University near(ish) a beach

[Salisburyhill]

We don't live anywhere near a beach and so DC would love to have reasonably easy access to one at uni. Somewhere you can walk to or take public transport to on a weekend day say, if you wake up and feel like it ( as opposed to needing to plan in advance and get up at 5am). Or even closer would be amazing.
They are looking at doing a traditional academic subject, so Bournemouth for example, although it looks fab, would probably not be the best choice. Beach proximity cannot be the first filter!

St. Andrews has to be the natural choice.

Swansea

Aberystwyth!

Exeter, 15 -20 mins to Exmouth, Dawlish or Teignmouth by train. Can also access Torbay beaches by train. Would need anger bus ride to reach the big beaches on the the North coast.

Cardiff?

BOURNEMOUTH!!

Edinburgh- Portobello beach is about 3 miles away on the train. Cold but lovely!
Newcastle is another good call. Falmouth and Bournemouth are great for creative subjects but don't spring to mind when thinking about more traditional degree areas.
Love Bangor and Aberystwyth, good universities, beautiful beaches but fairly small quiet towns?

University of Ulster Coleraine is a few miles from the best (imo) beaches in the UK. Queen's (Belfast) and the other UU campuses aren't far either, but Coleraine is the only NI one near good surfing if that's what interests him.

I literally said that wouldn't be suitable!
Agree very nice though.

The surfers I know went to Exeter.

Cold beaches also welcome!

Edinburgh, short trip to Portobello on the bus from the centre (used to volunteer there when I was a student and it was no bother to get to).

Aberdeen - beach is very close to where much of the student accommodation is.

Of course it depends what your DC wants to be near the beach for - you won't get a lot of sunbathing on either of those beaches!

Newcastle definitely. Metro to Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, or Tynemouth. Bonus of fab countryside too and well connected on main line rail.

Surfing is not a motivating factor. More hanging about, watching the sea, swimming a bonus.

Aberystwyth or Swansea

Tynemouth really is lovely. DD went to Newcastle and enjoyed her time there and often took the metro out to Tynemouth.

As others have said - Newcastle. Easy bus or metro ride to the coast , there are seals to see at St Mary's Lighthouse, you can walk all the way along the coast, and there seem to be lots of sea swimmers at the weekends.

Exeter uni has surfing.

Edinburgh, Exeter and St Andrews

DD is away at uni and really misses the coast and the hills of Northumberland!

UEA? It's not super close to the beach but you can get regular trains from
Norwich station to Sheringham and Yarmouth.

Came to say Liverpool, but you could easily get a train from Manchester along the North Wales coast and have your pick of beaches (within around 2h). Similarly Chester has easy access to both North Wales and wirral beaches.

Aberdeen

Swansea is right opposite a very big, although not pretty, beach with a long promenade great for a walk or cycle by the sea, and a bus ride away from some REALLY pretty beaches in the Gower peninsula if they want surfing, bigger days out in lovely scenery etc.

Cardiff is an easy train ride away from Barry island for a proper fish n chips resort and big beach, or the pebble beach and pier at Penarth, plus have Cardiff bay if you want to see the water for a walk, but no beach there.

Aberystwyth is right on the beautiful west Wales coast.

Portsmouth has a pebble beach at Southsea and then I'd imagine you could get to other beaches by public transport fairly easily although I'm not sure. I would think Southampton too - direct train to Bournemouth I believe.

I assume Exeter would be good for this too.

st Andrews, Sussex