Which Uni is best from this list?

Have you looked on the complete university guide uk rankings?

Firstly if your tight on finances forget about Middlesex as it is in the most expensive city London to live. UWE is in Bristol which is a really good student city but again on the expensive side. Cardiff Met is in a very good student city a couple of miles out of the centre but Cardiff is one of the cheaper areas to live. The university of South Wales has different campuses and I am not sure which campus the art courses are dealt with. The main campus is in Treforest about a mile from the small town of Pontypridd. Not the best town but only about 12 miles from Cardiff which is a very good city for students. They also have a campus in the middle of Cardiff which I think houses Media and possibly Art. University of Wolverhampton is not far from Birmingham which is an excellent student city and shouldnt be as expensive as London I dont know much about Bedfordshire but it is in a fairly small city and this is true of Hertfordshire which given where it is based will probably be an expensive area. I dont know much about Art courses but perhaps @PQ. might be able to help.

Firstly if your tight on finances forget about Middlesex as it is in the most expensive city London to live. UWE is in Bristol which is a really good student city but again on the expensive side. Cardiff Met is in a very good student city a couple of miles out of the centre but Cardiff is one of the cheaper areas to live. The university of South Wales has different campuses and I am not sure which campus the art courses are dealt with. The main campus is in Treforest about a mile from the small town of Pontypridd. Not the best town but only about 12 miles from Cardiff which is a very good city for students. They also have a campus in the middle of Cardiff which I think houses Media and possibly Art. University of Wolverhampton is not far from Birmingham which is an excellent student city and shouldnt be as expensive as London I dont know much about Bedfordshire but it is in a fairly small city and this is true of Hertfordshire which given where it is based will probably be an expensive area. I dont know much about Art courses but perhaps @PQ. might be able to help.

I have just researched university of South Wales and their Art courses are in the centre of Cardiff which is a really great student city and was rate one of the cheapest in the UK to live. Another option is the seaside town of Aberystwyth another quite cheap to stay. It is quite isolated from elsewhere but once you are there is a really nice safe town with loads of pubs but likes places like Hertfordshire wont have the kind of nightlife found in places like Bristol and Cardiff. University of Wales Trinity St Davids in Swansea is another worth looking into. The Art and Media departments are in the middle of a smallish city whose indoor market has just been voted the best large market in the UK. IT is close to the sea and a fairly cheap place to stay especially in houses in the second and third years. Swansea Art college has been around for years before joining UWTSD and is a world leader in stained glass apparently.

https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/swansea/
https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/ba-architectural-glass-arts/

Thanks for your detailed response!! I've chucked Middlesex off my list now WHICH I'm contemplating either Cardiff Met or Hertfordshire, but I'm unsure of what you meant here "but it is in a fairly small city and this is true of Hertfordshire which given where it is based will probably be an expensive area", so Hertfordshire is in a smaller city, expensive but not as expensive as London? Am I getting it right?


I was typing the above reply when you replied with more help! Thank you again. I will look into UWTSD too! Their design courses looks to be rated highly as well
How are the working opportunities there as an international student? Do I have to apply through my Uni career office, or can I just go walk and ask around town? Haha
And finally, are there any major difference between Wales and England culture/lifestyle wise? I know there is a Welsh language, is it required of a foreigner to learn Welsh as well when speaking to the locals? Especially if i'll be working part time there.. like, would it be rude if I didn't understand Welsh??

Thanks for all your help and advice @swanseajack1

As ajj2000 has stated Hertfordshire will be quite expensive but probably not as expensive as inner London(nowhere is). It is also in quite small towns like St Albans and Hatfield which have populations around 50000. Aberystwyth is even smaller and these places are not going to offer the kind of live somewhere like Cardiff or Bristol will offer which offer populations of 350000 and 450000 and have loads of shops and clubs. Swansea is a bit smaller 250000 but has a very well known nightlife street with something like 20 bars and clubs. The market has just been awarded the UKs best large indoor market yesterday. The shopping area is small and compact but houses many of the uks more famous shops. Obviously Cardiff and Bristol being bigger offer more in respect of shops and entertainment. I am not an expert in art courses but do know Swansea Art college has been a leader in the stained glass field for many years.

