The United Kingdom is the ultimate study destination for many international students because of the academic excellence and student life it offers. While there is no doubt regarding the quality of education, one fact that worries students the most is the cost of studying in UK. Let’s be honest, studying in the UK can be an expensive affair which is why it regularly features in the list of top 5 most expensive study abroad destinations. However, if you look at the brighter side, the duration of majority courses in the UK is very short which reduces the overall cost. In this blog, we provide you a detailed look into the cost of studying in UK for Indian students and other international students that will help you plan and manage your expenses.
Cost Of Studying in UK for International Students: An Overview
As an international student, you will incur a number of fees and charges while studying in the UK. Therefore, to smartly plan your expenditure, let's discuss the cost of studying in UK for international students in detail. We have divided the cost of studying in UK in three parts
- Cost of Education in UK
- Living Expenses in UK
- Other Essential Expenses in UK
Let us now look at each of these factors one by one :
Cost of Education in UK: Tuition Fees for International Students
Tuition fee is the prime expenditure for any international student in the UK. It may vary greatly from university to university, location and the course you choose.
The international students fees UK for medical degrees and MBAs are higher as compared to tuition fees for humanities and social science degrees. International student fees UK can go around £10,000 - £40,000 or more.
Take a look at the following table to understand the average tuition fee in UK for different levels of degrees-
|
Type of Degree |
Average Annual Tuition Fee in UK |
|
Bachelors |
£10,000 - £38,000 |
|
Masters |
£16,000 - £30,000 |
|
PhD |
£16,000 - £24,000 |
The cost of the programs varied widely from one university to another. Here’s a quick look at the average tuition fees at some of the top universities in UK:
|
University |
Average Annual Tuition Fees |
|
£18,000 - £40,000 |
|
|
£16,000- £50,000 |
|
|
£16,000- £36,000 |
|
|
£25,000- £34,000 |
|
|
£16,000- £30,000 |
There are various ways to finance your UK universities fee like opting for scholarships, financial aids, student loans etc. This can help you manage your tuition fees much more effectively.
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Living Expenses in UK
Living expenses are another important part of your study abroad expenditure. Living expenses include paying for accommodation, food, transportation, household bills, shopping, other leisure activities etc. The average cost of living in the UK can be around £1100 - £1300. Like UK universities fees, living expenses may also vary depending on your lifestyle, where you live etc. For example, rent in cities like London or Brighton is higher as compared to cities in Aberdeen or Manchester.
Take a look at the chart below to get an overview of the amount you will have to spend on living expenses in the UK.
|
Factors |
Average Cost Per Month |
|
Accomodation |
£500- £700 |
|
Food & Groceries |
£100 - £200 |
|
Transportation |
£30- £40 |
|
Household Bills |
£40 - £50 |
|
Entertainment |
£40- £50 |
|
Miscellaneous |
£200 |
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Other Essential Expenses in UK
Apart from the tuition fees, students also have to incur some other types of expenditure while studying in UK. These are -
1. Student Visa Fees
Your UK student visa fee may vary depending on the type of visa you apply for. Take a look at the different types of visas available for international students and their application fees.
|
Type of Visa |
Application Fee |
|
Short-term study student visa |
£97 for 6 months ; £186 for 11 months |
|
Tier 4 student visa (General) |
£348 |
|
Tier 4 student visa (Child) |
£348 |
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2. Immigration Health Surcharge
UK is known to provide one of the best healthcare systems in the world through the National Health Service (NHS). As an international student, you need to pay a health insurance surcharge along with your visa fee. The cost of this is around £470 per year to gain access to the NHS as an international student. Students will be able to avai; free medical treatment and reduced price dental care at NHS health centres.
Pre-Arrival & Post-Arrival Costs in the UK
The total cost of studying in UK for students can also be categorised into pre-arrival and post arrival costs. Let us take a look at these costs-
Pre Arrival Costs in UK
There are various expenses that you will have to make while in India when preparing for going to the UK. The expenses you incur before going to UK include:
- Entrance Exams
International students have to give various entrance examinations like GRE, GMAT or language proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL etc. before applying for universities in the UK.
