University of Manchester

The University of Manchester traces its origins to 1824 and took its present form in 2004 through the merger of the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST. It is one of the largest single-site universities in the United Kingdom.

Its research strengths span materials science — graphene was isolated here — engineering, computer science, the biomedical sciences, and a large and well-regarded business school. The breadth of the subject list is comparable with the London institutions but concentrated on one campus.

Manchester is a genuinely student-heavy city, with several universities within a few miles of each other, which keeps the cost of student living and the density of student housing very different from London.

Requirements differ by school and are stated on each course page.

• Class 12 or equivalent at the standard the course specifies, with subject prerequisites for science, engineering and mathematics programmes.
• A relevant bachelor's degree at the classification stated for master's entry — the university publishes country-specific equivalences.
• English proficiency at the programme's stated level, with pre-sessional English available to those slightly below it.
• A personal statement and, for postgraduate courses, references and often a CV.
• Interviews and admissions tests for medicine, dentistry and a small number of other programmes.

A large civic university outside London, which generally means both fees and living costs below the London institutions.

• Set per programme, with international rates differing substantially from home rates.
• Subject-based variation — laboratory, clinical and business programmes above arts, humanities and social sciences.
• Fees usually fixed for the duration at your entry-year rate for international students.
• Course costs on top where fieldwork, placements or specialist materials apply.
• Living costs materially lower than London, and the Home Office maintenance requirement is the lower non-London rate.

Work from Manchester's course page for your specific programme for your specific programme and year of entry — it is the only figure that will be correct for you, and it is republished every year. We will confirm the current cost and what it includes before you commit to an application.

Manchester offers international awards at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, generally as a tuition reduction, with further awards administered by the individual schools. Several are applied for through a single form once an offer is held.

• International undergraduate awards — merit-based tuition reductions.
• Postgraduate taught awards — applied for after an offer, on academic record.
• School and subject awards — published by each school, with narrower eligibility.
• Doctoral studentships — attached to research projects and funded partners.

Most awards require you to hold an offer before you can apply, and the rounds close early. Applying late for the course usually means the scholarship window has already shut.

A large campus along a single corridor south of the city centre, in a city with one of the biggest student populations in Europe.

• A concentrated campus along Oxford Road, walkable end to end, with the city centre a short distance north.
• A very large student population across several institutions, which gives the city an unusually student-oriented character.
• A well-known music, arts and nightlife scene, and a students' union with a long activist tradition.
• Extensive sport, from competitive teams to casual participation.
• Accommodation for most first-year students, with Fallowfield and Withington the usual student areas afterwards — and rents well below London.

Manchester is one of the more affordable major UK student cities, which for a multi-year degree often matters more to the total cost than the difference in tuition.