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With scenic landscapes, various attractions, and a bustling collegiate community that welcomes you into its arms, Durham University is a place for students to flourish within and beyond classrooms. Located in the heart of Durham in the North East of England, the university and its city are a sight to behold. Durham Castle and Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – stands tall amongst the city’s skyline, while the River Wear snakes through the city, offering many green spaces between the historic city and some of its purpose-built, landscaped facilities. Durham’s 17 colleges are scattered across the city.
Sandner, a Modern Languages and Cultures student focusing on French and Arabic with a Year Abroad, is from California. Source: Durham University.
“It is one of the most magical places,” says student Adele Novak Sandner from California, “Even something as simple as a trip to Tesco can make you feel like you’re taking a trip back in time.” That’s just one of the many reasons why Sandner chose Durham as the study abroad destination for her undergraduate studies.
“I enjoy the small-town feel of Durham – it’s big enough for me not to feel cut off from the world but small enough that the city starts to feel like a big family you can call home,” she says. “Being an international student in Durham’s collegiate system meant that I was less likely to be swallowed up by the gears of a large university, and the experience was really individualised.”
It’s true — students in other universities often end up in impersonal dorm buildings. Students at Durham, however, live in college in their first year thanks to the support and expertise from their university’s Accommodation and Allocations Office. Students can choose between catered or self-catered accommodation, with a range of historic and modern colleges options available.
“I lived on the Bailey with 25 others and had an absolutely fantastic time,” says Sandner, “I think the collegiate system is especially valuable to international students, as it provides you with a built-in family, support network, and community of like-minded individuals.”
For those who want to expand their network outside the college system, the university has many outlets for you to explore. Over 85% of Durham’s students are involved in sports, music, theatre, volunteering, or student enterprise. There are over 700 college teams across 18 sports, 86 music societies, 50 college societies, and more than 200 student societies to join. Plus, each of Durham’s colleges has its own outreach programmes, making it all the easier for students to find and nurture their niche.
Sophia Taylor is a BA Archeology student from Georgia, US. Source: Durham University.
“The collegiate system gives back what you give it,” says student Sophia Taylor from Georgia, who found her footing through her college, programme and extracurriculars. “The university gives you something to fall back on when you are trying to figure out your place at Durham.”
Taylor adds that the range of extracurriculars available meant students’ Durham experience would never have to be defined by just one focus area. Here, they can explore to their hearts’ content.
“People always change what they are into or participate in, which is great,” says Taylor. “I did sports clubs for the first two years, but now I’m more into volunteering for my last year. Clubs become spaces where you can be with like-minded people you otherwise wouldn’t meet.”
Extracurriculars aside, Durham doesn’t fall behind academically, either. Ranked #78 in the QS World Rankings 2024 and 7th in the UK in both The Guardian and Good University Guides 2024, the university is an obvious choice for learners of all backgrounds looking to prioritise affordability without having to compromise on quality. After all, the university offers a range of financial aid options specifically for international students.
Excellence instantly solidified Taylor’s decision. She’s currently an undergraduate in Durham’s Archaeology programme — one of the 12 subjects ranked in the US World Rankings by subject 2023. The degree is offered by a department that is world-leading in research, with expert staff with research interests and working on global projects.
“Specifically, I liked that the degree wasn’t focused on classical archeology or a specific area of the world,” says Taylor. “Other degrees focus more on learning of Greeks, Romans, or Mesopotamia, which wasn’t what interested me. Fieldwork is also built into the degree, which is fabulous.”
The university’s emphasis on breadth captivated Sandner, too, who is currently a Modern Languages and Cultures student. “It was very important to me to pick a school that prioritised humanities and languages programmes, as many language departments are being cut across the US,” she says.
“I particularly liked that Durham allowed me to pursue the programme in a lot more depth than any school in the US and allowed me more opportunities to travel outside of class than I would have had elsewhere. Not only that, tuition in England is significantly lower than many other top universities around the world.”
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