Leeds VS Nottingham
Hey! I need some help to pick between Nottingham and Leeds for university! I want to study history and ancient history joint honours, and both unis have good programmes for this. Overall, I have preferred the actual uni /course for Nottingham - the lecturers seemed more engaging and it has more modules that are interesting to me personally. Additionally I think I preferred the campus and it has more societies that interest me. However, I didn’t like the city that much, especially compared to Leeds. I much prefer Leeds city I think (although I have seen it more to be fair). Whilst not as many societies, there are still a lot that interest me significantly. There are also less modules that interest me to the same extent as in Nottingham, but there are a lot that do interest me still. I also know Leeds quite well, as my sister studied there and she loved it. I also really like the union building at Leeds but idk how important that is lol.
I’m also autistic, queer/sapphic, and have a chronic illness, and I don’t know which uni would be best for supporting this, and that has the most prominent community regarding this as well. Generally I’ve got the impression that Leeds is more diverse but do correct me if I’m wrong/Nottingham has this equally. I also want lots of opportunities to go out whenever I want, and not get bored of the area, and therefore Leeds is appealing due to things like the otley run and stuff, but I don’t know much about Nottingham night life tbh.
My parents don’t really care which I go to, but said they would prefer me at Leeds due to knowing the city and my sister would be there for one year and whilst I am.
Leeds does have a higher point score (35 IB points) whereas Nottingham is relatively lower (30), so I don’t know if it would be sensible to just put Nottingham as my insurance and Leeds as my firm due to this? I’m just struggling to choose because I don’t know what the most important aspects are!
I don’t know if it matters, but my other options were Exeter Newcastle and Leicester.
Thanks!!
I’m also autistic, queer/sapphic, and have a chronic illness, and I don’t know which uni would be best for supporting this, and that has the most prominent community regarding this as well. Generally I’ve got the impression that Leeds is more diverse but do correct me if I’m wrong/Nottingham has this equally. I also want lots of opportunities to go out whenever I want, and not get bored of the area, and therefore Leeds is appealing due to things like the otley run and stuff, but I don’t know much about Nottingham night life tbh.
My parents don’t really care which I go to, but said they would prefer me at Leeds due to knowing the city and my sister would be there for one year and whilst I am.
Leeds does have a higher point score (35 IB points) whereas Nottingham is relatively lower (30), so I don’t know if it would be sensible to just put Nottingham as my insurance and Leeds as my firm due to this? I’m just struggling to choose because I don’t know what the most important aspects are!
I don’t know if it matters, but my other options were Exeter Newcastle and Leicester.
Thanks!!
Reply 1
Hi! I can't offer any help on this, unfortunately as I am also in a very similar position, trying to decide between Leeds and Nottingham for Natural Sciences. So I'm just commenting so that if anyone replies, I'll see it, sorry to maybe get your hopes up at having had a response 😅
I personally preferred the city and the campus of Nottingham when I visited, mostly because of the nature aspect (coming from somewhere with a lot of nature that I'd find it hard to let go of). I loved the walk down the canal from the station to the University Park Campus, but I have only visited both cities once! When I went to Leeds though, I was looking on the map to find a big green area to eat my dinner before the train... and I could not find anything 😅
It seemed Leeds had better facilities though, and I liked that first year accommodation was on campus and the Student Union seemed really cool! I also saw that Leeds had a free gym membership for the first year, and I just got a better vibe from the actual university. But I didn't have a campus tour for Nottingham so I'm gonna have to research this a lot more. Also I loved that Nottingham offered Psychology as one of the subject options... so yeah I am really torn!
I personally preferred the city and the campus of Nottingham when I visited, mostly because of the nature aspect (coming from somewhere with a lot of nature that I'd find it hard to let go of). I loved the walk down the canal from the station to the University Park Campus, but I have only visited both cities once! When I went to Leeds though, I was looking on the map to find a big green area to eat my dinner before the train... and I could not find anything 😅
It seemed Leeds had better facilities though, and I liked that first year accommodation was on campus and the Student Union seemed really cool! I also saw that Leeds had a free gym membership for the first year, and I just got a better vibe from the actual university. But I didn't have a campus tour for Nottingham so I'm gonna have to research this a lot more. Also I loved that Nottingham offered Psychology as one of the subject options... so yeah I am really torn!
