PROPERTY is a better investment in Brighton than in leading university cities including Oxford and Cambridge.

A new report into student accommodation investments ranks the city third, behind Edinburgh and Bristol but ahead of the Oxbridge towns.

The Chestertons estate agents analysis takes into account factors including average cost, rent charges and growth in house prices, the cities have each been given a score out of ten. Brighton gets 7.8.

It also analysed average graduate income to conclude that Edinburgh was the best investment and of the 24 cities considered, Aberystwyth in west Wales scored lowest.

Daniel Killick, from Chestertons, said: “Student lets are generally seen as a great investment; there will always be a reliable level of demand and universities can often be really helpful in pointing students your way.

"Some locations, however, offer a better return than others. We were keen to get some deeper insights into the UK’s student property market and understand where the most attractive prospects are – and the ones that are less likely to pay off.”