Students from the UK and afar come to Canterbury to study for many reasons. Whether they want to soak up English culture in an historic, walled city or they like being less than an hour away from London and the beach, our students love living in Canterbury. 

Here, student Jo shares why she thinks Canterbury is a top student city. 

Complimenting cultures

Maybe you’re someone who likes to live in the past, or maybe you’re someone who wants to live in the moment – either way, Canterbury has you covered as a city.

For many people Canterbury is a once-in-a-lifetime trip as there’s history in every inch of the city, from the walls to the world-famous Cathedral, so it’s the perfect place if you want to fully immerse yourself in a culturally rich city.

Okay, so you prefer spending sprees to Chaucer? That doesn’t matter here! Canterbury city centre has a healthy mix of high street brands, bars, independent shops, and cafes to keep you busy.

Picture it now: you’re walking past the 15th Century hotel that inspired ‘David Copperfield’ with a coffee in hand - doesn’t that sound great?

Unleash the students

Every year, a swarm of students descend on the city to study at one of the many campuses. If you’ve ever worried about making friends, you won’t have a problem here – there are so many people to meet in the Canterbury area as you’ve got students funnelling in from three major universities.

You might find comfort in the knowledge that you’ll never be alone in your experience and that there are thousands of students in the same boat as you. This fact alone carries a few extra benefits like student nights and discounts.

An abundance of green spaces

Canterbury is home to some gorgeous green spaces, many of which are within walking distance. Plus, it's located so near to the coast, which means there are dozens of beaches only a stone’s throw away. Your options are plentiful!

Whether you’re planning a picnic with your friends in Westgate Gardens or a daytrip to see the world-famous White Cliffs of Dover, adventure is only a day away.

Sometimes all I want to do is take a day to relax and go for a walk, and Canterbury caters to that very well!

Great transport links

And, to wrap up nicely, you have my favourite part of Canterbury: the transport links. With two stations and an excellently linked bus station, Kent is your oyster; but why stop there?

Margate, Dover, and Rochester are great, but London, Paris, and Amsterdam are only a train ride away. This means that you can certainly become well travelled whilst at uni. Whilst the city may be notoriously difficult to drive through, the bus and train links are unmatched.

Plus so much more to explore...

If you're thinking about studying with us here in Canterbury, or at one of our other campus locations in Medway and Tunbridge Wells, visit our website to learn more about our University locations.

Visit the city in real life!

We'd love to show you around! Book onto one of our campus tours - it's a great chance for you to meet a current student, look around our beautiful city campus, and explore the city centre.