(edited 1 week ago)
Reply 2
Original post by Lmbnx
Hey! I need some help to pick between Nottingham and Leeds for university! I want to study history and ancient history joint honours, and both unis have good programmes for this. Overall, I have preferred the actual uni /course for Nottingham - the lecturers seemed more engaging and it has more modules that are interesting to me personally. Additionally I think I preferred the campus and it has more societies that interest me. However, I didn’t like the city that much, especially compared to Leeds. I much prefer Leeds city I think (although I have seen it more to be fair). Whilst not as many societies, there are still a lot that interest me significantly. There are also less modules that interest me to the same extent as in Nottingham, but there are a lot that do interest me still. I also know Leeds quite well, as my sister studied there and she loved it. I also really like the union building at Leeds but idk how important that is lol.
I’m also autistic, queer/sapphic, and have a chronic illness, and I don’t know which uni would be best for supporting this, and that has the most prominent community regarding this as well. Generally I’ve got the impression that Leeds is more diverse but do correct me if I’m wrong/Nottingham has this equally. I also want lots of opportunities to go out whenever I want, and not get bored of the area, and therefore Leeds is appealing due to things like the otley run and stuff, but I don’t know much about Nottingham night life tbh.
My parents don’t really care which I go to, but said they would prefer me at Leeds due to knowing the city and my sister would be there for one year and whilst I am.
Leeds does have a higher point score (35 IB points) whereas Nottingham is relatively lower (30), so I don’t know if it would be sensible to just put Nottingham as my insurance and Leeds as my firm due to this? I’m just struggling to choose because I don’t know what the most important aspects are!
I don’t know if it matters, but my other options were Exeter Newcastle and Leicester.
Thanks!!
I’m also autistic, queer/sapphic, and have a chronic illness, and I don’t know which uni would be best for supporting this, and that has the most prominent community regarding this as well. Generally I’ve got the impression that Leeds is more diverse but do correct me if I’m wrong/Nottingham has this equally. I also want lots of opportunities to go out whenever I want, and not get bored of the area, and therefore Leeds is appealing due to things like the otley run and stuff, but I don’t know much about Nottingham night life tbh.
My parents don’t really care which I go to, but said they would prefer me at Leeds due to knowing the city and my sister would be there for one year and whilst I am.
Leeds does have a higher point score (35 IB points) whereas Nottingham is relatively lower (30), so I don’t know if it would be sensible to just put Nottingham as my insurance and Leeds as my firm due to this? I’m just struggling to choose because I don’t know what the most important aspects are!
I don’t know if it matters, but my other options were Exeter Newcastle and Leicester.
Thanks!!
Hey!
Thanks so much for sharing all that. It sounds like you’ve really put a lot of thought into your choices, which is great. Picking between two strong unis like Nottingham and Leeds is never easy, especially when you’ve got so many different (and valid!) things to weigh up.
It’s clear that you’ve done your research, and it’s really important that you’re thinking about both the course content and what kind of environment you’ll thrive in.
I just wanted to gently throw UEA (University of East Anglia) into the mix, if it’s not already on your radar.
I’m currently doing a PhD here, and I genuinely love the vibe at UEA. It’s got a strong community feel, excellent support services (Disability Support, Student Wellbeing, LGBTQ+ Society, and peer mentoring schemes), and the History department is really well-regarded. If you’re looking for a joint honours that lets you explore ancient history as well as modern historical perspectives, UEA gives you quite a bit of flexibility with your modules too.
Norwich, where UEA is based, is a safe and very student-friendly city, lots of green space, independent shops and venues, and a creative, inclusive atmosphere. It might not have the size of Leeds, but it's never boring. And because the campus is a bit more contained, a lot of students find it easier to settle in and navigate things, which can be super important when you’re managing health and energy.
Totally get that you’re probably leaning between your top two right now, but just thought I’d mention it in case you want to explore another supportive, diverse option where you won’t feel like just another number. If you want more insight into life at UEA or the course here, happy to chat anytime 😊
Wishing you all the best with your decision, sounds like whichever route you go, you’re going to do great.
Best,
Daniel
PhD Biology
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