11/14/2016 HowMuchDoesitCosttoStudyintheUK?

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How Much Does it Cost to Study in the UK?

Thursday, April 02, 2015 at 12am

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UK tuition fees are frequently under the media spotlight, following price hikes for home students (UK/EU) in recent years and an increase in premium
charges for international students. But the overallcost to study in the UKis dependent on many factors, including institution, course, location and
funding opportunities, and could in fact be a lot less than the headlines suggest.

According to recentgures, the average cost per year to study in the UK at undergraduate level as an international student is UK11,987 (~US$17,860),
while for international postgraduate students this average fee rises to 12,390. At all levels, laboratory and clinical degree programs are markedly more
expensive, with a clinical degree costing overseas students an average of 24,206 ($36,070) at undergraduate level, with top universities in London
charging as much as 34,800 ($51,850).

Combine these fees with the average cost of living in the UK, around 12,000 ($17,850), and the total average costs to study in the UK come up to
24,000 ($35,710) per year. Studying in the capital city, meanwhile, is likely to be signicantly more expensive.

While these costs may be daunting, remember that most UK universities oer shorter programs compared to countries such as the US (three years for
the average undergraduate degree instead of four, and one year for a masters degree instead of two), so you may be able to subtract a year's worth of
fees and living costs from your total budget!

Students cost of living in the UK

According to recent gures (http://www.nus.org.uk/en/news/press-releases/nus-gures-show-new-
students-face-cost-of-living-crisis/) from the UKs National Union of Students (NUS), the average annual
cost of living in England (outside of London) for students is UK12,056 (US$19,490). This includes 4,989
($7,460) for rent, 1,954 ($2,920) for food, 363 ($540) for household goods, 42 ($62) for insurance, 1,917
($2,860) for personal items, 1,705 ($2,550) for travel and 1,190 ($1,780) for leisure.

If you wish to study in London, you should expect to pay 13,521 ($20,200) for the same breakdown of
goods and services. The biggest dierence in the cost of living in London compared to the rest of England
is in rent, which is estimated at an average of 6,340 ($9,480) per year.

As the NUS points out, the gures for the rest of England can only be used as a rough guide to the
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11/14/2016 HowMuchDoesitCosttoStudyintheUK?|TopUniversities
As the NUS points out, the gures for the rest of England can only be used as a rough guide to the
overallcost of living in the UK. But they are roughly consistent with the amounts specied by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), which asks international
students to provide evidence that they can aord to live and study in the UK for a specied period before being granted a Tier 4 (General) student visa.

For visa purposes, international students undertaking study in London proper will have to budget 1,020 ($1,520) for each month of stay in the country,
while those who study in outer London or the rest of the UK will have to show 820 ($1,225) per month in order to prove they can cover the cost of living
in the UK.

UK tuition fees and course costs UK/EU students

There are two levels of tuition feesat publicly funded UK universities: home student fees (including EU
students) and international student fees. For home students, institutions in England and Wales cancharge
(http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/international/how-apply/how-much-will-it-cost-study-uk)up to a
maximum of UK9,000 (US$13,430) per year for undergraduate degree programs; in Northern Ireland up
to 3,575 ($5,330) per year; and in Scotland an undergraduate degree is eectively free for students from
Scotland and the EU. This is thanks to a subsidy from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). The
SAAS also oers a tuition fee loan of up to 3,400 ($5,080) for home postgraduate students.

It should be noted that the Scottish denition of home student diers slightly, in that it doesnt include
students from the rest of the UK i.e. England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Students from the rest of the UK
who want to undertake an undergraduate degree in Scotland will need to pay between 6,630 ($9,890) and 9,000 ($13,440).

Theres also good news for students from Wales, who onlyneed to pay (http://university.which.co.uk/advice/quick-guide-to-fees-and-nance-if-youre-
studying-in-wales)3,810 ($5,680) per year in UK tuition fees to study anywhere in the UK, with the rest covered by the Welsh government.

The amounts given above indicate the maximum amount public universities are allowed to charge. More than half of universities in England and Wales
do charge the maximum of 9,000 ($13,440) per year but at a diminishing number of universities, the annual tuition fees are just 6,000 ($8,950) for
undergraduate home students.

Postgraduate tuition fees vary signicantly, depending on the university and the subject. Home students may be able to receive some funding from one
of the UKs research councils, the university itself, or via a career sponsorship scheme.

