Study Cost

Cost of Studying & Living in UK

UK tuition fees and course costs – international students

For international students, undergraduate fees for 2014-15 start at around UK£8,000 (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 figure 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

A large range of scholarships to study in the UK are also offered by the government, individual universities, independent organizations and various charities. The Education UK website 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– 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– UK scholarships for high-achieving US students to gain funding to study in the UK.
• Commonwealth Scholarships and fellowships– UK scholarships offered by member governments to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.

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

Living costs

• Inner London

You must have a fixed amount of money to cover your living costs.

If you will be studying in inner London you will need £1,020 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months. This means that if you will be studying in inner London for a course that lasts one month only, the minimum amount that you will need is £1,020. If you will be studying in inner London for a course lasting nine months or more, the maximum amount that you will need is £9,180.

It is defined as the following London boroughs: Camden; City of London; Hackney; Hammersmith and Fulham; Haringey; Islington; Kensington and Chelsea; Lambeth; Lewisham; Newham; Southwark; Tower Hamlets; Wandsworth; Westminster.  You can check which borough your institution is in by entering the postcode of the main study address at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.  If your institution is not in one of the boroughs listed were, then you will be studying in outer London or elsewhere in the UK.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, the number of months’ maintenance that you need will be rounded up.

• Outer London

If you will be studying elsewhere in the UK, the monthly amounts are lower:  you need to have £820 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of £7,380 for a course lasting nine months or more.