Cost of Studying in the UK for Indian Students: UG and PG Courses

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. These cities have the world’s top-notch universities but the cost of studying in the UK for international students is high.

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. 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.

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

Cost of Studying in the UK

There are some crucial elements related to the cost of studying in the UK that you need to know and plan accordingly once you get an offer. These elements include tuition fees, accommodation and travel costs. Let us learn about these costs in detail:

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

Cost of Tuition Fees in the UK

The tuition fees constitute a major part of the cost of studying in the UK for Indian students. Average tuition costs for undergraduate courses can easily range from GBP 7000 to GBP 9000 with the upper limit going as high as GBP 30000 depending upon the university, course demand, reputation, university location, etc.

For example, LSE overseas undergraduate fees are GBP 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. Average overseas fees range from GBP 10,000 to GBP 15,000 and can go up to GBP 35,000. Please see the table below to get information about the average tuition fees for different programs in the UK:

Cost for Undergraduate Courses in the UK

The cost of studying undergraduate courses in the UK can vary depending on several factors, such as the specific study programme, which university you choose and whether you are a UK or international student. The following table shows the average fees for various UG courses in the UK.

Programs	Average Annual Fees
Engineering	GBP 15258 – GBP 20980
Arts	GBP 9536 – GBP 14304
Medicine Courses	GBP 28609 – GBP 38145
Nursing Courses	GBP 14304 – GBP 17165
Dentistry	GBP 28609 – GBP 33377
Law	GBP 14304 – GBP 17165
Diploma Courses	GBP 9536 – GBP 14304

Note: The above fees are indicative only. Actual tuition fees may vary according to the course and university.

Cost for Postgraduate Courses

The cost of postgraduate courses in the UK can vary based on several factors, including the particular study programme, the university you select, and your status as an international or UK student. The average costs for a range of PG courses in the UK are displayed in the following table.

Programs	Average Annual Fees
Engineering	GBP 13351 – GBP 19072
Arts	GBP 9536 – GBP 1500000
Doctoral Degree	GBP 13351 – GBP 17165
MBA	GBP 9536 – GBP 4000000
Management Courses	GBP 8582 – GBP 33377
Medicine Courses	GBP 23841 – GBP 3500000
Dentistry	GBP 19072 – GBP 3000000
Law	GBP 12397 – GBP 33377

Note: The above fees are indicative only. Actual tuition fees may vary according to the course and university.

Student Visa Fees for UK from India

Another cost of studying in the UK is the student visa fee. If you are planning to take education overseas, you must note that an Indian student requires a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. Visa requirements demand that tuition fees for the first academic year must be paid in full or evidence must be submitted proving that you have sufficient funds to cover the first year’s tuition fees. This increases the cost of studying in Britain 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 GBP 1015 per month if living outside London or GBP 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 GBP 50 to GBP 150, 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	GBP 50
Newcastle University	GBP 40
University of Bath	GBP 25, GBP 50, GBP 60
University of Nottingham	GBP 25, GBP 30
Durham University	GBP 60
University of Manchester	GBP 60
University of Cambridge	GBP 100
University of Oxford	GBP 100, GBP 150
London School of Economics and Political Science（LSE）	GBP 50
Imperial College London	GBP 75, GBP 150
University College London (UCL）	GBP 75
SOAS, University of London	Nil
University of Edinburgh	GBP 50 (few Courses)
University of Surrey	Nil

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 GBP 15 to GBP 25. Other personal expenses include study equipment, books, clothes, hygiene, etc. which will cost around GBP 100 per month.

UK Scholarships for Indian Students

There are an array of scholarships for Indian students to study in the 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

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 that 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	GBP 348
The cost of housing rent	GBP 500 monthly
The cost of transportation	GBP 150 – GBP200 monthly
The cost of food	GBP 150 – GBP 200 monthly
The cost of clothing and leisure	GBP 50 monthly
The cost of telephone and mobile	GBP 50 monthly

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 and other basic necessities. It offers a variety of options and choices that you can explore and calculate the estimated cost of living at your dream study destination! 

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.

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FAQs On Cost of Studying in the UK

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.