Student Life
Discover Plymouth
What is it like to study in Plymouth?
If you are thinking about studying at Arts University Plymouth, Plymouth offers something distinctive: a specialist arts university in a coastal city with a growing cultural scene, a strong sense of community, and easy access to sea, city and countryside. Our campus is in the heart of Plymouth’s cultural quarter, close to galleries, performance venues, independent spaces and the waterfront.
<p>Plymouth sits between <strong>Dartmoor National Park </strong>and <strong>the UK’s first National Marine Park</strong>, making it a place where creative study connects with both urban culture and the natural environment. For many students, that combination of opportunity, affordability and quality of life is a major part of what makes studying here feel different.</p>
<ul> <li dir="ltr">Study at a city-centre campus in Plymouth’s cultural quarter</li> <li dir="ltr">Award winning city museum and gallery The Box is less than two minutes’ walk from the main entrance to Arts University Plymouth</li> <li dir="ltr">Access culture on and near campus through MIRROR, Plymouth Arts Cinema, KARST, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Market Hall</li> <li dir="ltr">Live in a coastal South West city with beaches, waterfront walks, wild swimming, sailing and cycling nearby</li> <li dir="ltr">Explore Devon and Cornwall easily, including Dartmoor, Mount Edgcumbe, Totnes, the Eden Project and Tate St Ives</li> <li dir="ltr">Plymouth was ranked the 27th cheapest UK city for student accommodation by StudentCrowd in 2026</li> <li dir="ltr">Home to more than 20,000 students, Plymouth combines city-centre convenience with a strong sense of community</li></ul>
MIRROR (previously known as The Gallery), our on-site international exhibition space at Tavistock Place, undergraduate building.
<p>Plymouth gives creative students a mix that can be hard to find elsewhere. It is a coastal city with a rich cultural life, a manageable size, and a campus embedded in the city rather than set apart from it. That means exhibitions, screenings, performances, public spaces and creative communities can become part of your everyday experience.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For students at Arts University Plymouth, place matters. Plymouth offers the practical benefits of a more affordable South West city, alongside the energy of a location that is changing, investing in culture and building new opportunities across the creative and wider economy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The city’s new brand strapline, <strong>m</strong><strong>ake life an adventure</strong>, reflects something many students already recognise: Plymouth is a place where creative ambition and quality of life can sit side by side.<br /></p>
"Plymouth is Britain’s coolest little city by the sea" — British GQ magazine
<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth is based in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, next to <strong>The Box</strong>, an award-winning museum, gallery and archive with major exhibitions, collections and the South West Film & Television Archive. It is one of the closest and most visible examples of how the city’s cultural life connects directly to campus.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On campus, students can visit <strong>MIRROR</strong>, our public gallery, and <strong>Plymouth Arts Cinema</strong>, the city’s only independent cinema. Across Plymouth, venues and organisations including <strong>KARST</strong>, <strong>Theatre Royal Plymouth</strong>, <strong>Barbican Theatre</strong>, <strong>Market Hall</strong>, <strong>Devonport Guildhall</strong>, <strong>Ocean Studios</strong> and <strong>Grow</strong> add to a wider creative ecology of exhibitions, film, performance, making and digital culture.</p>
<p>Plymouth has also hosted major cultural events including <strong>British Art Show 9</strong>, while festivals, artist-led projects and community-driven initiatives continue to shape the city’s creative identity year-round.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth offers plenty to do beyond your studies. You can walk across the Hoe, swim at <strong>Tinside Lido</strong>, visit the waterfront, browse independent shops, go to live music or comedy, or spend time in cafés, markets and creative spaces across the city.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The city has a growing mix of independent food spots, leisure destinations and cultural venues to suit different budgets. Areas such as <strong>Royal William Yard</strong>, <strong>The Barcode</strong>, the <strong>Barbican</strong> and the city centre each offer a different side of Plymouth, from waterside eating and historic streets to cinema, events and shopping.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There is also a strong independent spirit here. Makers’ markets, pop-up exhibitions, grassroots events and creative communities all contribute to a city that feels active, social and easy to explore.<br /></p>
Award-winning photographer Nicholas White embraced the wilds of Dartmoor during his studies at Arts University Plymouth.
<p>Plymouth’s location shapes student life in practical and creative ways. The city sits between <strong>Dartmoor National Park </strong>and the UK’s first <strong>National Marine Park</strong>, with beaches, coastal walks, water sports and green space all within easy reach.</p>
<p>Whether you enjoy hiking, sea swimming, paddleboarding, cycling or simply spending time outdoors, Plymouth makes it easy to build that into your weekly routine. The waterfront and surrounding landscape are also a source of inspiration for many students, especially those interested in place, environment, image-making and material practice.</p>
<p>For creative students, the city’s character comes partly from that relationship between built environment and natural setting. Sea, weather, history, post-war architecture and public space all give Plymouth a distinct visual and cultural identity.</p>
<p dir="ltr">One of the advantages of studying in Plymouth is how easy it is to explore the wider South West. A short ferry trip can take you to <strong>Mount Edgcumbe</strong>, or across to <strong>Kingsand</strong> and <strong>Cawsand</strong>. <strong>Dartmoor</strong> is close enough for day trips, walks and landscape-led escapes from the city.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Nearby places such as <strong>Totnes</strong>, <strong>Ashburton</strong> and <strong>Bovey Tracey</strong> add another layer to the region’s creative life, with independent shops, craft culture and access to spaces such as <strong>MAKE Southwest</strong> and the annual <strong>Craft Festival</strong>.</p>
<p>Further afield, students can visit the <strong>Eden Project</strong> in Cornwall or spend time in <strong>St Ives</strong>, home to <strong>Tate St Ives</strong> and a long artistic history. Studying in Plymouth means living in a city that also gives you access to the wider cultural life of Devon and Cornwall.</p>
The Bread & Roses - a lively pub and arts hub that showcases local talent: live music, comedy, fine art and crafts.
