Student Reviews
SUGGESTED KEYWORDS
Course
Choose one or more
Read honest reviews from real students at this uni
The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
4.03.64.11362 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsBest experience is having the lecturers there to tell me through assignments and talking to them about anything if I need help. Worst part is having to go in when the weather is cold or rainy.
I have found my university experience to be mostly positive. My only real complaint is that I have been hate-crimed right outside of the university, which makes me feel unsafe.
I love all of the simulation facilities available for skills practice and inter professional learning. The campus is in a great location, with cheap food and drinks available on campus !
Enjoying it thus far, there is some things id change but yeah.
Birmingham City University is a great hub for the life of Birmingham students. There's great promo days whereby Dominos and other brands may visit, we are treated with pizzas during first week's sessions. There's so much support from staff, especially with support statements. However the facilities can be let down by the management from above. BCU School of Art has been left to run down from the seniors, as it's a grade listed building. The community of the Art faculty is wonderful and the technicians really pride their jobs. As a representative I can only try to change these problems but the issues lie with the higher ups. I love this uni and it's a shame that maybe profit from the Victorian building may keep it from flourishing.
Best areas- the library areas are great that they are split up into different sections for concentration. I met great friends through society’s. The welcome days are great fun and get everyone together. Worst aspects- how far main campus is to seacole, would be nice to change up study days.
The campus itself is in a very favourable location as it’s between a lot of residential areas and the city centre so it makes everything pretty much accessible. Birmingham city University is all round inclusive and very welcoming to everyone and anyone which makes it hard to feel out of place in such a diverse institution. The staff in particular the illustration lecturers all have a great sense of humour teaching a succinct and efficient way and are always available to offer support to anyone that needs it. The great thing about the university is that it doesn’t matter what type of support you need. There is probably something already in place that they can offer you and if not you can go to the student support Centre, your lecturers or anyone really and just speak up about an issue or struggle you have and something will be done about it or to assist it. I love that Birmingham City University has partnered with the botanical Gardens. As a creative student myself, sometimes I draw inspiration from being outside and it’s great to have free entry to a place like that. Course modules are clearly broken down and the timetables are set up in a way that isn’t inconvenient and choppy, which I appreciate so much this university is also very much disability friendly which is one of the key things for me as someone with Neurodivergence and unseen health issues. There is a disability support team, student support team, and the staff themselves are always on hand willing to help make alterations where due which makes it feel as though you don’t just attend a university but you’re a part of the university community. The sense of belonging that the city University gives is quite wholesome actually and definitely one of things I appreciate the most. There are always numerous events going on which makes student life somewhat fun. Overall I would say my experience as a first year at Birmingham City University has been great as someone who thought I’d feel compelled to miss classes and lectures I don’t because they’re so engaging and fun. I definitely would recommend this university to someone who wants to feel included live in a rapidly developing city and feel part of the movement.
I love the facilities the university has, I enjoy doing something else apart from university such as being in the hip-hop team an overall the location of the university is really good.
I would say how friendly and inclusive BCU is, is what made it a great place to study. Help is always there when you need it, and it feels like a home away from home. The facilities are also easily accessible and I have always loved the student support as well! In terms of improvement, I would say maybe more employability events and workshops particularly for graduate roles.
Best: Lecturers are absolutely fantastic; you always feel supported. Worst: Technical issues can take a while to get fixed, but even then, they do resolve.
Amazing building! The heating system could be improved, clean water and perhaps food available in kitchen. A microwave is also something we need.
Pros: - Strong employability rate with emphasis on real world skills. Push to get students to learn skills that can be applied to clinical scenarios. Built in placement to apply theory into practice. -Modern facilities including simulation wards, mock birth wards. etc. -Range of courses to choose from -Diverse community -Multiple events -close to city centre- able to go shopping, food, entertainment. - Great access in terms of commuting. Bus, train, tram etc. -Accommodation support and finance support. -Library services are useful and provide help when needed. Academics also support with assignment writing as well. -Cafeteria prices are reasonable with food being inclusive to all diets. -Seacole is in a quiet area so its nice to have that calmness when studying. Cons: -Timetabling issues. Timetable that lectures have compared to Icity is different. Can cause confusion and can be irritating when we think we are in one building but we are in the harboune building so we would get late. - feedback on assignments can be limited at times and can cause stress with students. - Explanation of assignment and exam tasks can be at times vague leading to confusion. However, lecturers do try and explain with Q and A sessions. - Though there is 24hr access to Curzon library the Seacole library has specific opening and closing times. I personally prefer Seacole as it has all the textbooks i need and is quiet but its difficult to access on the weekends or in the holidays as the times it opens are different to what the website says. -tuition fee is expensive which can cause worry to a lot of students especially to those not taking loans. I understand this is not just a problem for BCU but for other universities.
