Unis where no public transport required

[Blair31]

Anyone know of any universities where you don’t need to use public transport - even when ‘living out’ in years 2&3? DS was a bit put off by Southampton as buses required to get to campus (even in 1st year).

Southampton is quite small and the bus is unlink. It’s quite simple to use and nothing like a big city. What is wrong with it? Some of the student residents aren’t near Highfield campus but lots of rentals around it if you rent your own.

It really does depend on the definition of "walking distance"
DD21 is at Bath, second year living out and walks an hour each way... but she uses it as mind clearing and exercise time.

Dd22 is at Swansea and walks 7 min across a park. (She'd take the bus if she could!)

Dd walks everywhere in Edinburgh, although there is a free bus pass for under 22s she uses for longer trips young.scot/the-young-scot-card

Now I see what he’s complaining about. An hour from southampton will take you to Portsmouth on the car! None of the bus rides will be that long. Like others say it’s walkable if you don’t mind hills. But I prefer not to get cold or wet. And many does, there is are bus services for the university that runs to the halls, campuses, the hospital and the sports ground.

Bath is fine for the first year, but after that they'll be off campus and needing the bus.

Just seen its MFL. Scratch Lincoln.

Definitely Birmingham.

It is also possible to live within walking distance of the campus at Dundee University. Lots of student rentals along the Perth Road and side streets.

Birmingham - the Vale is a short walk to campus for 1st Year, and even if you live further out as I did for yrs 2 and 3 (Bearwood and Kings Heath) then it was just an easy (if slightly hilly) bike ride.

Surrey? Not entirely sure as only been to Stag Hill campus but that walkable to Guilford...
Someone may have more knowledge.

I agree with @PensionPuzzle that Uni of Leicester is underrated - DD went on clearing and I have no idea why it wasn;t on her list sooner tbh.

It is not a campus tho (actually that might be why DD didn;t look at it) and the Oadby accomm is much nicer than anything in the city. I would walk or cycle it but DD was adamant a bus was the only option.

Re Bristol - I think a two-mile walk (Stoke Bishop to Clifton) is fine (tho it is a big hill to get home) and like I say, everyone I knew walked or cycled; but I bet people take the bus today. I feel like we were poorer in the 1980s! But if a two-mile walk is OK, then loads of unis will meet the OP's son's requirements tbh.

I was at Aberystwyth and don't recall ever getting a bus. We generally walked up the hill once a day, including Saturday for the Up Top Bop. Nobody had cars either - or at least nobody I knew.

@HuntingoftheSnark the Up Top Bop - I love that!

I agree, in four years of uni I knew four people with a car - and two of those were my housemates in my final year who had actual jobs!

I went to York - don't think I ever used the bus - but it was half an hour walk into town. The new campus is even further out so I'm not convinced that is really walkable.
Also went to St. Andrews - you don't need public transport there unless you want to go out in Dundee. Some students live in Dundee.

It all depends where he ends up living off campus. Lots of people have recommended Newcastle/Northumbria. I grew up there and yeah, the inner city is walkable but it depends where he ends up living. Lots of students live in South Gosforth and it's quite a hike in. But the advantage is that there are good metro links - better than getting the bus as it avoids being stuck in traffic.

Is it the idea of making a journey every day that puts him off? Can he look at universities which are campus based and maybe a little out of town where day-to-day things such as lectures are easily at hand and then getting a bus into town for shopping and nights out.
I think he is restricting himself quite a bit with that criteria and as I said, it depends on his accommodation when living out. He might not find somewhere suitable in walking distance. But I can see his point if he was going to be based in halls in his first year where he'd need to take a fairly long bus journey every day just to get to lectures.

If a certain amount of walking is ok, Leeds or York or Durham from my experience.

Stoneham - was that the tower block? I think it's been taken down now? I was in the not-posh part of Connaught, but my friends were in Monte, so we used to meet outside there and walk up to campus. Ahhhh. Happy days.

St Andrews

Queen's Belfast

St Andrews

DD went to Birmingham and walked to campus from her house in Pebble Mill

Another coming on to say Birmingham. University halls in Selly Oak followed by student accommodation in further years in Selly and they can walk everywhere. MFL very good there too and they do Spanish and Business. Newcastle has a lovely central campus with walkable accommodation and is also good for MFL.

Plymouth :) most student accommodation is walking distance into city centre too as the campus is right in the city centre.

Thank you all for these great suggestions!

I am surprised Newcastle keeps getting mentioned.

Fantastic Uni/city and on campus accommodation first year very walkable.

However second year most move to Jesmond and surrounding areas and do take the metro. Some students cycle but in some areas of heavy traffic.

Having said that my DS loved it!!

It's less than 1.5 miles from Osborne Road (and surrounding streets full of student house shares) to the university, and under 2 miles from Byker!

University of Birmingham - halls on the Vale for the first (or subsequent) years, houses in Selly Oak for the remainder. All walkable. Largely step free as I remember it too, albeit on a slope.