Typically, studying in Britain is fairly cost effective for the international student. Qualifications in the UK on average take less time to complete than their international counterparts. An Undergraduate degree in the country usually takes around 3 or 4 years, and a Postgraduate course 1 or 2 years (depending on the level of research involved). An Undergraduate in most other countries would take at least 4 years, with a Postgrad taking 2 or 3 years. Completing a qualification earlier will ultimately mean that international students will save money on their overall studying costs.

Tuition fees in the UK are on average £12,000 per academic year but can range from £8,000 to £36,000. It is also advisable that students who will be living in London budget around £1,020 a month for living costs. Students living outside of the capital are advised to budget approximately £820 per month.

There are also lots of scholarships and bursaries that are made available specifically to international students. Over 20,000 international students will also be eligible for financial aid from the UK government. In line with student Visa regulations, students can also supplement their studies with work during in the UK which will reduce costs and also allow students to gain work experience in the country.

The cost of living in the UK is generally quite reasonable, with the North of the country considered a more economical place to live. Students opting to study and live in the capital are likely to pay a significant amount more than students living in other cities and towns.

It is not necessary to live in London in order to benefit from a great student experience as there are lots of other locations around the UK that are equally as exciting, and there are often good transport links to the capital for visits. It is useful for students to conduct some research the cost of living in specific areas that they are considering for their studies.

The UK also has an institutionalised national health care system in place which ultimately does reduce overall health costs. We discuss the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) in another article available here.