Living Costs
It is important that you have a realistic idea of what your living expenses will be before you arrive in the UK When you are planning your budget for living in the UK, it is not just your course fees that you need to take into account. You also need to calculate your everyday living expenses including your food, accommodation (rent and other bills), books and equipment, and clothes - making sure that you have enough left over for leisure activities and socialising. The cost of living varies between different regions of the UK; London, for example, is more expensive than average and costs may also be high in other major UK cities such as Edinburgh and Manchester. A lot is also down to you, of course - the cost of a pair of jeans can vary hugely, depending on how important fashion and designer labels are to you. Just as if you were at home, you need to be sensible about what you really need and what you can actually afford.
The British Council guidelines are often used as rough estimate of how much money you may need for a 1 year stay in the UK:
In London: £7,500 per annum
Outside London: £6,000 to £6,500 per annum
Leisure and socialising
How much you spend on your leisure time and social activities can also vary hugely depending on what you choose to do. If you go to the cinema once or twice a week, dine in expensive restaurants every evening and make regular trips to the theatre or the ballet, you will spend much more than if you take advantage only of the entertainment arranged by student societies. Most on-campus activities with friends will cost you next to nothing. Of course, the actual amount you spend is likely to be somewhere between the two. Most universities have a student cinema, nightclub, theatre and other entertainment available that you can enjoy for much less than similar entertainment will cost you off-campus.
Cheaper options
If you're going to be living on a budget, there are several tips for value buying. Outdoor markets are good for fresh food and cheap clothing and you will often find these close to areas where there are large numbers of students. Larger supermarkets where you can buy in bulk are generally cheaper than smaller local shops and stores and many sell good quality clothing, household goods and electrical equipment as well as food and other provisions. Some supermarket chains will deliver, and while there is likely to be a small charge for this it may be no more than the bus or taxi fare and much easier than struggling home with bags of heavy shopping.
Student discounts
Many shops, theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries offer special reductions for students and special student fares are often available on buses and trains. To take advantage of these, you will usually need to prove membership of the National Union of Students (NUS), an organisation that represents the interests of all students in the UK. Recent discounts listed on the NUS website include 10 per cent off purchases of selected items at HMV (a music and DVD retail chain), Topshop/Topman (a chain of fashionable clothing shops), ShoeZone (shoe shops), Peacocks (a chain of family clothing stores) and Argos (homeware and hardware).
Health care
All international students on full-time UK courses that last more than six months can take advantage of the UK's National Health Service, including free consultation with doctors and free hospital care for you and your family.
Course Fees
Undergraduate
You'll get great value for money from a UK undergraduate education no matter where you choose to study. The figures below show approximately what you'll need to pay, but it's worth bearing in mind that course fees can vary considerably between institutions. Costs for individual courses are given in the course profiles on this website.
- Foundation courses: £4,000-£12,000 per year
- Arts courses: £7,000-£9,000 per year
- Science courses: £7,500-£12,000 per year
- Clinical courses: £10,000 to more than £21,000 per year
These are rough guidelines and you must find out what the exact fees are for your chosen course. You can obtain this through any of our offices.
Postgraduate
UK postgraduate study offers you great value for money. Course fees can vary considerably between institutions, but the figures below show approximately what you'll need to pay.
- Arts and humanities courses: £7,000 to £9,000 per year
- Science courses: £7,500 to £2,000 per year
- Clinical courses: £10,000 to £21,000 per year
- MBA: £8,000 to more than £30,000 per year
These are rough guidelines and you must find out what the exact fees are for your chosen course. You can obtain this through any of our offices.
