UK Tuition Fees For International Students

So you are an international student who wants to study in the UK? We are here to guide UK tuition fees for international students and living costs. You can see why the UK is one of the most sought-after study-abroad locations. It’s home to some world-class institutions and culturally diverse cities, but that comes at a cost.

Tuition fees often exceed ￡10,000 a year, and you have to pay student living costs on top of that. In order to ensure that the benefits of the degree outweigh the expense, you need to plan your spending wisely.

Fancy joining the hundreds of thousands of international students studying in the UK every year? Here’s a lowdown on all the costs you need to take into account.

What’s in this guide?

• How much are UK tuition fees for international students?
• How do UK international tuition fees compare with the rest of the world?
• UK living costs for international students

How much are UK tuition fees for international students?

In 2021/22, annual tuition fees for international undergraduate students in the UK start at ￡11,400 (US $14,100). This rose to ￡32,081 (US $39,670).

For undergraduate medical degrees, tuition fees fall between ￡9,250 (US $11,440) – ￡67,892 (US $83,950).

However, most university fees fall between ￡10,000 – ￡20,000 (US $12,370 – $24,730) for most subjects.

Annual tuition fees for international postgraduate students are between ￡6,500 (US $8,040) and ￡51,360 (US $63,510).

Postgraduate medical degrees range from ￡7,500 (US $9,270) – ￡54,500 (US $67,400).

Fees for an MBA start at ￡8,500 (US $10,510) and go up to ￡63,000 (US $77,900).

But as for graduation fees, most fall within a certain range. Most postgraduate courses at most universities in 2021/22 charges between ￡12,000 – ￡25,000 (US $14,840 – $30,920).

Tuition fees for international students vary widely across universities, courses, and levels of study. As such, calculating an exact cost is difficult.

While there are no exact rules, here are four things you’ll want to consider when pricing your degree:

• The more prestigious a university, the more expensive it will be.
• Medical and science degrees will generally cost more than lecture-based degrees. This is especially the case for courses that require access to expensive equipment or laboratories
• The length of your course will affect its overall cost. Because tuition fees are charged on an annual basis.
• The level of study may affect cost. Although this is not always the case, master’s and doctoral degrees can be more expensive than bachelor’s.

However, while we can’t give you an exact figure, what we can do is give you some averages. You’ll have a general notion of what to anticipate from this. For exact prices, contact the universities you are interested in.

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International undergraduate tuition fees

Most undergraduate courses last for three years, although some may last longer.

For example, there is an additional year in the ‘sandwich course’ industry. And in Scotland, it’s usually four years for a bachelor’s degree.

As mentioned above, the cost of a bachelor’s degree for an international student sits between ￡11,400 (US $14,100*) and ￡67,892 (US $83,950) per year. Obviously, these costs vary per university and whether you study for a medical degree or not.

If we take tuition costs separately, this means that the average degree will cost between ￡34,200 (US $42,300) and ￡203,676 (US $251,850) over three years. It will be more for a four-year course. Of course, this does not include living expenses which will amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds per year.

• All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest $10 and are accurate as of May 2022.

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International Postgraduate Tuition Fees

You can often anticipate greater fees if you want to pursue a postgraduate degree. This is especially the case with Masters or PhDs, which are popular and well-sought-after postgraduate courses.

Since these courses are naturally more specialized, there may be some additional costs that you need to be aware of. This might be for resources or tools for specialized research. Always check with the individual university for this.

And like an undergraduate degree, the cost will vary depending on what type of subject you study.

The table below displays the results of Times Higher Education’s calculation of the national average tuition price for 2020–21. And since master’s degrees only last for one year, these averages also represent the total cost of tuition.

Postgraduate Average Tuition Fees for International Students

Type of Degree

Tuition fees (￡)

Tuition fees (US $)**

Classroom-based - 16,081 - 19,890

Laboratory-based - 18,613 - 23,020

MBA - 21,754 - 26,900

* Figures represent average postgraduate tuition fees for international students in 2020/21.

** All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest $10 and are accurate as of May 2022.

Note that scholarships and bursaries are more common for postgraduate degrees than for postgraduate degrees. Therefore, it is more likely that you will be able to get financial aid to help finance your studies.

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language program

Many students also come to the UK to study a language at one of the country’s many language schools.

Prices vary by institution. However, you can pay around ￡70 (US $87) a week for a standard full-time course (15 hours). Or, you can find it for around ￡1,300 ($1,608) for a more intensive course lasting around 10 weeks. Again, prices vary depending on where you study and the services offered.

Note that some courses will be accredited (meaning they offer recognized qualifications), and they will likely be more expensive than non-accredited ones.

• All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest $1 and are accurate as of May 2022.

How do UK international tuition fees compare with the rest of the world?

If you’re looking for a cheap destination to study abroad, the UK might not be your best bet.

In comparison, places like Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Finland, and Denmark are often cheaper. You can save as much as ￡10,000 a year in some cases (when taking into account both tuition fees and living costs).

Germany and Norway offer free tuition in many cases (including for international students!) so you can only factor in the cost of living.

However, degrees in the UK are often shorter than in some countries. For example, a bachelor’s degree in the US is four years, but only three in the UK. Similarly, an MA in the US lasts two years, while in the UK they usually last only one. This can have a significant impact on the overall amount you spend on tuition fees.

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UK living costs for international students

Tuition fees aren’t the only costs you have to account for when coming to study in the UK. You also need to budget for living expenses.

You will need a student visa to live and study in the UK. And to get it, you’ll be asked to prove that you have enough money to cover your living expenses while here.

This equates to ￡1,023 (￡1,334 if you live in London) per month of study for up to nine months. So to get a visa for a nine-month course, you need at least ￡9,207 (￡12,006 in London) (US$11,390 and US$14,850 respectively)* in your bank account.

You have to think about rent, bills, food, transport, books as well as travel to and from the UK.

You also need to factor in visa costs – currently ￡363 (US $450)* – and an NHS surcharge of ￡470 (US $580)*.

• All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest $10 and are accurate as of May 2022.

Financial aid is in the form of scholarships and bursaries. You can find out more in our guide to funding for international students.