Which exam you take will depend on the kind of course you have chosen. GRE & GMAT are mostly required in STEM fields while courses related to humanities and arts do not require these tests. Same is the case with language proficiency tests. Some universities do require language proficiency tests and some don't. Some of the popular standardised tests that international students are required to give in order to study in the UK are -
|
Examination |
Fees for Indian students |
|
INR 15,800 |
|
|
INR 18,500 |
|
|
INR 15,100 |
|
|
INR 13,770 |
- University Application Fee
The application process for studying in the UK requires students to pay registration fees for the university they are applying to. Undergraduate students are required to apply via the UCAS application website whereas masters or PhD students are required to apply directly via the desired university’s website. You can expect to pay around £20- £90 for applying to various universities in the UK. Students may also be eligible for application fee waivers. Please visit your respective university’s website for more details.
Please note that your application expenditure may rise depending on the number of courses and universities you apply to.
- Student Visa & Immigration Health Surcharge
As discussed above the cost of a student visa depends on the type of visa you are applying for. You have to pay an average of £348 for the student visa. For students wanting access to the NHS, an additional £470 is to be paid.
- Other Expenses
Along with the expenses above, students may also have to bear additional expenses in sending in their documents or test scores to the UK university, making multiple copies of the documents etc.
- Flight Tickets
You must book your flight tickets right after you get your visa. The flight tickets may vary depending on your city, destination and airline. For Indian students, single way airfares in economy class can go upto INR 27,887 to INR 31,794 or even more and a return ticket may cost you around INR 61,047 to INR 83,141 or more.
Post Arrival Costs in UK
There is a new set of expenses that you have to make after reaching the UK. These include:
1. Tuition Fee
The international students fees UK varies between universities and the choice of programs. While the tuition fees for humanities and social science degrees is on the lower side, professional degrees can cost much higher. International student fees UK can go around £10,000 - £40,000.
2. Cost of Living
The cost of living varies with the city and lifestyle a student chooses to opt for. On an average, the living expenses in UK amount to around £13,200 to £15,600 per year.
Total Cost For Studying in UK
So, how much does it cost to study in UK? Well, after combining all the expenses before & after going to the UK we can say that an Indian student will have to pay anywhere between INR 24,47,103 to INR 55,01,188 for studying in the UK. This cost is just a rough estimate and may vary depending on a lot of factors.
Here is a quick look at the total cost of studying in UK for Indian students:
|
Factors |
Average Cost in GBP |
Average Cost in Rupees |
|
Entrance Exam Fees |
£137 - £185 |
INR 13,700 - INR 18,500 |
|
University Application fees |
£20-90 |
INR 1.998 - INR 8,995 |
|
Student Visa Fees |
£348 |
INR 34,781 |
|
Healthcare (Immigration Health Surcharge) |
£470 |
INR 46,900 |
|
Flight Tickets (One way) |
£279 - £318 |
INR 27,887 to INR 31,794 |
|
University Tuition Fees |
£10,000 - £38,000/ year |
INR 9,99,467 to INR 37,97,976/ year |
|
Living Expenses |
£13,200 - £15,600/ year |
INR 13,19,297 - INR 15,59,169/ year |
|
Other Extra Expenses |
£500 |
INR 49,973 |
|
TOTAL EXPENSES |
£24,484 - £55,041 |
INR 24,47,103 - INR 55,01,188 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Cost of Studying In UK for International Students
- How much are the international student fees UK?
Ans: UK university fees for international students vary depending on a lot of factors like type of degree, university, course etc. However, on a general level, international students can expect to pay anywhere between £10,000 to £40,000 or even more.
- What is the study in UK cost in Rupees?
Ans: Indian students will have to pay anywhere around INR 24,47,103 to INR 55,01,188. This includes charges for various factors before & after going to the UK.
- Is it expensive to study in the UK?
Ans: Yes it can be expensive. However, the course duration in the UK is very short so that compensates for the total cost of study in the UK being higher. Also, with effective planning & budgeting, the UK study costs can be managed very well.
To sum it up, we can all agree that studying in the UK can be pretty expensive. However, there are various ways to finance the cost including scholarships and part time jobs in UK. Overall, the UK study abroad experience should not be missed because the UK is an excellent destination in terms of academics, student life and job opportunities. You can be rest assured that you will get a high return on your investment after completing your studies from the United Kingdom.
