Belfast is in the safest region in the UK (UK Crime Surveys 2022/23), so your parents can sleep tight.

© Northern Ireland Tourist Board

2. The locals love a good quality knit

Especially an Aran jumper. Some of them are actually home-made. These are the kind of people you can bring home to meet mum and dad. ‌

3. Life here won’t break the bank (of mum and dad)

Belfast is the UK’s most affordable student city (Natwest Student Living Index 2024) and it is £174 per month cheaper for student living costs in Northern Ireland compared to the UK average (Save the Student National Student Money Survey 2023).

4. It’s the happiest place in the UK

The locals are famed for their friendliness so it’s no wonder that Northern Ireland is the happiest place to live in the UK (Lloyds Bank Happiness Index, 2020).

5. You’ll be closer to home than you think

All major UK cities are within an hour's flying time and London is just 50 minutes by air. What’s more, there are direct flights from Belfast to 70 global destinations.

6. Eating is no longer cheating

Northern Ireland is in the midst of a food revolution and Belfast; and Belfast features in the National Geographic’s top 30 most exciting destinations to visit in the world in 2024 (National Geographic Cool List 2024).

7. You’ll be graduating at the same place as classical music group The Priests…

If your mum can’t take comfort in that, your gran definitely will. 

8. …But also honorary graduates Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela

Hello, future world leader. 

9. It’s a big city with a village feel

No need for scary tubes, you can walk from campus to city centre in 15 minutes. 

Belfast Lough © Christopher Heaney Photographic/NI Tourist Board