Compare to Australia or Singapore, the cost of study in the UK for international students are considerably high. Tuition, accommodation, living costs and the work conditionals are the key elements to determine the cost of study in the UK. Students should consider these costs before deciding to study there.
Generally in the UK, an undergraduate degree takes three years to complete, but there are some universities which offer four years of undergraduate degree programmes and three years sandwich degree programme plus a year of placement.
Three key elements which determine the cost of study in the UK are:
1. Tuition Fees
University tuition fees are vary depending upon student’s nationality and residency country. There is a significant difference in fees for EU/UK students compare to other nationality International students.
Tuition fee also depends on which location in the UK you have chosen for your studies. For a non-EU/UK student, while tuition fees in England are highest among the four regions of the UK, universities in Northern Ireland have the lowest. There is not much difference in tuition fees for international students versus EU/UK student in Scotland and Wales.
Below tables give you the example of university tuition fee in each of four countries in the UK, for both bachelor degree and postgraduate.
Scotland
| Tuition Fee p.a. (2019-2020) | University of Glasgow | University of St Andrews |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | Accountancy & Finance (Bacc) (4 years) | Financial Economics BSc (Hons) (3 years) |
| Scotland and EU | £1,820 | yet to be set |
| England, Northern Ireland, Wales | £9,250 | £9,250 |
| Overseas students (Non EU UK) | BA £17,620; BS £21,020 | £22,350 |
| Postgraduate Taught Degree | Finance & Management (MSc) (1 year) | Money, Banking and Finance (MSc) (1 year) |
| UK/EU students | £11,250 | £10,880 |
| Overseas students | £21,020 | £21,990 |
England
| Tuition Fee p.a. (2019-2020) | University College London (UCL) | The University of Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | Statistics, Economics and Finance BSc (3 years) | Accounting and Finance BAEcon (3 years) |
| UK/EU students | £9,250 | £9,250 |
| Overseas students | £25,260 | £18,500 |
| Postgraduate Taught Degree | Finance MSc (1 year) | Accounting MSc (1 year) |
| UK/EU students | £29,220 | £25,000 |
| Overseas students | £29,220 | £25,000 |
Wales
| Tuition Fee p.a. (2019-2020) | Cardiff University | Bangor University |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | Accounting BSc (3 years) | Accounting and Finance BSc Hons (3 years) |
| UK/EU students | £9,000 | £9,000 |
| Overseas students | £17,650 | £14,000 (2018-2019) |
| Postgraduate Taught Degree | Accounting and Finance MSc (1 year) | Accounting MSc (1 year) |
| UK/EU students | £13,350 | £9,000 (2018-2019) |
| Overseas students | £22,350 | £15,000 |
Northern Ireland
| Tuition Fee p.a. (2019-2020) | Queen's University, Belfast | Usler University |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | Accounting BSc (3 years) | Accounting and Marketing BSc (Hons) (4 years) |
| Northern Ireland (NI) and Other (non-UK) EU | £4,275 | £4,160 |
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) | £9,250 | £9,250 |
| Overseas students | £16,400 | £13,680 |
| Postgraduate Taught Degree | Accounting and Finance BSc (1 year) | No Accounting and Finance related PG |
| UK/EU students | £6,500 | N.A |
| Overseas students | £19,900 | N.A |
Note: All the course fees have been taken from respective universities.
2. Accommodation
Accommodation is another key element and probably the largest of the monthly cost for International
We are here comparing the same universities we have selected for the tuition fees.
| Scotland | England | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Glasgow | University of St Andrews | University College London (UCL) | The University of Manchester | |
| Undergraduate Residences | 39 weeks | 38 weeks | 39 weeks | 42 weeks |
| Lowest price | £3,732 | £5,244 | £11,602 | £3,990 |
| Highest price | £6,959 | £9,156 | £4,892 | £5,796 |
| Postgraduate Residences | 39 weeks | 50 week | 50.57 weeks | 51 weeks |
| Lowest price | £4,666 | £5,113 | £15,045 | £4,845 |
| Highest Price | £8,938 | £13,577 | £6,344 | £7,038 |
| Wales | Northern Ireland | |||
| Cardiff University | Bangor University | Queen's University, Belfast | Usler University | |
| Undergraduate Residences | 39 weeks | 42 weeks | 39 weeks | 44 weeks |
| Lowest price | £4,165 | £4,046 | £2,925 | £3,300 |
| Highest price | £8,539 | £7,934 | £5,070 | £6,600 |
| Postgraduate Residences | 51 weeks | 51 weeks | 51 weeks | N.A |
| Lowest price | £5,517 | £5,073 | £3,825 | N.A |
| Highest price | £8,539 | £9,640 | £6,630 | N.A |
3. Living cost
Besides the tuition and accommodation cost, phone bills, food, books, transportation etc. Also, the cost that international students should consider. These costs will differ depending on the individual necessities, lifestyle and also the city where they live. Usually, £6,000 to £10,000 per year is enough for a decent student living standard.
As an international student, you may work part-time up to 20 hours per week during the term, or full time during your university holidays. This can help you to have some extra cash on hands. More information about working on a student visa can be found here.
The expense of study in the UK can be variance, plan your cost of study ahead and enjoy the best study experiences.
