University of Manchester Guide: Reviews, Rankings, Fees and More

The University of Manchester is an outstanding Russell Group university with a diverse student body and a thriving student union. Read our full guide on the University of Manchester with reviews, rankings, courses, fees and more.

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Table of Contents

Summary Of University

  • Type of campus: City university
  • Student population: 41,182 students, 44.5% international students
  • Tuition Fees: £28,000 (Arts), £32,500 (Science) (2024/2025)
  • 2024 UK Ranking: 19 (Complete University Guide)
  • 2024 Global Ranking: 32 (QS World University Ranking)

University of Manchester Overview

The University of Manchester is an outstanding university with a diverse student body and a thriving student union. With over 450 student societies, there are plenty of opportunities for students to find their passion.

We have featured the university in one of our articles, Most Popular UK Universities among Malaysian Students, where our research found that the university has the most Malaysian students compared to any other UK university.

Its popularity among international students is no surprise as the university not only excels in its research but it also has great facilities, all located in a vibrant city that is student-friendly. The Russell Group university is one of the top-ranked universities for research impact and the University of Manchester is well-known for its graduates as they are often sought out by the UK’s top graduate recruiters.

University of Manchester Courses and Programs

Study Medicine at the University of Manchester

The university has a five-year MBChB Medicine programme. There is also a Foundation year pathway which allows you to enter their MBChB programme after completion of the Foundation year. Tuition fee for the first two years are £34,500 and go up to £56,000 per year for the clinical years (fees are subject to change on an annual basis). Minimum entry requirements are AAA.

Study Dentistry at the University of Manchester

Manchester offers three programmes related to Dentistry – the first is a BDS Dentistry programme, the second is BDS with a pre-dental year entry (similar to a Foundation year) and the third is a BSc in Oral Health Sciences. Tuition fees for their BDS programme starts from £34,500  for the first year of studies. Clinical tuition fees for students entering Year 2 in 2023 will be £56,000. Minimum entry requirements are AAA.

Study Linguistics at the University of Manchester

There are 23 courses with Linguistics, allowing students to pair various subjects with studies of a modern language or Linguistics. Tuition fees for their 3-year BA Linguistics programme start from £20,000 per year and entry requirements for this subject are ABB.

Study Optometry at the University of Manchester

The University of Manchester has one BSc programme in Optometry. Entry requirements are AAB and tuition fees start from £20,000 per year. The university is ranked among the top ten in the country for the subject.

Study Physics at the University of Manchester

There are ten undergraduate programmes in Physics at the University of Manchester, some of which have options for entry with a Foundation year. Its Physics & Astronomy courses are among the top 10 subjects of the country according to the Complete University Guide of 2023. Entry requirements for Physics-related degrees are AAB.

University of Manchester Entry Requirements

A-Levels or Equivalent Entry

There are several pathways to enter the University of Manchester as an undergraduate student. The first is via IB, A-Levels, or STPM. Most UK universities will consider STPM to be the equivalent to A Levels. You may apply while waiting for your exam results – the university will make its decision based on your final exam results when they’re available or they may decide to give you a conditional offer which may state the minimum grades you have to meet in order to be accepted.

GCSEs or Equivalent Entry

A Foundation year allows you to register at universities with your GCSEs (or SPM and other equivalent qualifications) and it usually takes about a year to complete. You may find the Foundation year to be beneficial as it teaches you academic knowledge specific to your degree and it shortens your pre-university studies (compared to a typical 2-year A-Levels programme) by a year or so. There are also a few drawbacks, such as having less flexibility to switch degrees or universities later on. If you’re wondering whether the Foundation year is right for you, you should read our article (link here) on the subject.

English proficiency test

While this is technically a visa requirement, you will also need to take an English proficiency test. This visa requirement is also known as a secure English language test (SELT) – read our guide here for more information

Subject-Specific Entry Requirements

Depending on the subject of your choice, you may have to take additional tests. For prospective medical students, you will have to take either the UCAT or BMAT. These are aptitude tests design specifically for medical students. Some law schools may also require its students to take the LNAT. For more information about these subject-specific aptitude tests, do read our article here which goes into more detail.

University of Manchester Entry Deadline

In the UK, all university applications (including those submitted by international students like you) go through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, more commonly known as UCAS. 

Most undergraduate courses will share the same deadline of 31 January of every year. Some courses such as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Sciences have an earlier deadline of 16 October in the year before admission.

For more information about key dates and other UCAS deadlines, take a look at our article UCAS Deadlines 2024.

