Study Abroad in Brighton, England at University of Sussex

Study Abroad in Brighton, England at University of Sussex

4.62 · 141 reviews
Location
  • England
    • Brighton
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
University
University of Sussex
Degree Level
Bachelors Masters PhD.
Housing
Dormitory Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

$15,750
Price Details
Autumn / Spring semester: £11,750

Full year: £23,500
What's Included
Some Activities Classes
Jun 12, 2026
Jul 26, 2026
55 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Study abroad in Brighton, one of the UK's most vibrant student cities, with a semester or year abroad at the University of Sussex. Located beside the South Downs National Park and minutes from the seafront, Sussex combines academic excellence with an outstanding student experience.

Choose from more than 1,000 classes across nearly 30 subject areas and build a programme that fits your interests while earning credits towards your degree at a leading UK university.

Brighton is famous for its beaches, festivals, arts scene and inclusive culture. Central London is just over an hour away by train, and Gatwick Airport is only 30 minutes from campus.

Students value Sussex for its supportive teaching, international community and memorable student life. If you're looking for a semester or year abroad in England, Sussex offers the ideal mix of academic choice, global connections and life in a dynamic seaside city. Join students from over 150 countries and experience life at Sussex!!

Program Highlights

  • Ranked the happiest university in the UK in the Unifresher Happiest Universities 2026 Guide.
  • Constantly ranked among the top universities in the world. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 placed Sussex 201-250th in the world overall.
  • Sussex is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK for Brighton's diverse nightlife (pubs, clubs and music venues) and political activities.
  • Over 1,000 top-tier classes to choose from - Sussex is known for its Humanities and Social Sciences field, with its Development Studies program being placed at number 1 globally in the QS World University Ranking.
  • Home of Premier League football team Brighton & Hove Albion

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

The University of Sussex offers comprehensive support for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) students through various initiatives, resources, and student organizations. These efforts aim to create an inclusive and equitable campus environment, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment for BIPOC individuals within the university community.
The University of Sussex is committed to providing robust support for LGBTQIA+ students, creating a safe and inclusive campus environment. Through its dedicated LGBTQ+ society, counselling services, and educational programs, the university works to promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. These efforts contribute to a vibrant and respectful community that celebrates LGBTQIA+ individuals and their contributions.
We offer comprehensive support for neurodivergent students, recognizing the unique strengths and challenges they bring to the academic community. Through its Disability and Dyslexia Support team, specialized accommodations, and tailored resources, the university ensures that neurodivergent students can access an inclusive and accommodating learning environment. By promoting awareness, providing assistive technologies, and fostering a culture of understanding, Sussex strives to empower neurodivergent individuals to excel in their academic pursuits.
The University of Sussex is dedicated to ensuring accessibility for all students, offering a range of support services to accommodate diverse needs. With a commitment to inclusivity, the university provides accessible facilities, assistive technologies, and personalised accommodations through its Accessibility Services team. These efforts contribute to an environment where every student can fully participate in academic and extracurricular activities, promoting equal opportunities and fostering a sense of belonging for all members of the university community.

Impact 🌎

We are deeply committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, actively integrating eco-friendly practices into its operations, curriculum, and campus development. Through initiatives such as sustainable transportation options, waste reduction programs, and renewable energy projects, the university strives to minimise its ecological footprint. By engaging students, faculty, and staff in sustainability efforts, Sussex creates a culture of environmental responsibility that prepares future leaders to address global challenges.
The University of Sussex places a strong emphasis on ethical impact by fostering a culture of social responsibility and ethical awareness among its students and staff. Through interdisciplinary research, community engagement, and partnerships with ethical organizations, the university addresses pressing societal issues and seeks innovative solutions for a more just and sustainable world. By integrating ethics into academic programs and encouraging critical thinking, Sussex aims to empower individuals who are equipped to make positive ethical contributions to society.

