Newcastle is the largest city in North-East England and has a centuries-old history as a major port city, and a centre for trade and shipbuilding. Due to the city’s location on the banks of the river Tyne, the Newcastle region is also referred to as “Tyneside”. In recent years, Newcastle has also become a hub for industries such as retail, finance, science and education.
With nearly 15% of Newcastle’s overall population of 300,000 residents being foreign-born, the city has become increasingly immigrant-friendly and welcoming for international students. With a history stretching back almost one thousand years, a youthful and energetic urban populace, and exciting employment opportunities, Newcastle is fast becoming a preferred destination for high-achieving international students.
Originally established as the Medicine and Surgery in 1834, Newcastle University is well-known today for the strength of its research & innovation programmes. The university is home to nearly 25,000 enrolled students of which about 6,500 are international students.
Newcastle is a member of the Russell Group, a prestigious group of 24 Universities in the United Kingdom with a shared focus on research and a reputation for academic achievement. The university is primarily located on a 50-acre campus in Newcastle city centre, and also operates three additional satellite campuses in London, Singapore and Malaysia.
As well as those campus locations, the university operates several research centres including two commercial farms, a biological field station and even a sea-going research vessel! Newcastle University offers more than 500 degree programmes across undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels to international students.
Established as Newcastle Polytechnic in 1969, Northumbria University Newcastle hosts nearly 35,000 enrolled students including about 4,500 international students from over 120 countries. Northumbria University has a truly international and multicultural atmosphere and even offers courses abroad in partnership with world-class institutes such as the BINUS Design School in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Northumbria operates two campuses in Newcastle – the Newcastle City Campus and the Coach Lane Campus – as well as a satellite campus in London. Northumbria University recently unveiled a state-of-the-art sporting facility on its campus, and regularly modernises its award-winning infrastructure such as the University Library to meet the changing demands of international students on campus.
Northumbria’s strong connection with world-leading brands and organisations such as Nike, the BBC and the NHS mean that international students can comfortably secure top-quality internships and employment post-graduation.
Newcastle College is home to nearly 16,000 students and is considered one of the UK’s leading institutes for vocational education. The college recently unveiled a renovated Performance Academy for a cost of nearly 25 Million US Dollars, and spends similarly large amounts to ensure its facilities are well-equipped for training students vocationally and preparing them professionally.
Some of Newcastle College’s most remarkable facilities include the Aviation Academy, where international students can train on full-sized commercial aeroplanes such as a Boeing 737. Although it doesn’t rank highly in the worldwide university rankings, studying at Newcastle College will prepare you far better for a specialised professional career than other top-ranked universities, thus giving you an excellent chance of securing ideal employment opportunities post-graduation.
Below are the top-ranked Sydney universities for international students, with their ranks in two of the world’s most well-respected international university rankings, the QS 2025 University World rankings and the Times Higher Education 2025 Rankings.
For more information about rankings systems and methodologies see our University rankings explained guide.
| University | QS World Ranking 2025 | Times Higher Education Ranking 2025 |
| Newcastle University | 129 | =157 |
| Northumbria University Newcastle | =535 | 401-500 |
Alongside the above best Newcastle universities for international students, the city also offers multiple world-class institutes and universities for specialisations in subjects such as technology and engineering. A few such institutes for international students in and around Newcastle are:
Undergraduate tuition costs for international students at top-ranked Newcastle universities can vary between 15,000-25,000 US Dollars per annum, and tuition fees are higher for specialised programmes such as Healthcare degrees at 30,000-40,000 US Dollars per year. Tuition fees for Master’s and other postgraduate courses, on the other hand, change according to the specific programme and courses selected, and usually total between 15,000 and 30,000 US Dollars per annum.
On the matter of living costs, Newcastle University recommends an average budget of about 1,200-1,400 US Dollars monthly for international students. This figure includes 500-600 USD for shared accommodation, 250 USD for food expenses, 200-220 USD for utilities and miscellaneous expenses, and another 200-220 US Dollars for entertainment and transport expenses.
Many international students work part-time in order to afford living expenses, and current UK Student Visa rules allow you to work a maximum of 20 hours during the semester and full-time during the summer and winter vacations, with a few exceptions.
Newcastle is ideally located for international students to enjoy the surrounding countryside as well as travel and explore the various regions of the United Kingdom. Flights from Newcastle International Airport to London, for example, take just over an hour while the capital city is three hours away by train.
The frequent flights and trains also mean that international students can easily travel from their home countries to their Newcastle university via London. The picture-perfect Scottish highlands, meanwhile, are just an hour and a half away from Newcastle by train and would make for perfect weekend trips. With Newcastle situated just a few minutes from the North-Eastern coastline of the United Kingdom, international students can also enjoy a relaxing day at the beach, especially in the sunny summer months.
The city of Newcastle itself is full of vibrant entertainment, cultural, artistic and historic venues which will attract a wide range of international students. Below are a few of Tyneside’s must-visit destinations for international students:
Newcastle offers something for everyone, and international students will surely have an exciting time discovering the city’s various attractions while away from the classroom.
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