Student Guide to Living in Sheffield

Originally published: 5th September 2024
Latest update: 25th September 2025

Congratulations on starting your new journey as a student in Sheffield!

Sheffield is full of life and brimming with opportunities. It’s perfect for the whole student experience, great education facilities, plenty of part time job options, and just a fun city all round. Known for its welcoming atmosphere and some of the best student areas in the country. And due to the size of the city Sheffield has a great range of places to go and never be bored, but also small enough that you will feel part of a student community.

In this guide, we’ll be going over all you need to know for your new adventure and some helpful resources that every student should know.

Student Areas

Sheffield has plenty of student-friendly areas to live, each with its own unique vibe. No matter where you stay, most popular student neighbourhoods are just a 15–30 minute bus ride from both universities, making it easy to explore the city and enjoy local restaurants, bars, and shops.

Broomhall: This area is perfect for students who want convenient travel to the city centre. There are plenty of restaurants, pubs, and cafés within walking distance, as well as nearby student-friendly amenities.

Ecclesall Road: One of the most popular student areas in the city, known for its vibrant atmosphere. Students can explore over a mile of bars, cafés, and restaurants on Ecclesall Road to suit every taste.

Good spots for students to eat and drink

Sheffield is known for its incredible pubs and restaurants; it doesn’t matter what food you’re fancying they will definitely be somewhere you can go. If you’re saving money, you’ll find plenty of cheap chain pubs, such as Wetherspoons and Greene Kings. However, if you’re after something a bit more unique, Shuffle Shack is great fun!  You can play shuffleboard with your new friends and enjoy some cocktails. Check out more about Shuffle Shack here.

Honourable mention: The Steel Cauldron, a wizard-themed café located in the student area Broomhall.

For pubs near the universities:

• The Globe and The Graduate are just a 2-minute walk from Sheffield Hallam.
• The University Arms and Harley are less than 5 minutes from the University of Sheffield.

☝️🤓 Student Tip: Be sure to check if there are any discounts available in local restaurant chains and takeaways on Unidays.

Local Events

Sheffield is a city that always has something going on for every type of person. Which means there are lots of events that are perfect for freshers week. Freshers’ Week is just the beginning though, throughout the year, you’ll find a ton of student friendly events.

Sheffield has a particularly lively music scene, with numerous live performances happening regularly. One of the most notable music festivals is Tramlines. This festival has been going annually since 2009 and has featured artists like Pulp, The Reytons, and Kasabian this year. There is usually a music event happening almost every day. You can check upcoming events on Welcome to Sheffield’s music events page.

Transport Links

Sheffield has excellent transport connections to other cities and it only takes about 2 hours by train to get to London, perfect for trips home.

Within the city, walking is easy, but public transport is also simple and affordable. The tram is popular with students, running every 10–15 minutes and connecting to key spots like Meadowhall shopping centre, bowling alleys, and cinemas. See here for the routes, each tram route is colour coded, making it really easy to figure where you’re going.

Don’t forget to take advantage of all the resources and experiences Sheffield has to offer.

Welcome to Sheffield – your university experience is about to be unforgettable!

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