NatWest research reveals Cardiff as most affordable city for students

Students in Cardiff, Aberdeen and Durham are amongst the highest term-time earners. However their main source of income differs; students in Cardiff and Aberdeen receive the majority of their income from part-time work, whereas Durham students receive most of their income from their parents. Hull is at the other end of the scale with students receiving the least from parents and the most from bursaries or scholarships.

The NatWest Student Living Index surveyed almost 3,500 students across the country to determine the most affordable place to study. The survey takes into account a range of factors, from how much students spend on essentials such as food, rent and bills, to how much time they spend studying, working and socialising.

Scottish universities have both the highest and lowest monthly student incomes. Students in Aberdeen have the highest overall term-time income at £1583.80 per month, when taking into account all sources of money such as work, personal savings and money from parents. Glasgow has the lowest total income at £786.60 a month.

Students at Oxford and Cambridge spend the most hours studying; 124hrs and 138hrs respectively each term. This is significantly above the national average of 91 hours and more than double the number of hours that students in London spend studying (62 hrs).

Dan Jones, NatWest’s Head of Student Accounts, said, “The Student Living Index helps students to see how they might budget while at University. Our main priority is to help students stay on top of their finances throughout their studies”.

Find out about more about the NatWest Student Living Index.