Russell Group

University of Manchester — can you afford it?

Manchester · 44,000 students · Est. 1824

£122/wk
Cheapest halls
+£347/mo
After halls
2 hrs/wk
Work to break even
90%
Graduate employment
35
Affordability score
⚠️Some accommodation data for this university may be incomplete. Figures show best available data as of 2026-05-20. Accommodation page references some other rooms but offers no detail on these. Data may be incomplete.

The monthly maths

Maintenance loan (max — outside London)+£903
Cheapest halls (£122/wk × 4.33)−£556
After halls+£347
Transport (city avg)−£60
Food (estimate)−£200
Monthly balance-£83

Work hours to break even: 2 hrs/week at £12.21/hr

Annual shortfall: -£996

Over 3 years: -£2,988

Typical (median) room: -£440/mo if not in the cheapest option

Based on maximum loan. Calculate your actual loan →

Halls vs private in Manchester

🏠 Manchester halls

Cheapest£122/wk (£556/mo)
Median£200.46/wk (£913/mo)
Most expensive£314/wk (£1,361/mo)
BillsIncluded ✓
Contract40–51 weeks
Monthly surplus£347per month

🏢 Private rental in Manchester

Average rent£750/month
Bills estimate+£113/mo
Total housing cost£862/mo
Contract12 months (summer risk)
BillsExtra ✗
Monthly surplus£41per month

Manchester by the numbers

Total students44,000
Undergraduates27,000
International students38%
Student:staff ratio16.4:1
Graduate employment90%
Average graduate salary£30,000
TypeRussell Group
Founded1824

Student numbers: HESA 2024/25. Graduate salary: SalaryDex data for Manchester. Graduate salaries in Manchester →

Notable Manchester alumni

A
Alan Turing
Mathematician, father of computer science
→ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/alan-turing
B
Benedict Cumberbatch
Actor, Sherlock Holmes
→ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/benedict-cumberbatch

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Compare Manchester with others

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What happens after Manchester?

Newly qualified Software engineer in Manchester
Entry gross: £35,000 · Take-home after rent: +£1,583/mo
Full salary breakdown →
Newly qualified Nurse (Band 5) in Manchester
Entry gross: £30,959 · Take-home after rent: +£1,225/mo
Full salary breakdown →
Newly qualified Teacher in Manchester
Entry gross: £31,650 · Take-home after rent: +£1,250/mo
Full salary breakdown →

Take-home estimates based on 2025/26 PAYE rates including student loan Plan 5 repayments.

Accommodation data source

Accommodation costs verified 2026-05-20 from University of Manchester official accommodation page. Monthly costs use the formula: weekly rate × 41 contract weeks ÷ 9 academic months. Bills included in all quoted rates. ⚠️ Some room data may be incomplete — see notice above.

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