Popular Programs

Students in lecture theatre

The University of Sussex has one of the UK's largest schools of Psychology, with specialists in every area of psychology. Our faculty has been recognised for their outstanding teaching & we have over 40 classes to choose from.

The School has approximately 600 m2 of laboratory space, well equipped to support the needs of research groups, and an extensive range of general facilities, including 18 cubicles (for individual testing) and a large room used for the simultaneous testing of groups.

Students in campus building

Sussex's School of Global Studies offers over 60 modules for students in the world-ranked disciplines of Development (1st globally) and IR (world top 100).

You will learn from experts making a difference across the world who are committed to social justice and challenging global inequality, addressing the most pressing global issues of our time – global inequalities & justice, climate/environmental change, war & peace.

About University of Sussex

University of Sussex
University of Sussex Logo
City
Brighton
Students:
17,300
Year Founded:
1959
International Students:
5,000

The University of Sussex is a leading research-intensive university near Brighton. We have both an international and local outlook, with staff and students from more than 100 countries and frequent engagement in community activities and services. Sussex was the first of the new wave of UK universities founded in the 1960s, receiving its Royal Charter in 1961.

Program Reviews

4.62 Rating
based on 141 reviews
  • 5 rating 63.83%
  • 4 rating 34.04%
  • 3 rating 2.13%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.05
  • Support 4.3
  • Fun 4.55
  • Housing 3.8
  • Safety 4.6
Showing 33 - 40 of 141 reviews
Lara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great environment for a semester abroad!

Was a fun and sociable semester, and the course itself was very interesting and had great tutors! Would recommend to anyone, and Brighton is lively as. Only issue was that Sussex itself was undergoing a lot of construction for new housing, but hopefully that doesn’t go on for too long. Living on campus was easy and the bar in Northfield definitely helped! Stanmer Park also surrounds the campus and we did many walks up the hill, gorgeous views always. Overall it is now one of my favourite memories going to Sussex and hope to return soon.

Pros
  • Sociable
  • Pretty national park
Cons
  • Construction
143 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Great to hear you enjoyed your time at Sussex Lara. Thank you for the review.

Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Sciences

It was an incredible experience. I really enjoyed all of the teaching modules. Accommodation on campus is also a good option. Due to the strikes, some of the lectures were canceled, unfortunately. The only thing that bothered me was rebuilding of roads and blocks, it was noisy and inconvenient some times. Prices are quite high, but reasonable. I would recommend buying most of the groceries in big supermarkets in Brighton, as coop on campus is too expensive. I would definitely recommend to study here.

Pros
  • Knowledge
  • Campus
  • Location
Cons
  • Strikes
  • Prices
169 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for the positive review Julia. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time with us.

Jada
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sussex Review

Studying at the university of sussex was made to be overall such an easy experience. With such a stressful event such as studying abroad for the first time, the Sussex staff made the transition very easy and offered any support that you might need as well. The academics matched that level of enjoyment too. The diversity of people that you are able to meet at Sussex is unmatched. The housing is clean and overall a really great experience. Overall I would say that the ease of it all is what makes Sussex great.

Pros
  • Community life
  • Night life
  • Diversity
Cons
  • Travel to main city
  • Not for city lovers
161 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for your review Jada. Great to hear that you enjoyed your time with us!

Swan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester

A university that embraces students from diverse backgrounds. I come from an Asian university where there is a more conservative culture. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that there are toilets that accommodate to a greater diversity of gender identifiers. Additionally, there is a strong culture that emphasises on students’ well-being. This is very encouraging because it is my first time coming to a school where I feel valued as a student. I appreciate the university very much for that and I recommend others to come as well

Pros
  • Welcoming
  • Beautiful scenery
  • Helpful staff
Cons
  • Wish that there was more food variety served on campus
157 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Great to hear your positive review Swan. All the best for the future.

