Although one must always be critical about the way universities are ranked in this country, but when you look at Northumbria Univesity in the 4 main guides (The Times, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Complete University Guide), it is ranked in the mid-50's (out of 132). So whilst it does appear in the upper half of the table, it is only just there. All universities place a huge emphasis in 'Independent Learning'. You should be wary of that. In the age of the Internet and I Tunes U, one does not need to go to university to gain learning from lectures, instead, if you're interested in a subject, take a free course there. Of course, that does not gain you a qualification. Northumbria is about to charge £8,500 a year for this privilege so bear in mind this: do you really want to gain a qualification from an institution that is ranked half-way down the university league tables at an over inflated price? Or do you want to gain a qualification a) at a higher 'rated' institution charging only £500 more -or- b) a cheaper institution all together. These are the types of questions I would consider before going to Northumbria University. The party life's is alright, Newcastle is a lively city, but there are other options and I don't think anyone should make a decision based upon partying, especially considering the debt you'll be left with.