'Vibrant cities, diverse culture and intriguing heritage sites... the north west of England has so much to offer'
Beautiful landscapes and innovative cities
With over 1000km of coastline, the north-west includes dramatic mountains and lakes, as well as gentle green hills and plains. The region’s largest city is Manchester, home to outstanding architecture such as the gothic town hall, built in 1877, as well as two world-famous football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City.
The north-west has long-established links with the UK's music scene and is the birthplace of many famous recording artists such as Oasis, Take That and Elbow. The region’s most famous musical export, The Beatles, is arguably the best-selling pop group of all time. It is hardly surprising that their home city of Liverpool was named the European Capital of Culture in 2008.
Northern-English accents and dialects vary from city to city: for example, Liverpool has its famous ‘Scouse’ accent. Many international students have fun learning these new dialect words and the ways of pronouncing them!
The North-West is also home to one of the oldest Asian communities in Europe. It is a friendly and welcoming region, and is highly popular with the international community.
Find out more about north-west England at the Visit North-West website.
Learning in the prestigious North-West
Home to a huge range of education institutes and universities, the North-West boasts hundreds of courses and outstanding facilities. Over 25 Nobel Laureates have come from universities in the north-west. The region has extensive research facilities, including great links with regional hospitals and internship programmes.
Explore and discover the north-west
From cliffs that look out over the Irish Sea to country walks in the Pennines or climbing mountains in the Lake District, the north-west offers plenty to keep you busy while you study. Most activities are an easy train ride away and make a great day trip out with friends.
Here are just a few of the activities and day-trips in the north-west that you’ll want to consider:
- Visit beautiful Wastwater and marvel at England’s highest mountain
- Cumbrian wildlife spotting... keep an eye out for the famous falcon!
- Head to Manchester’s Arndale market for a huge selection of international cuisine
- A camping weekend near stunning Windermere
- Walk with some friends in the Lake District, Wordsworth’s favourite area
- Try indoor rock-climbing in Blackpool, England’s favourite pleasure beach
- Head to Roman Chester for some historical fun
- Sample northern cuisine at a Liverpudlian restaurant then check out a concert by the Liverpool Philharmonic.
Choose the north-west
While north-west universities offer a great range of courses and encourage individual study, there is also a great student community. The north-west caters for all student needs as well as offering a great taste of traditional northern England.
Whatever course you choose, it will be supported by extensive facilities and exceptional staff. Many north-west universities offer work placements as part of the programme, and are often tailored to the local area. The natural surroundings are often used for scientific or geological research.
With universities and cities so close to outstanding countryside, studying in England’s north-west really gives you the best of both worlds. With such a large international student population there is a great range of support and social groups available to cater for all nationalities. Visit your prospective universities’ website to find out more information.
Useful links
Visit England's North-West can give you more information on the region.
You can use the Education UK Search tool - to the top-right of the Education UK website - to find a place to study in this region that interests you.
And take a look at our own interactive map of the UK to explore the area.
You can find out more about UK regions at Visit Britain.