Andrea
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My semester abroad at Sussex

Being able to study abroad in the midst of a global pandemic didn’t seem possible after many cancelled applications and I’m forever thankful we were given this opportunity despite everything.

The people of the University of Sussex (staff, teachers and students) make this an unforgettable experience and are there for you every step of the way. I really appreciated having professors from all over the world and meeting people from many different cultures in class, the language cafe or the events hosted by Sussex abroad.

Brighton is an amazing city to live in a a student and the University really makes sure you have all the resources available to have the best living experience.

Pros
  • Beautiful city
  • Lovely and open minded people
  • Excellent academic level
Cons
  • Weather
  • Seagulls haha
  • You won’t want to leave
194 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

It's really great to hear you enjoyed your time at Sussex.

Jesslyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Study Abroad at University of Sussex

It was at first difficult to adjust to the academics, my home university grading criteria and Sussex’s is very different or at least I think it is. I didn't get grades that I expected at first but once I started getting feedbacks and discussing more with the tutors it was really helpful. I love how seminars are always interacting, at least for almost all of my class. I love how the students are not afraid to voice their opinions and how the tutors wouldn’t just shoot down ideas. They’ll accept the ideas even if it’s different from their own which I really appreciate and something I didn’t experience in my home university. I love that participation is not a requirement but optional which really makes it feel like it’s all up to us. I wasn’t particularly happy about the strikes because it really messes up some things but I like that the tutors take that into account when assigning assignments and teaching us the materials. Overall, it’s such an amazing experience, like a breath of fresh air.

Pros
  • The tutors who welcome opinions
  • The tutors who encouraged participation
  • The tutors who are very helpful when you needed help for your assignments
Cons
  • The strikes
194 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for your review Jesslyn. Hope to see you back here one day!

Yiping
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

excellent exchange program

that was my first time going abroad, everything is new and exciting to me. I need to tackle some daily living and housing problems alone, and using a second language to study is also a huge challenge for me. Luckily, Sussex offers a lot of help to exchange and foreign students, including living and studying. They have some workshops to help foreign students to better learn in English, which is very helpful. Besides, all the students I met there are friendly, they helped me a lot and I made a lot of friends.

172 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Great to hear that your enjoyed your time at Sussex!

Davide
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Bye Sussex!

My year abroad at the University of Sussex has had an overall life-changing experience that I will carry in my heart for a lifetime. For starters, the quality of the teaching is undeniably high, and, most remarkably, very different from the methodology of my home university. I had the chance to bond with native English speakers and other exchange students from all around the globe, which veritably expanded my cultural views and career preferences.

The facilities offered to students are simply extrabiliant, with the library and the student centre being open 24h. I also subscribed to the gym (there are two on campus), which was a five-minute walk from where I lived.

Brighton and Hove have been an amazing setting, for my adventure. If you enjoy clubbing and nightlife at large, Brighton is your mecca. Moreover, walks in the wild were for me a matter of routine, as the University of Sussex is the only university in the UK to be located in a national park. Going to London was a one-hour train ride, allowing you to get the best of the city life without renouncing the quietness of the countryside, as well as the seaside.

Of course, my stay has also had some drawbacks, which I think the University should address in the future. Eat Central is way too pricey, and overall offers small variations in the menu proposed (I invariably had to go for the burrito). The cost of living, in general, is decidedly high and could be unaffordable for some students. On top of that, I wish that the study abroad office arranged more events for exchange students, especially at the kick-off of the second term.

However, these few downsides do not overshadow the time I had at Sussex, and I am at pains to go back for run back for a visit to see my mates and hang out where now feels like home

Pros
  • Great people
  • Location
  • Library and student centre
Cons
  • Eat Central and Co-op on campus (too expensive and little choice)
  • Bus fares (too expensive)
  • Lack of events for exchange students (especially second term)
165 people found this review helpful.
Response from University of Sussex

Thank you for your review. It's great to hear that you enjoyed your time with us.

Questions & Answers