Reading College is a diverse further education college and welcomes students from all over the world. Many international students come here to study English or prepare for a degree course. Reading College has approximately 6,000 students. Around 10% of the student population come from overseas.

Students enjoy studying at Reading College because:

• we offer an extensive range of courses for those aged 16 and over
• there is a high success rate
• many progress on to their preferred choice of study or work
• they have plenty of academic and personal support whilst studying
• it is a well-equipped and modern learning environment
• additional English support is available
• it is near to London with good transport links.

College Location

Reading College is situated within one of the most interesting and dynamic towns in south east England.  The college site is a ten-minute walk from the town centre. It is also on major bus routes, so getting here is easy.

Reading College Location Map (PDF, 1MB)

Easy access

Reading has excellent transport links, including a direct train to Central London (Paddington Station) taking just 25 minutes. There are also regular train links to other major cities within the UK, including:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Manchester
• Oxford

From Reading train station you can get direct services to both major airports with the coach to London Heathrow (http://www.railair.com) taking around 40 to 50 minutes and the train to London Gatwick Airport taking around 1hour and 15 minutes.

Lots to do

Reading is an attractive town just 60 kilometres west of London with a population of around 150,000 people.

The town centre offers excellent shopping and leisure facilities with one of the best shopping centres in the country. The Oracle centre offers not only a range of shops but also bars and restaurants as well as a multi-screen cinema. There are also plenty of arts and entertainment facilities within the town, with theatres and concert halls, parks, sports centres, libraries and, of course, the famous Reading Festival. For sports fans, there is the Madejski Stadium, home to Reading football club and the London Irish premiership rugby club.

To find out more about Reading and local events taking place, please visit www.livingreading.co.uk

Lots to see

Reading is also a town steeped in history with many listed buildings, Abbey ruins and museums. There are also many popular visitor attractions on Reading’s doorstep. A 20-minute drive away is Windsor Castle, the Official Residence of Her Majesty the Queen. Also nearby are Eton and Legoland. The river Thames flows through Reading and students can go on boat trips during the summer months.