Having checked the complete university table for Art and Design UWTSD is 21st UWE 34 USW 54 Cardiff Met 61 Wolverhampton 68 so there isnt a huge difference.

USW's art campus isnt on its main campus in Pontypridd but in Cardiff City centre not far from the train station. It is ideally placed to take in everything Cardiff has to offer. However the main university campus is about 12 miles away. Cardiff Met is not on their main campus but again a couple of miles away in Llandaff. It is about 2 miles from the city centre. UWTSD is in Swansea city centre. UWEs main campus is on the outskirts of Bristol about 4 miles out.

Bristol does tend to be a little more expensive than Wales but is a very good and popular student city.

As far as are the Welsh being different to the English yes but then places within Wales are very different too. Swansea and Cardiff are fairly cosmopolitan cities and very little Welsh is spoken in either. The further west and North you go the more you will become aware of the Welsh language. The pace of life is a bit slower in Wales than London but then that is true of the North of England. You certainly wont need to learn the Welsh language although you might hear the odd person conversing in it but the vast majority of the time people speak English in the cities. Swansea University has over 3000 students from abroad and I suspect something similar in Cardiff university so you will find people in both cities from abroad. I dont think the same applies to the universities you are applying for but if you stay in one of the private halls in either city for your first year you will meet many foreign students.

Cardiff, Herts and UWE all run well-regarded graphic design courses.

The UWE course is quite different to the other two though. It's much more focused on exploring social, environmental and political issues, primarily with typography, rather than the other two which are more industry-focused. UWE is known for producing clever, innovative work and is a great location but it has a different outlook to the majority of GD courses.

Hi all


I'm applying as an international student who just finished my diploma, looking to get my bachelors in Graphic design (or similar courses e.g. graphic communication, etc in these Universities:

▪ England
− University of Hertfordshire
− University of Bedfordshire
– Middlesex University London
− University of Wolverhampton
− UWE Bristol
▪ Wales
− Cardiff Metropolitan University
− University of South Wales

What Uni is the best for art/design courses and life there (particularly best for part time work too?

I'd appreciate any advice given or if you'd recommend another uni (within the same budget above, not more than 13.5k gbp), as I've never been to the UK but have the means to do now for education purposes, so I'm not familiar with each university location/specialization/culture.

Thanks everyone.

They are all ****, to be honest.

Cardiff, Herts and UWE all run well-regarded graphic design courses.

The UWE course is quite different to the other two though. It's much more focused on exploring social, environmental and political issues, primarily with typography, rather than the other two which are more industry-focused. UWE is known for producing clever, innovative work and is a great location but it has a different outlook to the majority of GD courses.

Hi @insidedesigner ! I'd like to ask about more uni if you don't mind, since you've explained about other unis well previously. I have refined my shortlist uni as below:
- Manchester Metropolitan
- UWE Bristol
- Wales Trinity Saint David
- Huddersfield
- Cardiff Metropolitan

Could you share anything on Manchester Metropolitan, Huddersfield, and Wales Trinity Saint David for their graphic design course?
I also have received a conditional offer from UWE Bristol.. Just trying to check out other unis and choose the best one... My main criteria are:
- Good uni environment and tutors and overall course quality
- Part time employability around campus town while studying to help cover my expenses
- Employability as a graduate in the UK (skilled job)

Also pinging @swanseajack1 !

Hope to hear from you soon, thank you

Hi all


I'm applying as an international student who just finished my diploma, looking to get my bachelors in Graphic design (or similar courses e.g. graphic communication, etc in these Universities:


- Manchester Metropolitan
- Wales Trinity Saint David
- Huddersfield
- Cardiff Metropolitan




What Uni is the best for art/design courses and life there (particularly best for part time work too?

I'd appreciate any advice given or if you'd recommend another uni (within the same budget above, not more than 13.5k gbp), as I've never been to the UK but have the means to do now for education purposes, so I'm not familiar with each university location/specialization/culture.

Thanks everyone.