eat or going on a night out, but it'll also have to cover any course-related costs such as books, art materials and printing.
NEXT: Find out more about student costs in Portsmouth.
Beyond academics there is, of course, the beach! Portsmouth is technically the UK’s only island city, and so there are actually several beaches that are easily accessible to students.
Perfect for relaxing on a warm summer’s day, or watching the waves crash over the harbour wall in wintertime. The sea is inseparable from Portsmouth’s history and is a fundamental part of the city’s identity. Whether you fancy swimming, sailing or sunbathing, there are many ways to enjoy the Portsmouth coastline.
The University of Portsmouth is the city’s only university, and it’s home to a large population of around 29,000 students. Chances are if you’re reading this then you’re thinking of studying here, and take it from us that there are many good reasons to do so.
Portsmouth is an employment-focused uni, which places job prospects at the front of its teaching. Many degree courses include internships, work experience, and some even provide professional accreditation, which gives you a lot of advantages when applying to professional job roles after graduation.
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