Student city guide to Norwich

Check upcoming open days and book your place

Located on the east coast of English, Norwich is cathedral town with plenty of history behind it, ample green spaces, plenty of nightlife activities and an affordable cost of living compared to many other places in the UK. As such, it should come as no surprise that students absolutely love Norwich. If you’re thinking about heading to uni here but want to know what you can expect, you’ve come to the right place. Our student guide to studying in Norwich will tell you everything you need to know about this fabulous town and what you could end up doing should you take your degree here.

Student activities in Norwich
Nightlife in Norwich
Student accommodation in Norwich
Transport in Norwich
Student costs in Norwich
Universities in Norwich

Student activities in Norwich

If you’ve got an eye for architecture and history, you’ll be thrilled to hear that Norwich is packed with stunning buildings, including its Romanesque cathedral and the medieval Norwich Castle.

Shopping options include Chantry Place shopping centre, the Norwich Market Place outdoor market and more. If you work up an appetite with shopping, there’s no shortage of great places to eat, like Grosvenor’s Fish Bar – a chippy that’s been open for 95 years! Of course, there are many restaurants where you can have a fab sit-down meal too, at places like Wild Thyme, Shiki and The Ten Bells.

Sports fans will have lots of choice when it comes to getting involved in the various teams around Norwich. From classic faves like five-a-side football, tennis and running clubs, to more unfamiliar and exciting sports like baseball, archery and even korfball, Norwich has a lot of ways to get you moving. If football is your thing, you’ll also probably want to see a few Norwich City FC games at Carrow Road.

Plus, if you’re a fan of mid-to-late ‘90s British comedy (very specific, we know), then we’re sure you’ll enjoy looking about town and spotting a few locations frequented by the one and only Alan Partridge.

Nightlife in Norwich

There’s plenty going on Norwich in terms of nightlife. There are a host of brilliant bars to visit, like Gyre & Gimble, The Wildman and The Playhouse Bar. In fact, there’s even a bar which is also a karaoke venue and also a bowling alley – you don’t see that every day!

Up for a dance? There are three nightclubs in Norwich – Mojo’s, Mantra Club and Karma Kafe – and all three would make a great venue for a night on the town.

If you’re looking to be entertained, Norwich is home to the snazzy Cinema City, the Norwich Theatre Royal and a whole host of gig venues with live music most nights of the week. Once a year, Norwich is also home to Sundown Festival, with big acts heading to town for a great weekend.

Student accommodation in Norwich

The universities in Norwich have ample student accommodation options for a variety of budgets. The University of East Anglia, for example, has a selection of city and campus options for students to live in, starting at £91 a week – including Grade II Listed Ziggurats that were designed by Modernist architect Denys Lasden. If you’re headed to the Norwich University of the Arts, you’ll be able to live in one of their five housing locations, which have a starting price of between £108 and £171 per week.

Students looking to rent privately will also have lots of choice when it comes to finding student accommodation. For example, if you’re looking to live with three friends, you could live in the city centre by renting a three-bedroom flat, which on average can cost £1,450 a month.

Transport in Norwich

Luckily, Norwich isn’t particularly large, so it’s highly likely that you won’t need to spend your cash on transport to get around – or at least not loads of it anyway. If you do fancy getting a monthly travel pass for local bus routes, this can cost you around £65 a month. However, like we said, Norwich is fairly small, so you may want to invest in a bicycle (and a helmet and bike lock, of course) to get about the town. Not only will you end up saving some money by the end of your degree, but you’ll also get a helping of glorious Norfolk fresh air every day. Bonus!

Student costs in Norwich

The cost of living is hugely important to consider when picking where to go for university, so keeping an eye on how much things cost in a city or town is important indeed. For some common grocery items, on average you’ll be likely to pay around £1.17 for a litre of milk, £2.14 for a dozen eggs, and £1.82 for a kilogram of apples in Norwich. Monthly utility bills can cost around £146 on average if you’re living in private accommodation. You’ll be paying on average £5 for a pint of beer, and an inexpensive restaurant meal will likely come out to £15. Overall, Norwich is fairly affordable in terms of the cost of living compared to other areas in the country, which is ideal for students!

Read our dedicated breakdown of the cost of living in Norwich for students

Universities in Norwich

So, has this piqued your interest in going to uni in Norwich? If so, then you’ll want to take a look at the two major universities in town – the University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts.

The University of East Anglia (UAE) is spread across the outskirts of Norwich, with its campus sitting within 320 acres of landscaped parkland. Don’t worry though, it’s not all fields and trees – you’ll find all the amenities facilities of high-quality universities on campus too. UAE is well-renowned for its research and teaching, as well as a huge selection of sports teams for students to get involved in. It placed 27th in the Complete University Guide 2023 League Table.

Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) is dedicated to teaching students who are looking to develop their skills in a variety of creative subjects, including the likes of animation, photography, game development and more. The city centre campus sits at the heart of the town’s creative community, offering students many opportunities to show off their skills and collaborate with like-minded artists. It placed 54th in the Complete University Guide 2023 League Table.

Our cookies

Privacy overview

Manage consent preferences

Research and Prep

Student city guide to Norwich

Similar articles

Student guide to the West Midlands

Student guide to the East Midlands

Student guide to South West England

Student guide to South East England

YOUR UCAS POINTS 0