Nursing in Luton: Studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Luton - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.
Luton is located on the River Lea in Bedfordshire in the south–east of England, approx. 30 miles to the north-west of London.
Dating back to Saxon times in the sixth century, it was famed for its hat-making.
For Nurses Luton could be a good place to live, work and study.
From cost of living and travel through to culture and nightlife, here is an end-to -end guide for Nurses wanting to study or work in Luton.
Where do Nurses work in Luton?
The major employers of Nurses in Luton include:
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
Thornhill Clinic – Private medical service.
Cobham Clinic (Skin Care).
Luton Town Centre Surgery.
There are numerous hospitals including ones in the private sector and care homes in Luton town and surrounding areas. They are constantly searching for registered Nurses as well as carers.
Any of these outlets would provide ideal opportunities for nurses to train and work in.
There are thousands of vacancies (both full time and part time) for Nurses across hundreds of specialisms throughout Luton for anyone wanting to live, work and move there.
Find nursing jobs in Luton right here on Nurses.co.uk.
Where do aspiring Nurses study in Luton?
Prospective nurses can train and study at the University of Bedfordshire (the only University in Luton) or at Barnfield College.
Barnfield College offers a small selection of nursing related courses mainly focusing on health and social care. These would be ideal for anyone wanting to take the first steps in training as a nurse.
The University of Bedfordshire offers multiple nursing courses, both undergraduate and postgraduate. These courses allow students to gain hands-on skills and experiences, and all have start dates in September.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental in Luton is around £900 per month which is lower than most major cities in the UK.
Where do Nurses live in Luton?
Nurses can live all over Luton but some of the popular locations are below:
Luton Town Centre.
Popular with students due to its excellent central location with endless amenities close by.
Biscot.
Highly sought after area, very close to Luton Town centre with excellent travel connections.
Bramingham.
Great location for nurses with families with traditional style low density housing and sought after local schools with lots of parks and independent amenities.
Bury Park.
Situated to the northwest of the town with a wide variety of shops and amenities as well as plentiful affordable housing. Good communication links with neighbouring areas.
Any of these places in Luton or surrounding areas would be ideal places to live.
What are the living costs for Nurses in Luton?
Luton is a good choice for nurses to relocate to. Here is a broad guide to some of the different costs of living in the town of Luton.
The average price for a home in Luton is currently £290,000 which is marginally lower than the national average of £293,000 according to Zoopla.
The average rental price for a property In Luton is £900 per month. But if you are merely looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just over £500 per a month.
Council tax costs vary a lot across the town. But many people in Luton are in a Band B property or similar, which currently means paying £1,638.51 per a year – or just over £137 a month.
Bills like shopping and utilities are priced along the same lines as the rest of the UK.
Is travel easy in Luton?
There are plentiful options for travel in Luton with many places easily accessible by foot or bus.
Thameslink Trains offers regular direct trains to Luton from London in 35 minutes while there are also good links to Bedford, Corby, and Brighton.
The M1 Motorway connects Luton to neighbouring towns and cities. Driving from London to Luton would take approximately 40 minutes. Birmingham can be reached inside an hour and thirty minutes.
London Luton Airport, the fourth largest Airport in the UK, lies within the town’s boundary and offers flights to destinations across the UK, Europe and beyond.
What to do in Luton: walks, culture, nightlife and eating out
There are lots of places in Luton to visit and explore.
Culture and attractions
One of the most popular is Stockwood Discovery Centre, which offers beautiful gardens to explore as well as interactive exhibitions, galleries, a play area, and the largest carriage collection in Europe. This would be a wonderful place to visit with your family or friends and it also offers free admission.
Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is another must-visit while in the area and offers an insight into the historical Luton Life with interactive displays and experiences.
For those with a love of the outside head to Wardown Park, set on the River Lea, which includes a boating lake, while Stockwood Park, with 100 hectares to explore lies to the south of the town. Further afield Whipsnade Zoo is the largest zoo in the UK and a hugely popular day out.
For nurses with a love of music and theatre venues head to The Bear Club, for jazz and blues, while the Hat Factory Arts Centre offering a wide variety of music and theatre while Luton Library Theatre also offers plenty of variety to enjoy.
Luton Town Football Club played their home matches at Kenilworth Road Stadium and were promoted to the Premier League in 2023.
Nightlife and eating out
Luton has several options for your nightlife including popular restaurants and bars.
Highlights include:
Lartista Ristorante. Offers a wide range of starters and main meals with daily specials available.
Monna Lisa. A cosy restaurant serving delicious Italian style food. Number one TripAdvisor Restaurants.
The Wigmore Fish and Chips. Award winning and popular with locals due to its trendy and modern restaurant and bar.
Off the Wall. Pub and restaurant with a large variety of food and drink options and especially popular with students due to its proximity to the University of Bedfordshire.
What are the school options in Luton?
There are many options as to where to send your children to school in Luton and the surrounding areas.
There are 54 primary schools, 21 secondary schools and 6 independent private schools in Luton.
No matter your preferences you will have plenty of choice in terms of your educational requirements.
Population and demographics in Luton
Here are some of the main population and demographic facts.
The population in Luton is 224,800.
The population density is 13,429 people per square mile.
The population has increased by 11,300 in the past year in Luton.
30% of the population are of Asian or Asian British descent.
5.3 % of Luton's population is unemployed – slightly higher than the UK average.
In summary: is Luton a good place to be a Nurse?
The average salary for Nurses in Luton is £38,000 which is slightly less than the average nurse salary in the UK.
The overall living costs in Luton are lower than many parts of the UK.
There are lots of things for you to do in Luton no matter if you are a student, Nurse or have a family.
There is a good choice of well sought after schools in Luton.
Travel is simple, and there is plenty of work on offer in Luton.
Here are a couple of examples for your salary.
As a newly qualified Nurse on an NHS Band 5 salary, if you rented a room in a shared house, you would still have more than £1300 left in your pocket each month for everything else.
As a Band 6 Nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint share in an average-priced flat.
As a nursing student or Nurse in Luton you will enjoy a varied and interesting life with lots of options for your free time.
