Cost of Studying in UK for Indian Students

The United Kingdom is home to some of the world’s most historic universities such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. A sizeable portion of students that enter these universities every year come from across the world with hopes to realize their dream career in the beaming cities of the UK like London, Dublin, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. These cities have the world’s top-notch universities but the cost of studying and living cost in the UK for international students is high. This article seeks to ease your financial decisions while pursuing higher studies in the UK so that you are not spending every morning there calculating expenses and costs. Let’s take a closer look at the cost of studying in the UK including things like student visa fees for the UK from India.

Cost of Living in the UK for International Students

While the cost of living anywhere in the world depends on your personal choices, the cost of living in the UK mainly depends upon the city you choose to live in. It is difficult to come to an absolute value of the cost which will be spent, but we can arrive at an estimated living cost. It is tabulated below.

Kind of Expense	Cost in GBP and INR
Fees for Visa Application	348 GBP
Housing	500 GBP monthly
Transportation	150-200 GBP monthly
Food	150-200 GBP monthly
Clothing and Leisure	50 GBP monthly
Telephone and Mobile	50 GBP monthly

Also Read: Study in the UK for Indian Students After 12th

Cost of Studying in the UK

There are some crucial elements that you need to know and plan once you get an offer. These elements include tuition fees, accommodation and travel costs. Let’s explore these costs further in detail:

Cost of Studying in UK	Cost in GBP
Tuition Fees	Undergraduate: £8000 – £30000 Postgraduate: £12000 -£35000
Tier 4 Visa	£1015 per month as proof of sufficient funds
Accommodation	£350 to £550 per month
Travel	£40 monthly
Miscellaneous	£500 monthly

Tuition Fees 

Tuition fees constitute a major part of the cost of studying in the UK for Indian students.

Tuition fees for undergraduate courses can easily range from £8000 to £9000 with the upper limit going as high as £30000 depending upon the university, course demand, reputation, university location, etc.

For example, LSE overseas undergraduate fees are £21,570 for the first year.

Tuition fees for postgraduate courses tend to be costlier when you consider MBA, engineering and clinical degrees. Courses in arts cost relatively less. Overseas fees range from £12000 to £15000 and can go up to £35000. 

S.No.	Study Program	Average fee in GBP
1.	Undergraduate bachelor program	GBP 7,000 to GBP 20,000
2.	Postgraduate master’s program	GBP 10,000 to GBP 25,000
3.	Doctoral program	GBP 15,000 to GBP 30,000

Note: The aforementioned costs are only indicative. Actual tuition fees can vary as per the course and university.

Cost for Undergraduate Courses.

The following table represents the average fees for various UG courses in UK.

Programs	Average Annual Fees (in INR)
Engineering	16 lakhs-22 lakhs
Arts	10-15 lakhs
Medicine Courses	30-40 Lakhs
Nursing Courses	15-18 lakhs
Dentistry	30-35 lakhs
Law	15-18 lakhs
Diploma Courses	10-15 lakhs

Cost for Postgraduate Courses

Given below are the average fees for various PG courses in the UK.

Programs	Average Annual Fees (in INR)
Engineering	14-20 Lakhs
Arts	10-15 Lakhs
Doctoral Degree	14-18 Lakhs
MBA	10-40 Lakhs
Management Courses	9-35 Lakhs
Medicine Courses	25-35 Lakhs
Dentistry	20-30 Lakhs
Law	13-35 Lakhs

Student Visa Fees for UK from India

Another cost is the student visa fees for the UK from India is the Tier 4 Visa Costs. An Indian student needs a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. Visa requirements demand that tuition fees for the 1st academic year must either be paid in full or evidence be submitted proving that you have sufficient funds to cover the tuition fees of the 1st year. This increases the cost of studying in the UK for Indian students. Along with that, you need to submit documents to prove that you have funds amounting to 9 months’ worth of living costs. You need to show that you can adequately pay £1015 per month if living outside London or £1265 per month if living in London over a period of 9 months.

Also Read: UK Post Study Work Visa

Application Fee for UK Universities

The cost of applying to universities in the UK ranges between £50-150 (INR 5000-15,000), but you might be able to avoid paying the full amount if you apply to certain universities. Following is a list of British universities that don’t charge an application fee.

University Name	Application fee
University of Warwick	£50
Newcastle University	£40
University of Bath	£25, £50, £60
University of Nottingham	£25, £30
Durham University	£60
University of Manchester	£60
University of Cambridge	£100
University of Oxford	£100, £150
London School of Economics and Political Science（LSE）	£50
Imperial College London	£75, £150
University College London (UCL）	£75
SOAS, University of London	Nil
University of Edinburgh	£50 (few Courses)
University of Surrey	Nil

Living Expenses in the UK for Indian Students

The monthly cost of living spans anywhere between £1100 to £1400 depending on your choice of place and other factors. Make sure to set aside at least £11000 as part of your yearly living costs. We have discussed below in detail about different things which are a part of living expenses.

Accommodation

Accommodation is another important element that contributes hugely towards increasing the cost of studying in the UK for Indian students.

