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Guide To Postgraduate Study In Manchester
Find your PERFECT POSTGRAD PROGRAMManchester is such a great city you’ll want to stay forever
Commonly known as England's second city, Manchester is a thriving place with a population of 545,500 people. It is also part of a larger urban area known as Greater Manchester and that has a population of 2.8 million people.
Good connections
Located in the North of England, Manchester has easy and efficient train and road links with London and the rest of the UK.Transportation within the city is straightforward with Transport for Greater Manchester coordinating the trams, buses and trains. Manchester also boasts an international airport with great links to mainland Europe and beyond.
Industrial revolution
Manchester expanded rapidly during the industrial revolution and as a result has many large civic buildings and public universities of architectural interest, which are a testament to this success.
Vibrant cultural scene
Manchester has a vibrant cultural scene with the BBC's northern headquarters located here as well as having a famous music legacy from the 1990s onwards. There is always plenty going on in Manchester, making it the ideal place to be a postgraduate student.
5 reasons to be a student in Manchester...
1,200+ bars and clubs, you’ll never have time to experience them all.
1,400+ postgrad courses – so many to choose from!
25,000 postgrad students – you’ll have too many friends to choose from!
800+ shops in Manchester – keeping to your budget might be tough…
3rd busiest airport in the UK – which means your family coming to visit, or you exploring other European countries, has never been easier
Students in Manchester – facts & figures
Manchester has one of the largest student populations of European cities and it is home to a diverse group of students, including many international undergraduates and postgraduates.
Recent figures revealed that there were approximately 124,000 students living and studying in Greater Manchester – and about a quarter of these are postgraduate students.
Student figures for universities in the Greater Manchester area for 2022/23 are as follows.
|
University |
Number of Students |
|
University of Manchester |
46,860 |
|
Manchester Metropolitan University |
39,095 |
|
University of Salford |
26,260 |
|
University of Bolton |
10,845 |
|
Royal Northern College of Music |
890 |
Student living in Manchester
With so many students in Manchester, you'll find that they tend to live all over the place, but like most other student cities, there are some areas where the students are more concentrated. If you're looking for private accommodation, then there is plenty in the popular student areas of Fallowfield and Withington.
Most universities in Manchester have specific student accommodation for postgraduate students, like at Manchester Metropolitan University where they have accommodation available for 51 weeks of the year at their Cavendish Place site for those students who have longer postgraduate courses.
Student case study
Moyin Kwok is an international student from Hong Kong and completed an MA in Arts Management at the University of Manchester. She chose Manchester because it is a “vibrant, affordable city”, and she had friends who studied in London who felt that it took time to get used to living in such a big, busy city, whereas Manchester felt more manageable.
What can you do in Manchester when you’re not studying?
Manchester has an excellent nightlife – boasting a great music scene with gigs on throughout the city, plus there are plenty of exciting venues to dance the night away.
If you're looking for something away from the books during the day, then you can head to the shops for a bit of retail therapy, as Manchester is a major shopping destination. Alternatively, there is a great range of museums and galleries to choose from too, including the Science & Industry Museum, Manchester Art Gallery and the world’s biggest football museum, the National Football Museum.
Speaking of football, the city is home to two premier league football clubs, so if this is your passion you’ll be able to support a local team with a great track record!
And if you really want to get away from it all, there is over 500 square miles of countryside just a hop, skip and a jump north of the city – featuring waterways and picturesque towns villages, not to mention cute countryside pubs when you need a quick refuelling break.
The University of Manchester
In 2024, The University of Manchester had a student population of 44,000, of whom 28,990 are undergraduates, 11,785 are postgraduate taught students and 3,865 are postgraduate research students.
The University of Manchester offers are over 330 subjects to study at postgraduate level – and full-time, part-time and online study modes are avaliable.
Tuition fees & costs
The tuition fees of masters degrees at The University of Manchester vary according to whether they are MAs, MScs, PGCEs or MBAs – and also depending on what subjects they are. Plus, whether you are a home (UK) or international student.
Here are some examples of the tuition fees for different types of masters degrees and postgraduate programs at The University of Manchester for the academic year 2025/26.
|
Masters Degree |
Home Students |
International Students |
|
MA in History |
£13,000 |
£27,000 |
|
MSc in Accounting |
£21,500 |
£36,000 |
|
MBA |
£49,000 |
£49,000 |
|
PGCE |
£9,535 |
£23,500 |
Facilities & specialisms
The University of Manchester has well known and highly respected departments in Medicine, Business and Management Studies, Civil Engineering, Biological Sciences, Materials Technology and Education.
Student life
The campus is in the centre of Manchester and allows students to get the community feel of a university campus and easy access to everything Manchester has to offer. The University of Manchester's Students Union takes the competition University Challenge seriously and has won it several times.
Famous alumni
Marie Stopes, Ben Elton, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Dalton and Ernest Rutherford.
Facts about The University of Manchester
- It was established in 1824 as the Manchester Mechanics' Institute
- Counts 25 Nobel Prize winners among former students and staff
- The first electronic stored-program computer – known as the Small-Scale Experimental Machine – was built here in 1948.
- The Students' Union does not have a president but is instead run by an executive team of eight
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Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University offers over 150 masters degrees and other awards for students to choose from.