University of Manchester Rankings

  • 2024 Global Ranking: 32nd (QS World University Rankings)
  • 2024 UK Ranking: 19th (Complete University Guide)

In 2024, the University of Manchester ranked Top 10 in the UK for 25 subjects, including:

  • Optometry, Ophthalmology & Orthoptics
  • Music
  • Education
  • Archaeology
  • Pharmacology & Pharmacy
  • African & Middle Eastern Studies
  • Manufacturing & Production Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Accounting & Finance
  • Physics & Astronomy
  • Drama, Dance & Cinematics
  • Speech & Language Therapy
  • Nursing
  • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Materials Technology
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Biological Sciences

University of Manchester Fees

Most UK universities will have different tuition fees for courses that require laboratory access or clinical studies. Therefore, most programmes in the humanities and social sciences have a lower tuition fee compared to STEM programmes. Below are the categories of tuition fees for undergraduate programmes at the University of Manchester*:

  • £28,000 – Arts courses
  • £32,500 – Science courses
  • £32,500 – Biomedical Science

* Fees shown are the 2024/25 academic year fees for international (non-UKEU) students.

University of Manchester Accommodation

The university guarantees international students a place in one of its many university-managed halls for the duration of their course, which is a big factor that explains why Manchester is so popular with international students.

There are over 8,000 rooms available in 19 halls at the University of Manchester, offering a variety of room types suitable for different budgets. Most of their offered accommodations are located within three kilometres from the campus.

Residency fees are inclusive of internet access but prices vary depending on the room. Rent per week may roughly cost anywhere between £111–£219. Most student accommodation buildings on campus require keycards for access and there are cameras and routine patrols around the clock to ensure student safety.

Students also have the option to rent private accommodation in places near the campus, but rent would be set by an independent third-party.

University of Manchester Reviews​

(Names may be changed to keep student anonymity)

Jake
5/5

“An outstanding university! A Russell group University in the top 5 universities in the UK, and within the top 20 of the whole world! This university truly lives up to its amazing reputation. The lecturers are passionate, professional and engaging. Everyone strives to be their best and there is a great sense of community. The university is near the city centre, so great nights out, bars, restaurants and other great things to do. The campus is also stunning.”

Bobby
4/5

“Beautiful campus, full of students and feels quite safe. Lots of restaurants and cafés and lots of local events such as food markets and plant/homeware markets too. I use the Stopford building which isn’t the prettiest sadly, but has excellent anatomy resources. Food and drinks are readily available in most buildings I’ve been to, as is wifi. Libraries are often full, but they have computers and printers as well as books. Medics have their own societies which are well organised. I rarely use the students union but the building has a number of food and drink places, careers and finance advice and often has events such as plant sales.”

Martha
5/5

“Lecturers very happy to discuss areas of interest. Department is very focused on adjusting the syllabus based on what is happening.
The constant adjustment of the teaching material keeps the course engaging and aligned to the current state of the world.”

Mei Ling
4/5

“I attended the university of manchester for my undergraduate degree. I found their pastoral care excellent for when I went through difficult periods, whilst their teaching was great both through the level of resources available for us but also the engagement of the lecturers. The library facilities are also very good, both socially and educationally. The student lifestyle is by far the best thing about the university, with all my friends being jealous of the experience!”

Prashant
4/5

“It has got a lovely community, very understanding administration and a great teaching staff. It is situated bang in the middle of the city. The career opportunities from what I’ve heard are great, my industrial year shall certainly be a testimony to that.”

University of Manchester Facilities

University of Manchester Library 

  • Manchester has one of the largest academic libraries in the UK with the largest collection of electronic resources in the country.

University Green

  • A vibrant area at the Oxford Road Corridor on campus with restaurants, bookstores, and coffee shops. This area is part of the University of Manchester’s latest masterplan for redevelopment and the University Green area is expected to grow with more leisure and retail stores in the near future.

Cultural Institutions

  • Manchester Museum
  • Whitworth Art Gallery
  • Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Sports Facilities

1) Armitage Sports Centre

  • Recently refurbished double indoor sports hall
  • Air-conditioned fitness suite with free-weights area
  • Outdoor multi-use courts
  • Four squash courts
  • Four floodlit 3G five-a-side football pitches
  • Two full-sized floodlit artificial turf pitches
  • Six grass pitches

2) Sugden Sports Centre

  • Large air-conditioned fitness suite and free-weights area
  • Six squash courts
  • Two double-sized sports halls
  • Outdoor 3G five-a-side pitch; multi-activity room

3) Manchester Aquatics Centre

  • Two 50-metre swimming pools
  • Diving pool
  • Fun pool
  • Fitness suite
  • Sauna
  • Steam room and spa

4) Wythenshawe Sports Ground

  • 26 full-sized football pitches

University of Manchester Student Activities and Clubs

The university’s student union has over 400 registered student clubs and societies. Manchester students have the opportunity to volunteer through the Student Action programme. The university also has a popular music venue known as the Manchester Academy. Manchester also has active student media outlets such as the Mancunion newspaper, Fuse FM radio station and Fuse TV channel.

University of Manchester Contact

  • Official Website: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/
  • Phone: +44 (0) 161 306 6000
  • Address: The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

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