Your ultimate manual to booking open day dates, navigating the campus, and exploring life in Leicester.
Choosing where you will spend the next three or four years of your life is one of the most exciting decisions you will ever make. If you are eyeing a spot at a top-tier, research-led institution with a stellar reputation for space sciences, genetics, and humanities, the University of Leicester is likely high on your UCAS list. However, reading about a university online is nothing compared to experiencing it in person. That is why attending a University of Leicester open day is an absolute game-changer.
Set right next to the beautiful, leafy Victoria Park, the Leicester campus offers a unique vibe: it is a compact, friendly oasis that sits just a short fifteen-minute stroll away from a vibrant, multicultural city center. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through how to plan your perfect campus visit, secure your place on the best open day dates, explore alternative virtual tour options, and list the essential questions to ask during your trip.
"Stepping onto the Leicester campus during my open day, I immediately felt a sense of belonging. Seeing the modern Freemen's Common accommodation and talking to my future lecturers made everything feel real and incredibly exciting." - Chloe Thompson, 2nd Year Biological SciencesThe University of Leicester is world-renowned for its discoveries—most notably the invention of DNA fingerprinting and the search for King Richard III. But beyond its academic prestige, the university is celebrated for its diverse and inclusive community. A prospective student event gives you the unique opportunity to look behind the scenes, step inside high-tech lecture theatres, check out the award-winning David Wilson Library, and explore social hotspots like the Students' Union (Percy Gee Building).
Visiting in person allows you to gauge the physical layout of the university. You can walk the distance between the lecture blocks, view the accommodation options first-hand, and decide whether you prefer the bustling, newly developed urban feel of Freemen's Common or the beautiful, botanical, suburban Edwardian villas of the Oadby Student Village.
The university hosts several undergraduate open days throughout the summer and autumn months, typically on Saturdays to make travel easier for prospective students and their families. To secure your spot, you must register online in advance via the official University of Leicester website.
When booking, you will be asked to select your subject area of interest. This ensures you are allocated slots for specific subject talks, laboratory tours, and interactive taster sessions led by academic tutors. Book early, as popular courses like Medicine, Law, and Space Science tend to fill up their presentation slots fast.
If travel costs, scheduling conflicts, or international distance prevent you from making an in-person campus visit, do not worry. The University of Leicester offers a highly interactive virtual tour on its website. This 360-degree digital experience allows you to explore:
While a virtual experience cannot fully replicate the sensory feel of a busy campus, it is an excellent tool to help narrow down your university choices before committing to a physical trip.
To ensure you do not miss anything on your big visit, we recommend structuring your day. Here is an ideal itinerary to make the most of your time:
Travel costs can quickly add up, especially if you are visiting multiple universities across the country. Planning your journey to Leicester in advance can help save you significant money. Fortunately, Leicester is highly accessible; the city is located in the heart of England, and the train station is on the direct Midland Main Line, just over an hour from London St Pancras.
| Travel Method | Estimated Cost (Return) | Money-Saving Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Train (from London) | £25 - £60 | Book at least 6 weeks in advance and use a 16-25 Railcard. |
| Coach (National Express / Megabus) | £10 - £25 | Great budget option, though journey times are longer than trains. |
| Car (Parking) | £5 - £12 (Daily) | Look out for official open day park-and-ride schemes run by the university. |
Your university experience is defined just as much by the city you live in as the campus you study on. Leicester is famously multicultural, dynamic, and budget-friendly for students. Here are a few spots you should check out after your University of Leicester open day concludes:
The Lanes and Highcross: If you love shopping and dining, the city center offers everything from massive high-street brands in the Highcross Shopping Centre to quirky, independent boutiques and vintage shops nestled inside the historic Lanes.
Queens Road: Situated just a stone's throw from the campus in the Clarendon Park area, Queens Road is the bohemian heart of student life. It is packed with vegan-friendly cafes, cozy pubs, artisan bakeries, and local grocery stores.
Cultural Highlights: Take a walk past the Curve Theatre in the Cultural Quarter, explore the National Space Centre (which has deep historic ties to the university's physics department), or visit the King Richard III Visitor Centre to uncover the city's rich history.
Before you set off on your journey to the East Midlands, make sure you have checked off the following:
By preparing thoroughly, you will leave your Leicester visit with all the information, confidence, and excitement you need to take the next step in your academic journey!