Are you one of those people who do not give up living by the sea and dream of studying at a good university but still enjoying a beautiful sunny beach on weekends (or not so sunny, after all we are talking about the land of the queen rs)? So check now which are the 10 best universities on the UK’s coast.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Aberdeen

Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen, in northeastern Scotland, ranks 207th in the QS World University Rankings 2021. It has almost 15 thousand students, most of them (just over 10 thousand) enrolled in undergraduate courses.

The university has an excellent reputation for teaching and research quality and has been associated with five Nobel Prize winners over the years. Marischal College, one of Aberdeem’s most emblematic buildings, once belonged to the university and still houses some of the institution’s activities, although it is currently the seat of the city council.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Bournemouth

The University of Bournemouth was ranked 751-800 in the QS ranking and is on the south coast of England, two and a half hours by car from London. It is an institution particularly recognized for its media courses and programs dedicated to niche subjects, such as Food Marketing and Forensic Archeology.

Students at the University of Bournemouth can enjoy the best of both worlds, as the city of Bournemouth is a traditional seaside resort and, at the same time, a very busy and economically prosperous place. It is also close to several important natural areas in the region, such as the New Forest and the Jurassic Coast, considered a natural heritage site by UNESCO.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Aberystwyth

Founded in 1872, the University of Aberystwyth is known for being the first in the world to establish an official department of International Policy in 1919, shortly after the end of the First World War.

Nestled on the west coast of Wales (in the Irish Sea), Aberystwyth is a small but lively city, thanks to its student population and a good cultural scene, especially in the world of music.

Currently ranked as the 485th best university in the world by QS, the University of Aberystwyth has also been considered, on several occasions, as one of the 10 best in the United Kingdom in terms of “student satisfaction”.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Ulster

Large, diverse and modern, the University of Ulster has four campuses in Northern Ireland and two in England. Two of these campuses are located in coastal cities: Coleraine (the university’s administrative headquarters) and Jordanstown, both in Northern Ireland.

Coleraine is a small town of about 25 thousand inhabitants that offers an excellent selection of beaches and mountains. Jordanstown is even smaller (less than 6 thousand inhabitants), but it also has a beach area and seaside parks known as Loughshore Park, which hosts several events throughout the year.

The University of Ulster is currently in the 601-650 range of the QS ranking and stands out mainly for its high employability rate among students.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of St. Andrews

Currently ranked 96th among the best universities in the world, the University of St Andrews is the oldest in Scotland, founded in 1413. It is also the third oldest in the UK and one of the top 20 in the country.

With elegant historic buildings, it is also considered to be one of the most beautiful universities in the UK and has already hosted distinguished students like Prince William.

Students at the institution can enjoy two fantastic beaches: East Sands and West Sands. The latter is particularly notable, offering almost two kilometers of uninterrupted sand, dunes and a world-famous golf course.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Essex

Currently, the University of Essex, in the south east of England, occupies the 411th position in the world and is composed of three campuses (Colchester, Loughton and Southend-on-Sea), forming a very diverse and innovative student community.

Southend campus students enjoy an attractive seaside town and a constantly growing campus that hosts the university’s School of Business, in addition to the School of Dramatic Arts and the departments of Health, Psychoanalytic Studies and Humanities. Southend is also known for claiming the title of city with the largest leisure pier in the world (it is exactly 2.34 kilometers).

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a historic, cosmopolitan and cultural city that offers a unique experience of life and learning. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582, currently ranks 20th in the world and has among its famous alumni, three British prime ministers, Charles Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell.

In addition to all this, Edinburgh also boasts an impressive mix of beaches with long strips of sand and impressively well-preserved medieval architecture, right down to a 12th century medieval castle. It is also known for being the home of the largest arts festival in the world – the Fringe Festival, and even has an inactive volcano dominating its landscape – Arthur’s Seat.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Southampton

The University of Southampton, currently ranked 90th in the world by QS, is an intensive research institution on the south coast of England with a thriving and diverse international community.

Southampton is the largest port city on the south coast of the United Kingdom and is very close to Bournemouth. In Southampton, one of the best known places is Ocean Village, a marina full of bars, restaurants, cinemas and a beautiful view of the parked boats and speedboats.

Best universities on the UK coast: Cardiff University

Ranked 159th in the world, the University of Cardiff offers easy access to nearby beaches, such as Penarth, and a number of activities at Cardiff Bay. several sports facilities at the university and major sports centers like the Millennium Stadium.

Best universities on the UK coast: University of Sussex

The University of Sussex is on the south coast of England, in Falmer, a town 6 kilometers from the city of Brighton, the UK’s most popular maritime destination for foreign tourists.

Positioned at 246th in the QS ranking, many of the university’s students live in the center of Brighton, which is known as a diverse and culturally effervescent city that serves as home to an expressive LGBTQ community.