Welcome to Trafford College

Why Study in Manchester

Manchester is a hive of creativity; it’s one of the most cultural and modern cities in Britain. If you choose to study here, you’ll be in fantastic and diverse company.

It’s a booming student city, which attracts thousands of students each year to its colleges and universities. Not only is Manchester the UK’s third largest city, it has also been named as one of the best cities to live in. It’s a thriving, music-filled hub, with countless places to explore and more popping up every day. It’s the ideal choice for any student looking to have a college and cultural experience they will never forget.

5 top reasons to study in our great city

Student friendly

Music

Culture

Food

Sport

5 top reasons to study in our great city

As we mentioned above, Manchester is a student city! This also makes it student friendly. The majority of places around Manchester will offer student discounts if you have your college ID card with you. Most importantly, it’s not a bad place to live whilst you’re with your homestay family! If you’re looking for a vibrant, exciting city without London prices, Manchester is the city for you.

With over 99,000 students studying here across the colleges and universities (an estimated 19,000 international students) you won’t feel like a fish out of water if this is your first time in Manchester.

If you love music, you’ll feel right at home in this city. The Manchester Academy and Manchester Apollo regularly host some of the world’s most exciting bands. The Manchester Arena often invites some of the planet’s top performers to its stage, such as Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

If you prefer classical music you can hit the Bridgewater Hall, where you will find Mozart, Chopin & Beethoven being played out by the Manchester Philharmonic and Halle orchestra. There is always a gig happening somewhere in the city along with annual festivals such as Sounds from the other City, Dot to Dot and Parklife.

 Plenty of parades are held in the city centre during the year, ranging from Chinese New Year to Manchester Day and also the biggest event for LGBTQ+; Manchester Pride. Manchester is home to numerous art galleries to keep your senses ticking over. The big ones include Manchester Art Gallery, which boasts a fine collection of Impressionist works, and Whitworth Art Gallery.

Situated on the edge of the city centre, the Whitworth is at the forefront of curating the best contemporary art around, and was actually one of the UK’s first art galleries to purchase a Picasso.

You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to food in Manchester. Perhaps the greatest thing about Manchester and its food offerings is its celebration of multiculturalism. The Curry Mile has the biggest concentration of South Asian eateries outside of India itself.

That’s not all though. If you prefer pasta, you can head to the lively Sugo Pasta Kitchen. If your tastes are a little more niche, you can find pierogies under a railway arch at Sparrows. There’s a wide selection of vegan food, Spanish tapas, and anything else you can think of here in Manchester. There will be a place for you (or ten).

Home to two of the best football clubs in Europe; this city used to be red, but now with the emerging power of Manchester City, the football scene has never been more competitive then it is today. Take the time to go watch a Manchester United or City game whilst you’re here, or take a tour around Old Trafford or Emirates Stadium.

The HSBC UK National Cycling Centre in Manchester is one of the world’s finest sporting venues in the UK. The Velodrome is an indoor Olympic-standard cycle-racing track, and welcomes all students to explore the grounds.