Student life

Students gathered outside campus

Middlesbrough boasts a lively atmosphere with cosmopolitan restaurants, busy shopping centres and independent boutiques, as well a wide range of entertainment venues, from micropubs and sports centres to galleries and museums. The striking 113-year-old Tees Transporter bridge creates an unforgettable skyline across the River Tees.

Explore the town with new friends, benefit from access to a wide range of facilities and enjoy a cheaper cost of living by living locally. Whatever you choose, Teesside has something for everyone.

A friendly campus community

You will be a part of student life from day one at the International Study Centre. Located on campus at the University, you will benefit directly from:

  • 145 million learning resources available in the library
  • A Students’ Union as your hub for student life
  • A dedicated student gym
  • Campus Heart – an all-year-round outdoor events space
  • £13.2 million student life building focusing on your wellbeing.

Cost of living

As well as being close to the University, Middlesbrough is a very affordable place to live when compared to other places in the UK. Consumer prices in Middlesbrough are, on average, 34.4% lower than London with rent being 76.1% lower (Numbeo, November 2024).

For the most up to date UK-wide cost of living data, we recommend students check https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/ and view the latest data released.

From coast to country

There are plenty of stunning locations you can visit, all easily accessible from Teesside.

A great place to experience the British summer time, Hartlepool is a historic seaside town with colourful painted buildings and miles of beautiful golden sands.

Looking for more modern seaside attractions? Explore Hartlepool’s multi-million-pound marina complex or check out the VUE cinema, which has great offers for students.

Redcar is a traditional seaside town, the perfect place to experience an arcade or eat fish and chips. Follow your meal with lemon top ice cream, a famous tradition in the north of England.

Make sure you also stop at the unusual vertical pier and – if you are feeling adventurous – try out the wide range of water sports on offer.

The North York Moors National Park is one of the largest expanses of moorland in the UK. Outdoor enthusiasts will be swept away by the rolling hills, ancient woodland, dramatic ruins, and purple heather.

The moors stretch right down to the coast, offering varied walks between quaint coastal villages.

A market town with impressive Georgian and Victorian architecture, Stokesley offers a look at life in a typical Yorkshire town. It’s perfect if you want to stroll around independent shops or experience an outdoor market – we’d recommend stopping for lunch in the market square.

Or, if you want to try something completely different, head for a game of footgolf at Stokesley’s outdoor course.

Wellbeing and support

Moving abroad to study can be a big adjustment. The University has plenty of support available on campus, including:

  • Advisors who can provide information on student funding, tuition fees, scholarships and welfare benefits
  • A faith and reflection service which provides support and space for worship, meditation and prayer, including Muslim prayer rooms, plus events for students of all faiths and none
  • A disability and mental health service which provides information and advice on entitlements, facilities, specialised equipment and accessibility
  • A counselling service which provides a confidential space for you to talk through any issues that may be concerning you.

Student life in Middlesbrough

*1,682 responses to the ISB from Teesside students, equating to a 28.1% response rate; 137 institutions included in the Global rankings and 35 institutions are included in the UK ISB rankings.

The International Student Barometer survey is conducted by i-graduate. I-graduate do not publish benchmarked data from the survey, however a selection of Teesside University's results are published on their website, and these have been verified and approved by i-graduate (email info@i-graduate.org for additional verification of results).

General information about the survey can be found at www.i-graduate.org.

Become a Student Ambassador

We have an exciting opportunity available at the International Study Centre to develop your social media skills and contribute to our social channels!

Get involved in taking over our social media, writing fun blogs, hosting Q&A sessions, shining bright at events, starring in our marketing materials, sharing your daily activities, and creating engaging content through photos and videos.

Of course, this would also be an impressive experience worth adding to your CV. Once your Student Ambassador role comes to a finish, you will receive a LinkedIn recommendation from us based on your performance.

“Choosing to apply to the student ambassador position was way out of my comfort zone, I can just be honest about that. But I'm grateful for the opportunity and it made me get more skills and apply them in my daily life. It made me more open to speaking to different people and getting different perspectives from other ambassadors” – Awrad, a previous Student Ambassador

Join us today

Our student enrolment advisors are available to answer your questions and help you with your application. We can’t wait to meet you.