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The Midlands has so much to offer students, steeped in history, art and culture – as well as boasting some stunning natural surroundings. Located in the centre of England, the Midlands are commonly divided into the East Midlands and the West Midlands.
Throughout the Midlands you can find some of the UK’s best universities, including – but not limited to – the University of Nottingham, the University of Warwick, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester.
Read on to discover some of the many benefits the Midlands has to offer students.
Diverse cities with a strong history make the Midlands an excellent place to specialise
While the region’s largest city is Birmingham, there are plenty of other cities in the area, such as Leicester, Coventry, Derby, Nottingham, Northampton and Wolverhampton.
Each city in the Midlands has its own rich and interesting history; for example, Birmingham is known for its car industry, and Stratford-upon-Avon is the hometown of Shakespeare.
Leicester has a background in textiles, art and design – and it’s also a place of historical significance. The remains of Richard III, the last English king killed in battle, were discovered in a city centre car park in 2012.
Also located in Leicestershire, less than 20 minutes away from Leicester, is the town of Loughborough, home to Loughborough University, which has a reputation for both academic and research excellence.
However, what Loughborough University is perhaps most well-known for is its sporting achievements. It’s an internationally recognised centre of excellence for the study of sport, exercise and health through the natural and social sciences and has even helped train Olympic gold medalists.
Loughborough University is home to the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, a world-class hub applying academic and clinical expertise to policies and practices which aim to benefit the health and wellbeing of the nation.
Aside from sports, Loughborough University is also well regarded for its design and creative art programme, ranking fifth in the UK and 27th globally for art and design in the most recent QS World University Rankings by Subject. The programme provides real-world context behind its teaching, enterprise and research with a purpose of creating physical and digital experiences and interactions which benefit people, society, culture, the economy, and the environment.
The Midlands have an abundance of natural beauty
Being a student in the Midlands will give you the best of both worlds. While you can enjoy a bustling city life in one of the area’s many cities, you will also have access to some of the UK’s most stunning countryside for walking, cycling and wildlife-watching.
The Midlands boasts seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), stunning landscapes which are deemed precious enough to be protected in the national interest.
Unsurprisingly then, several of the universities in the Midlands boast green campuses, with woodlands, gardens and open spaces. Loughborough University has a 523-acre campus, with beautiful gardens and plenty of places to eat, drink, socialise and relax. In 2018 the university’s campus was awarded the Green Flag status which recognises the nation’s best green spaces.
Neither northern nor southern
The north vs. south divide in England is something university students in England love debating for hours on end.
If you choose to study in the Midlands you get to enjoy the benefits of both, particularly since you can easily access cities in the rest of the UK. The Midlands is very well connected, and it’s extremely easy to get from one city to the other by bus or train.
If you’re interested in visiting London, you can easily do so from many of the cities’ train stations. If you choose to study at Loughborough University, for example, you can get to the heart of London in less than 90 minutes, directly to London King’s Cross St Pancras station. The train from Loughborough also goes direct to Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield, Leeds and York.
Plenty of job opportunities
Because of their diverse, successful history, the Midlands boasts industrial and commercial strength. Today the Midlands is an economic hub, providing plenty of job opportunities to graduates from the area’s universities.
Loughborough University’s Leicestershire campus is home to the Loughborough University Science & Enterprise Park (LUSEP), a world-class science park containing offices for over 90 organisations and more than 2,500 people. These companies range from start-ups to global organisations and hire many graduates from the surrounding universities.