UK tuition fees and course costs international students

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(http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/features/international-and-postgrad-fee-survey-
2014/2015207.article) for 2014-15 start at around UK8,000 (US$11,920) for lecture-based courses, going
up to 36,600 ($58,201) for an undergraduate medical degree at the top of the price range. On average,
however, international undergraduate fees level out at around 11,987 ($17,870) approximately 4,000
more than home students.

At postgraduate level, the average international fee for classroom based programs in 2014-15 is 12,390
($18,470), although the majority of courses range from between 10,000 and 13,000 ($14,900-$19,380).
For laboratory-based programs, average annual fees stand at 14,274 ($21,285), while for clinical degree
programs the average gure is 21,296 ($31,750). For leading clinical programs (such as medicine) at leading UK universities, however, fees can be as
high as 38,532 ($57,440) annually.

UK scholarships and student funding

Home (UK/EU) students are eligible for loans, grants and other forms of funding to cover their UK tuition
fees, with diering amounts of funding depending on location. While student loans for home students
tend to cover all tuition fees, the additional loan to cover the cost of living in the UK often falls short of the
needed amount, with a maximum living loan of UK5,740 ($8,560) for students outside of London and up
to 7,751 (UK11,550) for those who study in London.

Undergraduate home students at private UK universities (there are only three in the country) can still apply
for tuition fee loans for most courses, as well as maintenance loans and maintenance grants. However, the
tuition fee loan might not cover the full amount.

A large range ofscholarshipsto study in the UK are also oered by the government, individual universities, independent organizations and various
charities. TheEducation UK website (http://www.educationuk.org/global/)provides a searchable database of 3,000 scholarships for international and
home students. It is also worth checking to see what scholarships and support schemes are available from the government and other organizations in
your own country.

Prominent UK scholarships for international students include:

Chevening Scholarships (http://www.chevening.org/) government funded UK scholarships open

to outstanding students with leadership potential from around the world to study at postgraduate
level at accredited UK universities.

Marshall Scholarships (http://www.marshallscholarship.org/about/generalinfo) UK scholarships

for high-achieving US students to gain funding to study in the UK.

Commonwealth Scholarships and fellowships (http://cscuk.dd.gov.uk/about-us/roles-and-

functions/) UK scholarships oered by member governments to citizens of other Commonwealth
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11/14/2016 HowMuchDoesitCosttoStudyintheUK?|TopUniversities
functions/) UK scholarships oered by member governments to citizens of other Commonwealth
countries.

UK scholarships are more widely available at postgraduate level, with relatively few oered for undergraduate students. However, always check with
your chosen university, as support is often available for exceptional undergraduate students.

For a longer list of prominent international scholarships to study in the UK, see this article (http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/scholarship-
advice/scholarships-study-uk).

Value for money?

The UK is the worlds second most popular destination for international students (after the US), with the
strong reputation of UK universities continuing to give a competitive advantage to those who gain a UK
degree. According to theTracking International Graduate Outcomes
(http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/higher-education/docs/t/12-540-tracking-international-graduate-
outcomes-2011.pdf)survey (from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills), international
students in the UK are more likely to earn higher salaries after graduation than if theyd studied at home.
So the overall cost to study in the UK may well be counterbalanced by future returns.

This article was originally published in October 2013. It was updated in March 2015.

Want more content like this? Register for free site membership
(https://www.topuniversities.com/user/register) to get regular updates and your own personal content feed.

Find out more about studying in the UK with our complete guide

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3 Comments
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Log in from the top right-hand corner or click here (/qs_ctools_custom_modal/nojs/register/2) to register to post comments

Marcela P., 1 year ago (/comment/18531#comment-18531)

I am Brazilian and I was accepted into a master's program at UAL and I would like to know if there are loan options for foreigners stunds
in the UK.

Beckie M., 2 years ago (/comment/10591#comment-10591)

<p>There are times that we encounter the hardness of life emotionally, spiritually and sometimes nancially. During nancial
constraints we have lots of choices however some of it is complicated. The best way, there are still good people who are willing to help
other during this tough circumstance. On top of that, eliminating payday cash advances would mean many people would end up with
no way to get help once in a while.&nbsp;</p>

Ahsan A., 2 years ago (/comment/8431#comment-8431)

It is much more expensive to study in UK or in USA what I expected but I would prefer a scholarship for undergraduate studies. Now I
just want to know what I need to do to get the scholarship to study in UK or USA.

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