• University Accommodation: Most universities offer campus accommodation or discounted housing for international students. You can get this free as a part of your offer or with additional charges. Generally, university residence halls are the best and cheapest options.
• Private Accommodation: If you choose to live in a private residence, search for accommodations that are closer to your university location. Generally, in  £350 to £550 per month, you will find a decent place to live and study. These prices can vary in different cities in the UK with London being the most expensive.

The table below represents some of the popular student accommodation options in the UK and their prices:

Accommodation Name	Price per week
York House	GBP 189
Lemynton Street	GBP 208
Lewisham Exchange	GBP 449
Luxurio	GBP 151
Nebula	GBP 109
Forest Rise	GBP 220

Also Read: Best Student Cities in the United Kingdom

Travel

Subways are the cheapest way to travel in and around the UK. Tube in London has a vast network with affordable charges. There are several student discounts to make travelling costs affordable. 

• For Short Distance: Tubes, regional trains as well as buses are easily available. It is most financially viable if you get a monthly pass made for tube trains of buses. If you are to hire a taxi, it is best to make sure that it is running on the meter. In the situation where the meter is not working it is best to agree on an amount beforehand to avoid any confusion.
• For Long Distance: If you wish to travel a long distance, that is, from one city to another, it is best to avail any of the following options –
  • Railways
  • Air
  • An intercity bus

Utilities

Services like electricity, water, gas, etc. or other essential utilities cost around £50 to £120 per month. Following are the lists of utilities and daily/monthly essentials that are required:

• Bills (electricity/ gas/ water)
• Mobile phones
• clothes
• toiletries
• Food and housekeeping
• Books and stationery
• Transportation, etc.

Food Costs

Costs of food can be minimized to save money. You can spend close to £80 to £100 per month if you cook at home or close to £250 /month if you go for ordering food or eating outside.

Social Activities

Activities like recreation and fun can cost you around £50-£250 per month.

Cost of Studying in the UK: Taxes and Insurance

Part-time jobs are the best way to manage the daily living cost in the UK for international students. All Indian students studying in the UK are given the opportunity to work for 20 hours a week. This is while their academic sessions are going on. It changes to full-time during vacations.

However, if you get a job in the UK while you are still completing your studies, you will be liable to pay national insurance and tax.

• National Insurance: You are liable to pay the National Insurance if you earn more than 166 pounds a week.
• Income Tax: You are liable to pay income tax if you earn more than 1,042 pounds a week.

You need to be insured as a student for which you have to pay a monthly premium of around £15 to £25. Other personal expenses include study equipment, books, clothes, hygiene, etc. which will cost around £100 per month.

Calculate the Cost of Living at Leverage

The plan of pursuing higher education abroad is always followed by the thought of how much it will cost to study as well as the living expenses. You can easily check out the tuition fee of a program and manage your finances but calculating the other expenses is a daunting task. For this, you can always use our handy and elaborative cost of living calculator at Levereage Edu which provides you with questions and prompts about the location as well as the type of accommodation you require. You can reply to these prompts and know your unique cost of living in any country you plan to visit. While devising the living costs, our calculator considers a wide range of parameters like accommodation, transportation, food along other basic necessities. It offers a variety of options and choices which you can explore and calculate the estimated cost of living at your dream study destination! 

UK Scholarships for Indian Students

There are an array of scholarships for Indian students to study in UK which you must explore to fund your higher studies there. To help you finance the cost of studying in the UK and helps you meet the daily living cost in the UK, here are the best scholarships you must know about:

• Chevening Scholarships offered by the UK government to international students planning to pursue master’s degree programs at the leading universities in the country.
• UK University Scholarships offered by the University of Cambridge, University College London, King’s College London, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, etc.
• Erasmus Mundus by the European Union for those selected for the European master’s degree by the EU.
• Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan for one-year master’s courses as well as a doctoral degree of three to four years in the UK.
• Charles Wallace Scholarships by the British Council
• Euraxess UK by the British Council
• Marshall Scholarships
• Castlesmart Scholarships for undergraduate students from all nationalities
• Saltire Scholarships
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme at UK Universities

Budgeting Tips to Manage Cost of Studying in the UK for Indian Students

Here are some tips for covering the living costs in the UK for international students. Firstly, prepare a budget for all your expenses. When your loan money or funding/scholarship amount gets credited, do not spend it all at once. Here are some useful budgeting tips to save money while studying in the UK:

• Work part-time jobs in your spare time.
• Use public transport while travelling. They are cheap and will connect you to faraway places as well.
• Renting vehicles like two-wheelers or a cycle is always better than buying them.

FAQs

Living abroad can be challenging because you have to consistently consider costs. The cost of studying in UK for Indian students is an important concern that requires proper research and comparison, especially in matters of accommodation and rent.

If you are planning to study in UK then Leverage Edu can provide you with the best assistance with your study abroad journey. For booking the best accommodation abroad to start your study abroad experience you can contact Fly Homes at 1800572118. Follow our social media handles on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.