A student-friendly waterfront city, Portsmouth is an excellent place to study and live, and many students stay on after they graduate. There's a great mix of modern urban and historic areas alongside green spaces and the beach, and it has a real community feel. It's a compact city, and most university buildings, shops and entertainment are within walking distance of each other. Around half of students are on courses that lead to professional accreditation, and many more study on courses that offer real-life learning. Simulated learning environments include a mock courtroom, a newsroom, a health simulation suite, a £1m model pharmacy and a forensic house, where criminologists work on staged crime scenes. Accommodation There are almost 4,000 places in halls, all either within walking distance of the main university campus or with access to the free bus service from the harbour side Langstone campus into the heart of the University quarter. There is a new hall with 826 bedrooms currently under development, due to open in time for September 2016. New UK and EU full-time applicants who firmly accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth are eligible to apply for a hall place which are allocated in accordance with the university's allocation policy. International students are guaranteed a place if they meet specific deadlines. Prices range from £3,344 to £5,320 per year, depending on meal options and facilities. Facilities The university has recently opened a new £14m wing on the Eldon building to include an exhibition space, artists' studios and a 200-seat lecture theatre and public staging facility open to the community. Transport Portsmouth enjoys a prime location on England's south coast, well served by air, road, rail and sea connections to the rest of Britain and Europe. There is lots of flat ground for cycling, cheap cabs, and easy rail and road links to London, which is just over an hour away.