With around 41,000 students and 330,000 alumni from 170 countries, Manchester Met is one of the biggest universities in the UK.
According to 2025 statistics, 22% of the student population are postgrads. From the total student population, around 8% are international and EU students; and 84% are studying full time while 16% are part-time students.
Tuition fees & costs
The postgraduate tuition fees that you’ll pay at Man Met University will depend on the course you are studying, whether you are studying full time or part time, whether specialist resources or facilities are needed, and where you normally live – the tuition fees paid by students resident in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands differ from the tuition fees for international students.
Here are some examples of the tuition fees for different types of masters degrees and postgraduate programs at Manchester Metropolitan University for the academic year 2025/26.
|
Masters Degree |
UK & Channel Islands Students |
International Students |
|
MA in History |
£10,500 |
£20,000 |
|
MSc in Accounting & Finance |
£11,500 |
£22,500 |
|
MBA (part time) |
£24,000 (£12,000 per year) |
£28,000 (£14,000 per year) |
|
PGCE |
£9,535 |
£21,500 |
Facilities & specialisms
Social Work, Biological Sciences, Psychology, Education, and Business and Management Studies are the largest departments at Manchester Met University.
Student life
The main campus is situated near to the city centre and within easy walking distance to the revitalised Millennium Quarter in Manchester, giving students easy access to this fabulous new part of Manchester.
Famous alumni
LS Lowry, John Bishop, Steve Coogan, Jenny Eclair and Mick Hucknall.
Facts about Manchester Metropolitan University
- It was established in 1843 as Manchester School of Design
- It gained university status in 1992
- Sir Alex Ferguson holds an honourary Doctorate in Business Administration
University of Salford Manchester
The University of Salford Manchester has a student population of around 20,825, and 27% of these are international students.
The postgraduate community at the University of Salford is nearly 5,000 students, and they come from over 190 different countries.
There are nearly 50 different masters degree programs to choose from at Salford, and these are open to students who have a good honours degree, usually a 2:2 or above.
Tuition fees & costs
The masters degree tuition fees at the University of Salford vary according to the type of course, subject studied, study mode and whether a student is from the UK or from overseas, including Europe.
Here are some examples of postgraduate tuition fees for different masters programs at the University of Salford for the academic year 2025/26.
|
Masters Degree |
Home Students |
International Students |
|
MA Literature & Culture |
£9,100 |
£17,000 |
|
MSc Accounting & Finance |
£8,550 |
£16,560 |
|
MSc Aerospace Engineering |
£10,350 |
£17,000 |
|
MSc Nursing |
£9,100 |
£17,000 |
|
Online Global MBA |
£8,550 |
£8,550 |
Facilities & specialisms
Nursing, Social Work, Marketing, Building, Business and Management Studies, and Psychology are all excellent choices at the University of Salford Manchester.
Student life
Located in Greater Manchester, the campus of the University of Salford Manchester has plenty of societies and clubs to join along with excellent sporting facilities. It also has good links into the city centre for those wishing to head into the hustle and bustle of Manchester.
Famous alumni
Funny men Peter Kay and Jason Manford.
Facts about the University of Salford Manchester
- It was established in 1850 as the Pendleton Mechanics Institute
- University of Salford Manchester gained university status in 1967
- Its MediaCityUK campus is also where the BBC's northern headquarters are located
- Prince Philip and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, were both Chancellors here
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University of Bolton
Granted university status in 2005, the University of Bolton has a global student body of around 11,000 – including all campuses and affiliates. Out of the 11,000 students, around 3,000 are postgraduate students and 8,000 are undergraduates.
The University of Bolton offers postgraduate courses in a wide range of topics from Islamic finance and Dental Technology to Art & Design, Psychology and Education.
Tuition fees & costs
The postgraduate tuition fees at the University of Bolton vary according to the kind of masters degree being studied (MA, MSc, MBA, PGCE etc), the study mode, and whether you are paying home or international tuition fees.
Here are some examples of postgraduate tuition fees for different masters programs at the University of Bolton for the academic year 2025/26.
|
Masters Degree |
Home Students |
International Students |
|
MA in Visual Journalism & Storytelling |
£8,496 |
£17,500 |
|
MSc Accounting & Financial Management |
£5,664 |
£17,500 |
|
MBA |
£9,720 |
£17,500 |
|
PGCE |
£9,535 |
£17,500 |
Facilities & specialisms
Head to the University of Bolton if you want to specialise in Accounting and Finance, Psychology, Education, Nursing, and Business and Management Studies.
Student life
Bolton is a town right next to Manchester and the campus is close to Bolton town centre, this means that students are ideally located to choose between popping out locally or alternatively heading into the big city. The University of Bolton campus is also only a short walk from nearby countryside, which is great for those who like to enjoy the great outdoors.
Famous alumni
Peter Shelley, Sam Allardyce and Stuart Maconie.
Facts about the University of Bolton
- It was established in 1825 as the Bolton Mechanics' Institute
- It gained university status in 2004
- It boasts an academic centre in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
- 70% of the students come from the local area
- It recently applied to change its name to the University of Greater Manchester
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Related articles
Student City Guide: Manchester
Guide To Postgraduate Study In Liverpool
Guide To Postgraduate Study In Sheffield
