Middlesbrough has cheapest student rent

Accommodation is one of the key considerations for students when choosing which university to attend, with prices varying dramatically across the country.

With A-Level results out this week the choice of university can finally be made, and research released today by AccommodationForStudents.co.uk shows the cost of lodgings can be key to the decision.

Accommodation is the single biggest cost incurred by students during their time at university, accounting for 40 per cent of weekly costs for most and as much as 50 per cent for those in London.

More than half (57 per cent) of those questioned by the AccommodationForStudents said the cost of housing was quite or very important when choosing where to study.

"Now that students are accumulating large borrowings to subsidise their study, the cost of accommodation has become a critical factor in their choice of university," said Simon Thompson, co-founder and director of AccommodationForStudents.

Southern universities remain the most expensive, with the London leading the way. The average weekly rent in the capital stands at £102.33, compared with a national average of £60.58.

However, some increasingly popular universities are seeing higher rental prices. For example Exeter has an average weekly rent of £75.74, students in Durham can expect to pay £67.22 and those in Brighton pay £72.61 on average.

Some of the cheaper rents can be found in Middlesbrough, which has the lowest weekly average at £38.86, or Crewe where a room can be rented for an average of £40.10 a week.