Cost of Studying in United Kingdom for International Students (2027)

The United Kingdom combines some of the world's oldest and most selective universities with a large, long established higher education system that teaches almost entirely in English. Undergraduate admission at nearly every university runs through the shared UCAS application service, while postgraduate admission is normally direct to the university. Tuition and living costs vary widely by university, course and city, with London the most expensive place to study.

Verified 7 Sep 2026 Sources

International undergraduate tuition typically runs from around GBP 24,700 to 28,000 a year for classroom based arts, humanities and social science courses, up to GBP 33,000 to 40,000 for laboratory based science, engineering and computing courses, and GBP 45,000 to over 70,000 a year for clinical courses such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. Each university sets its own figure by course, usually fixed for the length of the degree at the rate current when the student starts.

Living costs depend heavily on location. The Student visa's own minimum maintenance requirement, which is a immigration rule rather than a real world budget, is GBP 1,529 a month for up to nine months for courses in London and GBP 1,171 a month for up to nine months outside London, current since 11 November 2025. Typical day to day living costs, covering accommodation, food, transport and bills, are commonly put at around GBP 1,300 to 1,400 a month in London and GBP 900 to 1,300 a month in the rest of the country, though this depends on lifestyle and accommodation choice.

Before arrival, students should also budget for the Student visa application fee of GBP 558 and the immigration health surcharge, charged at the discounted student rate of GBP 776 a year, both paid as part of the visa application.