It has good learning facilities compared to other universities.
The lectures are really nice and would answer your questions if you have any. They also try to make you understand the lectures as much as possible
There aren’t any cheap food places near the building and we don’t have a canteen.
18-24 years
First gen student
It is a very accessible university with everything available to us. i am at the city south campus and we have so many places within the building to grab food for an affordable rate. We have so many computers available on campus with a library that is quiet and peaceful. Everyone within the university is super respectful to those who are studying in the areas with desks and chairs.
My lecturers are amazing, and they’re all in industry professionals
The best part of my experience at BCU has been the strong sense of support and community. A lot of the lecturers genuinely care about how students are doing and are approachable when you need help or just want something explained in a clearer way. Their experience makes the course feel practical and connected to real careers, which helps you understand why you are learning certain things. The facilities are also really good, with modern labs, studios and study areas that make it easier to stay focused. I have also enjoyed the range of different diversities on campus. Working with people from so many different backgrounds has made group work more interesting and has helped me learn from perspectives I might not have considered before. BCU also gives you plenty of chances to get involved in activities outside your course. There are workshops, societies, employability sessions and networking events that can really boost your confidence. When you take part in these things, the experience becomes a lot richer. The Careers+ service can also be very helpful, especially when you need support with your CV, placements or preparing for upcoming interviews. There are still some things that could be improved. Communication can sometimes be slow or unclear, especially when it comes to timetable changes, assessments or exam details. This creates unnecessary stress. Getting more consistent and timely updates would make a big difference. Some modules could also be organised better, with clearer marking criteria, more consistent release of learning materials and a more balanced workload throughout the year. Another issue is the availability of certain facilities. Even though the equipment is good, it can be hard to book spaces during busy times. This can be frustrating for students who need flexibility in their study schedule. Extending opening hours or increasing access to these spaces would make things easier. The level of academic support can also vary between modules. Some lecturers are extremely responsive, while others take longer to reply or give less detailed feedback. More consistency in this area would help students feel more confident in their progress. Although BCU does focus on employability, it would be great to have more placement opportunities built into specific courses and stronger links with local companies. Having more hands-on experience would help students feel more prepared for the workplace. Overall, BCU is a friendly and dynamic place to study, with supportive staff, diverse students and good facilities. With better communication, more consistency and improved access to resources, the experience could be even stronger.
Birmingham City University is a great place to study because the campus is modern, the facilities are well-equipped, and the tutors are supportive and genuinely want students to succeed. I really like how the university creates a creative and welcoming environment, especially for art and design students, with access to studios, workshops, and spaces that make it easy to experiment and develop new ideas. Being located in Birmingham city centre also makes the university feel connected to real industry opportunities, galleries, events and businesses, which helps students build confidence and experience. If I could suggest improvements, I would recommend offering more 1-to-1 guidance for portfolio development, more guest workshops and masterclasses with professionals, longer studio opening hours, and slightly more support with material costs, as these would help students get even more out of their studies.
4.2
The teaching and technical staff are extremely enthusiastic about finding and sharing opportunities related to my degree, for example providing extracurricular project opportunities, networking, and advice for industrial placements. The facilities are good and the equipment is all great. There’s good access to computers and laptops throughout campus. The drawback is the uni is small so there aren’t many well developed societies or a large student’s union, however this means the teaching staff have more ability to give personalised feedback and advice. The student union pub is good but quite small.
There’s lots of different coursework types, group projects, practical and research projects, individual work and short and long exams. There is a lot of time with lecturers in tutorials, and they are very responsive over teams and email. We have course reps and ambassadors that also communicate to course lead to provide feedback. They always respond to feedback promptly and change whatever we need as far as possible. There are lots of lab sessions and hands on learning.