West Midlands suburb named one of the UK’s best places for university students to live

Selly Oak in Birmingham has been named one of the UK’s best places for university students to live.

Search data analysts at SEO Backlinks compared well-known student neighbourhoods across the UK, scoring them on the factors students and young renters check before choosing where to live.

The West Midlands entry is a familiar one. Selly Oak sits close to the University of Birmingham, has its own railway station, is served by busy bus routes along Bristol Road and has a large rental market aimed at students.

It ranked a 78.9 out of 100 liveability score with a indicative student room rent £575 pcm in April 2026 - according to SEO Backlinks analysis of public rental, listings and search data.

Broomhill took the national top spot thanks to its mix of university access, parks, cafés, student demand and strong local search visibility. It scored 7.5 points higher than Selly Oak, although the Birmingham suburb remained comfortably inside the leading group.

Selly Oak’s appeal is practical as much as social. Students can reach the University of Birmingham area quickly, the high street has takeaways, supermarkets and cafés aimed at term-time demand, and trains link Selly Oak to Birmingham New Street in around 11 minutes.

The suburb also benefits from nearby green space, including Selly Oak Park and routes towards the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, while the wider Edgbaston campus area adds libraries, sports facilities and student services.

Fallowfield, Headingley, Jesmond and Cathays completed the top five, showing how the strongest student areas tend to combine nightlife and amenities with ordinary everyday convenience.

Lenton and Selly Oak performed well because they are established student rental areas with direct links to major universities. Clifton scored highly for amenities and green space, but higher rent pressure pushed it further down the table.

Daniel Weston, Founder at SEO Backlinks, said: “Student areas tend to perform well online when they appear consistently across maps, rental listings, search results and local review platforms.

“Selly Oak is a good example because it has a clear student identity, but it also has the everyday things people search for before signing a tenancy, including transport, cafés, supermarkets, green space and a short route to campus.

“The warning for students is not to choose an area from reputation alone. Check the full monthly cost, how long the journey to lectures really takes, whether bills are included, what the deposit terms are and whether the area works for your week, not just your nights out. ”