Widely known for its world-famous savoury sauce, but less known for its competitive cost of living and progressive educational landscape, Worcester is one of the UK’s best kept secrets. It’s the only university town in the county of Worcestershire and is a great place to study. The university is one of the most environmentally sustainable in the UK, and is known for being highly inclusive and supportive, with superb student satisfaction rates. An all-around gem, and not to be overlooked. Our guide explains how to make your money work for you and get the most out of your time here.
The University of Worcester has a wide range of undergraduate degree courses, spanning many subject areas and disciplines. Most of these courses are priced the same way, due to government guidelines, and your annual tuition fee will most likely be £9,250 (this will be rising to £9,535 from the 2025/26 academic year). Sounds like a lot? Well luckily you don’t necessarily need to cough up this sort of money yourself.
You can take out a tuition fee loan from your home nation’s student finance company, which covers this cost and pays it automatically to the uni at the start of each year, meaning that all you have to do is focus on your studies and university life.
You can also take out a maintenance loan, and the amount you’ll receive is calculated based on your household income but could be around £10,000 per year (this will be rising to up to £10,544 from the 2025/26 academic year). Not bad! This will go a long way to offsetting accommodation costs, or other expenses such as groceries, transport, and course materials. What’s more, these loans don’t need to be paid off immediately. Repayments start only when you’ve graduated and are earning over the repayment threshold for your loan plan.
It’s also well worth checking out your uni’s fees and funding department to see if there are any scholarships or bursaries which you might be eligible for. There is a Hardship Fund available to students who need some extra financial help, as well as performance-based awards for academic achievement and sporting talent. The university automatically awards scholarships valued at £1,000 to eligible undergraduate students who perform well during their first year of studies, so use this as some extra motivation to get your head down and achieve top grades!
In your first year, you’ll probably be living in the University of Worcester’s halls of residence accommodation. There are over 1,000 rooms across their campuses, offering a cost-effective package including all utilities bills, 24-hour security and maintenance, free contents insurance, and cleaning of communal areas. Added to this, the halls are fun, social, have guaranteed placement for first years, and are located just a stone’s throw from your classrooms and lecture halls. What’s not to love?
Prices for a single room range between £131 – £221 depending on room size, halls location, and bathroom facilities. Rooms are arranged in shared self-catered apartments so it’s easy to meet people and make friends. Did we mention that every student gets free gym membership too?
If you’d prefer to have a little more independence and rent a place locally, then you’ll find many options at affordable prices. A one-bedroom apartment in the centre of town will set you back around £760 per month, which is comfortably less expensive than in the nearest uni towns of Cheltenham or Birmingham. If you’d like to share with mates, then you can expect to pay £1,100 for a three-bedroom place, which works out at around £350 per person per month. You’ll need to factor in utilities bills on top of this, which could be as much as £95 per person per month, so make sure you include this in your budget when house hunting.
Grocery costs in Worcester are fairly average for the UK. Obviously, some supermarkets cost more than others, so choose wisely and you can spend less without compromising the quality of ingredients. Check out Worcester’s weekly outdoor markets and independent stores too. You might not find everything you’d see at the supermarket, but you can get fantastic bargains at the end of the day.
Average priced for commonly bought grocery items:
Milk (1L): £0.99
Bread Loaf: £1.01
Rice (1kg): £1.38
Eggs (12): £2.32
Cheese (1kg): £5.25
Chicken fillets (1kg): £5.98
Apples (1kg): £1.82
Potatoes (1kg): £1.63
The average amount of money students spend on groceries in the UK is about £40 per week. Use this as a guideline and you’ll stay within a reasonable budget.
Eating out doesn’t have to break the bank in Worcester either. An inexpensive meal out can cost around £14.50, and there are plenty of spots to choose from. If you’re going with someone else, then you can expect to pay around £70 for a three-course meal for the two of you at a mid-range restaurant, and about £4 for a beer, whether it’s local draught or bottled import.
There are many traditional pubs in the town centre, and you’ll have lots of opportunities to find a favourite. Your students’ union bar will also be a hotspot for sociable students and cheap pints, so be sure to check it out.
Worcester has a good selection of nightclubs clustered around the town centre, which means you can easily hop around from place to place without spending money on buses or cabs. Keep an eye out for weekly student nights, where you’ll find discounted entry and drinks deals to keep you dancing long into the night.
Getting around in Worcester is pretty straightforward. There’s a good bus service, and you can pick up a monthly pass for around £65, which is only a little over £2 per day for unlimited travel. Be sure to pick up a 16-25 railcard too, which costs only £30 for a year, and affords you 1/3 discount on all UK trains. Not bad at all, and excellent value if you’re thinking about making trips to visit Birmingham, Wales, or other places of interest.
You can also cycle around Worcester very easily. It’s fast and (almost) free and gives you daily exercise at a much lower environmental impact than taking public transport. Worcester is a walkable city with a rich and visible history. There’s loads of heritage architecture to see, and sometimes the only way to take it all in is on foot.
Worcester is the only university town in Worcestershire, and is surrounded by beautiful British countryside, just a short journey away from several National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). You can visit the stunning Malvern Hills, and drink fresh spring water directly from the source, hike the Cotswolds, or venue into the mountainous Welsh interior. We recommend saving a bit of cash for a weekend getaway or two and getting the full experience.
Otherwise, you’d do well to check out the many clubs and societies that are available. Many are free or cheap to join, but remember to keep some money aside for socials, events, and field trips.
Depending on your lifestyle and accommodation costs, we'd recommend budgeting approximately £800 per month as a student in Worcester. You'll have to adjust this figure to suit your own preferences, but this article provides you with a rough starting point.