Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Manchester Met is a big, practical university right on the edge of Manchester city centre. Its campus runs along Oxford Road at All Saints, with the Birley site a few minutes away in Hulme. Most of its own halls are within walking distance, which is a real plus in a city where many students commute by bus.
It shares Oxford Road, and much of its student scene, with the University of Manchester, so you get one of the UK's biggest student cities on your doorstep. The downsides are scale and cost: with around 39,000 students it can feel anonymous at first, and hall rooms cost roughly £160–£245 a week.
Known for
Manchester Metropolitan University is 12th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 56.9, above the UK median of 48.5. Our rankings are built around the student experience, combining employability, freshers experience, happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies. That means big research names don’t automatically top the table. See how we score universities.
Marker shows the UK median across all ranked universities.
| Rank | University | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Leeds Arts University | 57.3 |
| 11 | University of Bristol | 57.3 |
| 12 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 56.9 |
| 13 | University of Reading | 56.6 |
| 14 | University of Lincoln | 56.4 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
2nd of 124 · Sustainability Score 79.8
6th of 124 · Inclusion Score 77.2
7th of 124 · Innovation Score 68.8
15th of 124 · Nightlife Score 66.8
17th of 124 · Social Score 67.5
24th of 124 · Societies Score 62.5
49th of 123 · Happiness Score 49.4
57th of 124 · Balance Score 43.3
60th of 122 · Careers Score 31.7
69th of 124 · Employability Score 29.8
78th of 124 · Freshers Score 52
80th of 124 · Affordability Score 51.8
85th of 124 · Safety Score 34.8
92nd of 124 · Wellbeing Score 43.9
97th of 124 · Value Score 37.4
Manchester as a student city
Ranked 16th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 58.7.
Manchester Metropolitan University appears in 49 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 2nd | of 55 | 138 |
| Teaching | 4th | of 79 | 180 |
| Graphic Design | 4th | of 68 | 174 |
| Social Work | 5th | of 67 | 174 |
| Media and Communication | 6th | of 79 | 186 |
| Primary Education | 5th | of 59 | 153 |
| Software Engineering | 5th | of 58 | 149 |
| Business and Management | 10th | of 114 | 212 |
| Music | 5th | of 56 | 138 |
| International Relations | 7th | of 71 | 153 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
The Union, Manchester Met's students' union, has its own purpose-built building on Higher Cambridge Street, opened in 2015, right by the campus. It lists around 137 clubs and societies. Because the campus sits on Oxford Road, you're a short walk from the city centre, the Northern Quarter and the bars and venues along the Oxford Road corridor. You share that patch with the University of Manchester, so the student scene is huge. Many second years move out to Fallowfield, Withington or Hulme.
University halls cost about £160–£245 per week (44-week contracts; some private-partner halls offer 51 weeks) (2026/27 (assumed: current listings, year not printed) prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Manchester Met guarantees a room in its own halls or with approved partners for new full-time first-year undergraduates (including foundation year and international first years) who meet the eligibility criteria, have made Manchester Met their Firm choice, and complete their booking and pay the rental pre-payment by Monday 31 August. Clearing, returning, postgraduate and part-time students aren't guaranteed. The room may be in a property not advertised on the website.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavendish | All Saints campus (Cavendish Street, M15) | shared bathroom (flats of 4–13), plus some studios | £160/wk | The cheapest Manchester Met hall and right at the heart of campus. Most rooms (184) are £160 a week, the rest £175, on 44-week contracts. |
| Brook Hall | Slightly off campus | en-suite | £173/wk | Run by Unite Students as a private partner, £173–£185 a week. The cheapest en-suite on the list. |
| Briarfield | Hulme (Stretford Road), on the edge of campus | en-suite and shared bathroom | £177/wk | Non-en-suite rooms cost £177 a week and en-suite £198 (44 weeks). Utilities and contents insurance included. |
| Oxford Court | Hulme (Stretford Road) | en-suite and two-bed flats | £177/wk | Minutes from campus in a mixed student and residential area. Two-bed flats cost £177 a week and en-suites £198. |
| Birley (Dale, Naylor and Warde townhouses) | Birley, Hulme (Bonsall Street) | shared bathroom, 12-person houses | £195/wk | Townhouse-style living next to the Birley site. Warde is the designated quiet accommodation. |
| Birley en-suite flats (Dunham and Vine) | Birley, Hulme | en-suite, flats of 6–8 | £213/wk | En-suite flats on the Birley site, £212.94 a week (44 weeks). |
| Archway | Hulme (Bonsall Street, M15 6HJ) | en-suite, flats of 8 | £220/wk | One of the biggest halls, with 492 en-suite rooms. Utilities and contents insurance included. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Right next to campus and the Birley site, so you can walk to lectures. Mix of student flats and local housing.
Manchester's classic student neighbourhood: lively, busy, and shared with University of Manchester students. A bus ride down Wilmslow Road.
Calmer than Fallowfield with its own high street, a bit further south.
Between campus and Fallowfield, home to the Curry Mile. A shorter commute.
Top tip
Make Manchester Met your Firm choice and complete your booking and rental pre-payment by 31 August to keep the guarantee. Cheaper rooms such as Cavendish go first, so book early. For second-year houses, Manchester Student Homes (linked from the university's living costs page) publishes average rent statistics.
Manchester is cheaper than London but not cheap. Manchester Met's halls cost about £160–£245 a week on 44-week contracts, with bills included. On top of rent, the university suggests budgeting at least £170 a month for shopping, £55 for going out and around £15 a week for transport. Private renters should add at least £80 a month for bills.
Getting around
Most Manchester Met halls are in Hulme or on campus, so you can walk to All Saints. Oxford Road station is a short walk from the north end of campus, and Piccadilly is about 15–20 minutes on foot. Buses run frequently up and down Oxford Road. A Bee Network bus single is £2 and a 7-day bus ticket is £20.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Manchester Metropolitan University is 12th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 56.9. Its strongest results are for sustainability (2nd), inclusion (6th), innovation (7th).
In our 2027 subject rankings, Manchester Metropolitan University places highest for Architecture (2nd of 55). Across our awards, it also stands out for sustainability.
No. They're two separate universities that sit next to each other on Oxford Road. Manchester Met's main campus is at All Saints and Birley. They share a city, a students' housing service (Manchester Student Homes) and much of the student scene, but they have different halls, unions and courses.
Yes, if you qualify. New full-time first-year undergraduates who've made Manchester Met their Firm choice, meet the eligibility criteria and complete their booking and pre-payment by 31 August are guaranteed a room in its halls or with an approved partner. Clearing students aren't guaranteed.
Rooms range from about £160 a week (Cavendish, shared bathroom) to around £245 a week (Artisan Heights, a Unite Students partner hall). Contracts are mostly 44 weeks, and utilities are included in the rent.
No. Manchester Met's halls are self-catered flats where you share a kitchen and living space with flatmates.
Mostly, yes. Cavendish is on campus, and Briarfield, Oxford Court, Archway and the Birley halls are in Hulme, a few minutes from the Birley site and a short walk to All Saints. Some private-partner halls are further out, so check the location before you book.
Popular areas include Hulme, close to campus, and Fallowfield, Withington and Rusholme further south along the Wilmslow Road bus route. Manchester Student Homes lists properties and publishes average rents.
About this guide. Rankings data comes from the Unifresher Rankings 2027 (methodology). Facts, hall prices and costs come from the university and official sources listed below. Last updated 23 October 2026.
