Arden University

Overview for international students

Arden University is a private UK university built around flexible study. It started in 1990 as Resource Development International, a distance-learning provider, and was granted degree-awarding powers in 2015. Its head office is in Coventry, with study centres across the UK and an international campus in Berlin.

For international students coming to study full time on campus, Arden offers two UK locations: Manchester, in the Spinningfields district, and London at Stratford. Manchester is the more affordable of the two; London offers the wider professional network.

Programmes are career-focused rather than research-led - business and management, computing and IT, psychology, law and criminology, health and social care, data analytics. Many carry professional accreditation from bodies such as the Chartered Management Institute and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Why choose Arden University

• Built around flexible study - blended and online delivery alongside full-time on-campus options
• Among the more affordable UK tuition fees, with tiered scholarships for international students
• Ranked 5th in the UK for overall student positivity in the 2025 National Student Survey
• Programmes accredited by the CMI, CIM, ACCA and the British Psychological Society
• Two UK campuses for international students: Manchester and London Stratford

Arden University programmes

2 programmes in our directory. Use the course search for the full list with filters.

Entry requirements

Arden is a teaching-focused university and its entry requirements are generally more accessible than those of research-intensive institutions, which is a large part of why students choose it. Undergraduate entry usually asks for HSC or equivalent; postgraduate entry asks for a Bachelor's degree, with some MBA routes considering relevant work experience alongside academic results.

English is usually evidenced with IELTS around 6.0 overall for undergraduate and 6.5 for postgraduate study, with recognised alternatives accepted.

These are the usual ranges rather than the rule for a specific course - your counsellor will confirm the exact requirement before you apply.

Fees and scholarships

Tuition for international students is typically in the range of $7,000 – $9,500 per year, depending on the course.

Arden offers merit-based scholarships and tuition discounts for international students, including regional and tiered fee reductions, a Berlin Merit Scholarship for its German campus, and a UK Welcome Offer. Awards typically range from £2,000 to £5,000 depending on academic performance and location.

Because these are tiered by home country and campus, the figure that applies to a Bangladeshi student is worth checking case by case rather than assuming the headline number.

University rankings

Arden is a teaching-focused private university and does not appear in the major global research league tables. It ranked 5th in the UK for overall student positivity in the 2025 National Student Survey. Judge it on student satisfaction and accreditation rather than on research rankings.

Campus and facilities

Study centres are modern city-centre buildings rather than traditional campuses: library, classrooms, IT suites and social space, with high-speed connectivity throughout. The Manchester campus is in the Spinningfields financial district; the London campus is in the Turing Building at Stratford Cross, beside Westfield Stratford City and the Olympic Park.

Services for international students

Arden is a licensed UK student visa sponsor and provides visa guidance and relocation advice as part of the application process rather than as an extra.

Both UK campuses sit close to a range of student accommodation with good transport links, and the university advises on options for students arriving from abroad.

International student life

This suits students who want to be in a working city and value flexibility over campus tradition. Manchester offers a lower cost of living than most large UK cities; London offers unmatched networking and cultural range at a higher cost.

Because much of Arden's teaching is blended, the student community is more dispersed than at a traditional campus university - worth knowing if a busy campus social life is what you are after.

Accommodation

Arden does not run large halls of residence in the way a traditional campus university does. International students choose private accommodation near the Manchester or London campus, and the university advises on suitable options and budgets.

Confirm current arrangements with Arden directly before you commit to anything, particularly deposits.