Ipswich - Location Reviews - StudentCrowd

Study in Ipswich

Ipswich is Suffolk’s largest town and it’s where you will find the University of Suffolk.

University of Suffolk

The University of Suffolk is one of the UK’s newest universities, established in 2007. There are four academic schools: the School of Engineering, Arts, Science and Technology, School of Health and Sports Sciences, School of Social Sciences and Humanities and Suffolk Business School.

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Study in Ipswich? Review your location

Ipswich Student Life

The university campus is based very near the centre of Ipswich, occupying a great spot overlooking the marina. This also puts you right next to the Waterfront area, which is one of the main hubs for leisure and entertainment activity in the town.

Cost of Living

Accommodation

Student accommodation costs in Ipswich range from £108 - £173 per week; the average is £133 per week.

Compare the average elsewhere: Norwich: £150/week, Luton: £132/week, Colchester: £144/week.

(prices are for all purpose-built student accommodation (both private and university-owned) over the last 12 months, as listed on StudentCrowd)

The average price for:

A cheap meal at a restaurant: £13
A pint of beer: £3.90
A regular takeout coffee: £2.84
1L of milk: £1.12
A loaf of white bread: £1.13

Prices are about 6% lower than equivalent costs in Norwich, about 7% lower than Luton and about 4% lower than Colchester.

(Source: Numbeo)

Nights Out

There’s a good variety of pubs, bars and clubs to suit different tastes in Ipswich. Popular pubs include The Fat Cat Free Mouse, a traditional ale pub with a great beer garden and Isaacs on the Quay for a top waterside location and live music.

Public Transport

There is a bus service that goes between the train station, university and then around the town. It takes a longer route between the houses so unless you have masses of gear you can make the walk in 20-mins. Ipswich is compact and anywhere you might want to visit is accessible by public transport. It’s pretty flat so a bike is another mode of transport to get about.

Eating Out

Shopping

Around St Nicholas Street you’ll find independent artsy shops and boutiques. For more mainstream shopping there’s Tower Ramparts and the Buttermarket which are the two big shopping centres. They exit onto the area around Tavern Street and Westgate Street where you’ll find most of the high street shopping.

The Great Outdoors

Living in Ipswich means that rural East Anglia and its famous beaches are at your disposal! The best places within a nice student-friendly distance from Ipswich are at Southwold and Walberswick, only an hour away.

Rendlesham Forest

Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Rendlesham Forest is just 30-minutes from Ipswich and is a great place to get some fresh air. You can also do the UFO trail and discover more about the famous 1980 UFO sighting!

River Orwell

From Ipswich the River Orwell flows down to the North Sea. Along the river you can do walks where there are plenty of traditional English pubs to stop off at. You can also head out for a spot of sailing or take a river cruise for a fun day out.

Top 10 Ipswich Accommodation

3.4 /5

(71 reviews)

Athena Hall 3.4 /5

Athena hall is a modern, spacious and excellent student accommodation. It has spacious rooms and facilities, all bedrooms come with an r suite which i...

Study in Ipswich? Review your town

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member489258

25th July 2023

Ipswich is not th...

Ipswich is not the best for night life if that’s what you’re into, with only one good bar in my opinion (revolution) after the popular night club shut down. Shopping is ok, there are a few good shops which I often visited such as primark, jd sports, new look etc. eating out is really nice as there is a Nando’s, wagamamas, takayama, and McDonalds. Public transport is ok, train station and buses. read more