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth’s creative life is shaped by both major institutions and local favourites. Together, they help make the city feel welcoming, varied and easy to get to know.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Arts and culture</strong></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">The Box</li>
<li dir="ltr">MIRROR</li>
<li dir="ltr">Plymouth Arts Cinema</li>
<li dir="ltr">KARST</li>
<li dir="ltr">Theatre Royal Plymouth</li>
<li dir="ltr">Barbican Theatre</li>
<li dir="ltr">Market Hall</li>
<li dir="ltr">Devonport Guildhall</li>
<li dir="ltr">Grow Plymouth</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Independent food and social spots</strong></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Early Bird Cafe</li>
<li dir="ltr">Harman Bagels Co</li>
<li dir="ltr">Knead Pizza</li>
<li dir="ltr">Zephyr Burgers</li>
<li dir="ltr">Sato by Minerva</li>
<li dir="ltr">Bread and Roses</li>
<li dir="ltr">Signature Strawberries</li>
<li dir="ltr">Twist board game cafe</li>
<li dir="ltr">Royal William Yard</li>
<li dir="ltr">Plymouth Market</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Markets and creative communities</strong></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.nativemakers.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Native Makers</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.realideas.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Real Ideas</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.camp-membership.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contemporary Art Membership Platform (CAMP)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.flocksouthwest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flock South West</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.plymouthculture.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Culture</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://vasw.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Visual Arts South West</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/plymartwkndr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Art Weekender</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.plymouthsocietyartists.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Society of Artists</a></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth offers many students a more affordable option than larger or more expensive university cities. In 2026, <strong>StudentCrowd ranked Plymouth the 27th cheapest UK city for student accommodation</strong>, with lower average rent than Bristol, Falmouth and London.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The city’s size also makes it practical. Many places students use regularly, including campus, the city centre, the waterfront and a wide range of cultural venues, are close together and easy to reach.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That combination of affordability, access and quality of life is one reason Plymouth appeals to students who want creative opportunities without some of the cost pressures found elsewhere.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth is a specialist arts university in a city where creative education connects closely with place. Here, Plymouth is not just the backdrop to student life. It becomes part of how students learn, make work, build networks and experience culture.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can study in a city-centre campus with galleries, cinemas, studios and workshops on your doorstep, while also being part of a wider regional creative landscape that stretches across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall. That gives students access to both a close-knit university community and a wider ecology of venues, partners and places.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For many prospective students, that is the real strength of Plymouth: specialist creative education in a city that offers inspiration, independence and room to grow.<br /></p>
The view out to sea from Plymouth's historic Hoe seafront
<p dir="ltr">The best way to get a feel for Plymouth is to visit. At an <strong>Open Day</strong> or campus tour, you can explore the city-centre campus, see where Arts University Plymouth sits within the city, and get a better sense of the places, spaces and atmosphere that shape student life here.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You may also want to explore our <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation">Accommodation</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/student-life">Student Life</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/student-life/health-wellbeing">Health & Wellbeing</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/visit/the-gallery">MIRROR</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/visit/plymouth-arts-cinema">Plymouth Arts Cinema</a></strong> pages to find out more about living and studying in Plymouth.<br /></p>
<p>Yes. Plymouth combines a growing cultural scene with easy access to the coast and countryside, giving creative students opportunities to engage with exhibitions, performance, film, artist-led activity and public culture while living in the South West.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth is close to The Box, KARST, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Barbican Theatre, Market Hall, Devonport Guildhall and other creative spaces across the city. MIRROR and Plymouth Arts Cinema are also based on campus.<br /></p>
<p>Students can spend time on the waterfront, visit Tinside Lido, go to live music or comedy, explore markets and independent shops, and enjoy cafés, restaurants, cinemas and cultural events across the city.<br /></p>
<p>Plymouth can be a more affordable option than many better-known student cities. StudentCrowd ranked Plymouth the 27th cheapest UK city for student accommodation in 2026.<br /></p>
<p>Yes. Plymouth is well placed for day trips across the South West, including Dartmoor, Mount Edgcumbe, Kingsand and Cawsand, Totnes, the Eden Project and St Ives.<br /></p>
<p>Arts University Plymouth offers specialist creative education in a city-centre setting, with close access to cultural venues, independent spaces and the South West landscape. For many students, that means a strong balance of creative opportunity, affordability and quality of life.</p>