Applying to uni in Reading, or thinking about it? Our student guide to Reading has all the key information about student life in the local area to help you make your decision.
Updated: 28 Jan 2026
So you’re moving to Reading? Great choice! The largest town in the UK offers an excellent balance of advantages. It has a top-flight university, a huge amount of parkland and green space, and a buzzing music and arts scene. It has great access to London, and a superb student lifestyle with a much lower price tag. We’ve put together the following guide to share some of our top tips and favourite places which make Reading such a great uni town.
The university’s students' union offers a huge variety of clubs and societies. In terms of student activities, this is where you’ll find the most selection at the lowest cost of entry, and with the most people of university age to enjoy them with, so it’s a really good place to start. Societies include recreational and competitive sports teams, and so much more. Check out the SU website for a full list.
Reading is a very green and countrified place, with 20 areas of woodland and three rivers within the town centre. The River Thames has many great safe places to swim in the warmer months, and the Thames Lido is an equally great place to find something a little less wild and a little more indulgent. It has a swimming pool, saunas, spa treatments, hot tubs and also a Spanish and Mediterranean-themed restaurant and bar. Perfect for treating yourself after a long day’s study.
NEXT: Read our list of the top 10 student things to do in Reading.
The University of Reading has a large and active students’ union, and they run several bars around campus which are often the starting point for a night out on the town. Check out 3sixty, Mojos, Mondial, and Monterey Lounge for the cheapest and most sociable place to meet with your classmates for a swift pint after lectures. They run regular student events and have weekly discount deals on food and beverages. When you venture out into town, you’ll find a wide selection of pubs, bars and clubs. In Reading, the average cost of a pint of beer is only £4 which is far cheaper than London and all the more reason to stay local.
It’d take forever to run through all the well known (and secret) spots that Reading has to offer, so here’s some of the best...
Purple Turtle - It’s popular with students, they run regular club nights and gigs, and it has a really fun name. Can’t argue with that!
Lola Lo - A Polynesian paradise cocktail bar and nightclub, which offers something a little bit different to the usual student haunt. The decor is in an immersive tiki style, perfect for escaping the normality of the typical British high street, and the music keeps you dancing all night.
It generally costs around £168 - £276 per week to live in the University of Reading’s halls of residence, which is a typical thing to do for your first year. We recommend it, because you’ll be situated close to the university and amongst all your new classmates and friends. Additionally, you’ll have a very clear and convenient contract which includes all your utilities bills and lasts only for the duration of your university year, giving you a lot of freedom to spend your summer elsewhere without paying for rent.
After first year, you’ll either be looking for your own place, or buddying up with some new friends to find a shared house somewhere in town. In the town centre, expect to pay around £1,270 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, or £2,120 for a three-bedroom apartment. This works out around £700 per person for a shared apartment, which is far below the cost of the equivalent accommodation in nearby London. By living a little further out of the town centre, you’ll find that prices drop by about 15-20%.
If you live in halls for your first year, you’ll be so close to campus that walking or cycling will often be the best compromise of speed and cost, with the additional benefits of giving you free daily exercise.
Fortunately, buses in Reading are also inexpensive and plentiful. A monthly travel pass is a good idea, and it gives you unlimited travel for the cost of around £66 per month. Don’t forget to use your student discount too. A 16-25 railcard will give you a 1/3 discount on all national trains, and considering Reading’s proximity to London, this is a membership which pays for itself within a few short rides.
Make the most of Reading’s excellent connectivity and book a day trip to places of interest in the south of the UK.
So how much will you need to live in Reading? Well, that depends largely on what sort of accommodation you choose, how you get around town, and on things like how often you eat out and go to the pub.
Grocery shopping is another considerable expense, and self-catered students typically spend £146 per month on food items. Reading is a very well-connected town and has a wide choice of supermarket chains and independent grocery shops located in the town centre. Our cost-saving tip is to visit the larger outlets and commercial wholesalers located in the industrial parks around the periphery of Reading, where you can find the best value and multi-buy deals.
NEXT: Find out more about the cost of living in Reading.
The only thing which attracts more student to Reading than the university is Reading Festival.
Now in it’s fortieth year, it is one of the biggest and best festivals the UK has ever birthed, and each year more than 100,000 revellers descend upon Reading (and its partner location, Leeds) for a hedonistic weekend of music and madness. Around 200 live acts are booked every year, making it one of the major events in the UK festival season and certainly one to experience if you study here.
Our best tip is to think ahead, and plan wisely. Early bird tickets are available months in advance, and they sell out fast, so be ready!
The University of Reading is a red brick uni with a great reputation and a wide selection of excellent quality courses. It’s a medium-sized uni with an undergraduate population of around 12,500 and provides a fantastic student experience with plenty of extra-curricular enrichment, and a large programme of clubs and societies. The uni has more than 130 years of history, and is a global research leader in areas such as climate science, agriculture, business and food science.
The uni ranks well for research and graduate prospects in nationwide league tables, with good student satisfaction ratings and student feedback. Overall, it’s hard to find fault with the university, so we’ll just leave it at that!