Money, honestly
No agent gloss — the real 2026 numbers for tuition, living costs, the Student visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge, and where the genuine savings are.
The full picture
| Master’s tuition (at universities we cover) | £15,700 – £25,700 / year |
| Living costs (outside London) | £850 – £1,200 / month |
| Living costs (London) | £1,300 – £1,800 / month |
| Student visa fee | around £524 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £776 / visa year |
| CAS deposit (paid to university) | typically £2,000 – £5,000 |
Visa and IHS figures are set by the Home Office and change periodically — we verify the current amounts on gov.uk before every application. Country-specific figures (in your currency) are on our per-country guides.
The gap between an average and a smart application is £5,000–£10,000: choosing a strong university outside London, applying early enough for merit scholarships, and picking the right intake. That is the work we do with you — free.
FAQ
For a one-year master’s outside London, a realistic all-in budget is £25,000–£35,000: tuition (£12,000–£18,000), living costs (£10,000–£13,000), plus the visa fee, Immigration Health Surcharge and flights. A three-year bachelor’s scales accordingly. London adds roughly 20–35% to living costs.
Choose a university outside London with strong scholarships, apply early for merit awards, consider January intakes when scholarships are still available, and budget shared accommodation. Several quality universities charge under £14,000 per year for master’s degrees — see our cheapest-universities list.
You must show your first-year tuition (minus any deposit paid) plus living funds — currently around £1,483 per month for London or £1,136 per month elsewhere, for up to 9 months — held for 28 consecutive days. We verify the exact current figures on gov.uk before your application.
The IHS gives you NHS healthcare during your studies. For students it is currently £776 per year of visa, paid upfront with your visa application — so a 16-month master’s visa costs roughly £1,164 in IHS.
Part-time work (typically up to 20 hours/week in term time) helps with living costs, but you cannot rely on it to pay tuition — and visa rules require you to show full funds upfront. Treat part-time earnings as a supplement, not a funding plan.
Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply.
Free budget plan
Tell us your course, target cities and savings — we’ll map tuition, living costs and scholarship options into one honest number, within one working day.
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