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View of some of the houses in Abbey Square, ChesterPhoto: Meirion · CC BY-SA 2.0
Colleges and universities in and near Chester

Chester is home to the University of Chester

The University of Chester is inside Chester; the nearest university campus outside it is Wrexham University, 10.7 miles away in Wrexham.

Within 15 miles
7
student numbers to come (HESA)
Nearest college
in Chester
University of Chester
Full-time students
10%
Above England (8%) · residents 16+
Nearest further education college
13.5 mi
Riverside College Halton
Nearest university
in Chester
University of Chester
Tuition fee
£9,790
a year at most, England, 2026–27

What stands out about college in Chester

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university in ChesterThe University of Chester’s campus is in Chester.A further education college 13.5 miles awayRiverside College Halton: courses from 16, apprenticeships and some degrees.
Every college

Colleges and universities within 15 miles of Chester

7 within 15 miles: 5 universities, 2 further education colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miChesterWrexham UniversityRiverside College HaltLiverpool Hope UniversWirral Metropolitan CoChester
UniversityFurther education college
University of ChesterUniversity · in Chester—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Wrexham UniversityUniversity · 10.7 mi · Wrexham—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Riverside College HaltonFurther education college · 13.5 mi · Widnes—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Liverpool Hope UniversityUniversity · 13.7 mi · Liverpool7,885students (Wikidata)Students: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Liverpool Institute for Performing ArtsUniversity · 14.7 mi · Liverpool—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Wirral Metropolitan CollegeFurther education college · 14.8 mi · Birkenhead—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
Liverpool John Moores UniversityUniversity · 14.9 mi · Liverpool—students: HESA figures to comeStudents: Wikidata’s count for the whole institution until HESA’s are loaded.
What it costs

What would you pay?

Fees are set nationally, not by each university: in 2026–27 an English university can charge a home student up to £9,790 a year, and so can a Welsh one; Northern Ireland’s charge their own students up to £4,985; Scottish students pay no tuition fee at a Scottish university. Further education colleges are free for most 16 to 18 year olds. There is no family-by-family price to show, so this page doesn’t make one up.

Questions about college near Chester

Is Chester a university town?

No. 10 of every 100 residents aged 16 and over are full-time students (Census 2021), against 8 across England.

What colleges are in Chester?

University of Chester.

Where can you study after 16 near Chester?

Riverside College Halton, 13.5 miles away in Widnes, teaches courses from 16, apprenticeships and some degrees.

What does university cost here?

Fees are set nationally, not by each university: in 2026–27 an English university can charge a home student up to £9,790 a year, and so can a Welsh one; Northern Ireland’s charge their own students up to £4,985; Scottish students pay no tuition fee at a Scottish university. Further education colleges are free for most 16 to 18 year olds. There is no family-by-family price to show, so this page doesn’t make one up.

Neighbours talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbours next door.

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Colleges and universities: Wikidata (CC0): each institution with a UKPRN, its point and its students count, and, for Scottish colleges and university campuses away from the seat, our list placed from postcodes (postcodes.io, OGL). To come: Discover Uni teaching locations and HESA student numbers (CC BY 4.0). Students: Census 2021 (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Scotland’s Census 2022, full-time students among residents aged 16 and over (OGL). Straight-line distances from the centre of Chester. Colleges are described, not graded; the University town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents aged 16 and over are full-time students. Fees: the UK and devolved governments, 2026–27. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, through each institution’s Wikidata item; author and licence on each.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.