Leicester, East Midlands • United Kingdom
A modern university in Leicester — one of the UK's most diverse and affordable cities — with a GPhC-accredited pharmacy school, solid business, law and computing courses, block teaching and a mid-year intake on a wide course list.
Our take
De Montfort makes most sense if you want a big-city university experience at genuinely manageable costs. Leicester is one of the more affordable larger cities in England and one of its most diverse — the South Asian community around the Golden Mile is generations deep, the Diwali celebrations are among the biggest outside India, and Pakistani and Indian students rarely struggle to find familiar food, mosques, mandirs or community. Academically, DMU's strongest cards for international students are pharmacy and health — the GPhC-accredited MPharm at £17,300 is priced below many rivals, and the Clinical Pharmacy MSc admits in January as well as September — alongside dependable business, law and computing schools taught in block format (one module at a time). Fees are mid-table at £16,800-£17,300 for undergraduates, and the mid-year intake covers a wide course list. Two cautions from the fees small print: Nigerian applicants are currently asked for the full first-year fee before a CAS, and Indian deposits vary by state and English evidence — check your position before you apply.
Founded 1870 (university status 1992).
Complete University Guide 2026
QS World University Rankings 2026
Fees & funding
| Undergraduate tuition | £16,800 – £17,300 / year |
| Postgraduate tuition | £16,100 – £25,700 / year |
| Deposit to secure your CAS | £4,000+ (varies by country) |
Classroom-based bachelor degrees are typically £16,800 per year for 2026/27, with lab- and studio-based courses — including the GPhC-accredited MPharm — at £17,300. A placement year currently costs around £1,955 for international students. Published 2026/27 ranges by faculty: £19,000-£20,900 in business and law (MSc International Business and Management £19,000; MBA Global £20,900), £16,800-£18,600 in computing, engineering, arts and media, and £16,100-£25,700 in health and life sciences, where a handful of clinical courses sit at the top of the range. Always confirm the exact figure on your course page. DMU bands its pre-CAS deposit by nationality and English evidence: a minimum £4,000 for applicants from UKVI 'differential evidence requirement' countries (including the UAE), a minimum 50% of the first-year net fee for most other countries (including Pakistan), and the full first-year fee (minus any DMU scholarship) for Nigeria, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Indian applicants from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat also pay the full first-year fee; those from other states pay a minimum £10,000 if relying on an MOI letter, or 50% with an approved English test. Whichever band applies, at least 50% of the year's fee must be paid by enrolment, with the balance usually split over two instalments in November and January.
Fees last checked July 2026.
Automatically awarded to eligible self-funded international students joining a full-time degree who pay their deposit by the deadline — recently £2,000 for undergraduates and £2,000-£3,000 for master's students depending on faculty, plus an extra £500 discount for paying the full year's fee before the deposit deadline. Values are confirmed each cycle, so check the current figure before budgeting.
DMU graduates returning for a full-time postgraduate taught course. A separate Leicester Postgraduate Partnership discount of 20% applies on selected courses for graduates of either Leicester university.
September 2026 starters who are citizens of 11 designated countries (including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Canada and the USA) and meet country-specific academic criteria; excludes MPharm. Not currently open to applicants from Pakistan, India, Nigeria or the UAE.
English language
DMU can consider a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter in place of IELTS for some applicants. DMU's published English pages list approved tests rather than a blanket MOI policy, but its own 2026/27 fees page confirms MOI is considered for Indian applicants from states other than Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat — with a higher minimum pre-CAS deposit of £10,000 when you rely on one. Counsellor guidance indicates English-medium study is also weighed case by case for other markets, typically where your degree was recently taught and assessed wholly in English and the letter is issued on university letterhead. Treat MOI as a possibility to confirm for your profile, not a guarantee — we pre-check it with DMU before you apply.
Also accepted: PTE Academic (61 with 59 in each part at IELTS 6.5 equivalence), LanguageCert Academic 70 / Duolingo English Test 120 / TOEFL iBT 79, GCSE, IGCSE or Cambridge O Level English at grade C or above. Pre-sessional English courses are available if you fall short.
Intakes
September is the main intake and the only start date for MPharm and the NMC-approved nursing degrees. DMU also runs a substantial mid-year intake across business, law, computing, engineering, art and design and some health courses — in recent cycles this has started in late January or February (the next is February 2027), so check the actual start date on your course page rather than relying on 'January intake' lists. The MBA (Global) runs 12 months from September or 16 months from the winter start, and the Clinical Pharmacy MSc admits in both January and September.
Courses
Entry requirements
DMU publishes Pakistan-specific equivalencies: undergraduate entry typically needs HSC with 70% or above plus one year (new scheme) or two years (old scheme) of BCom/BSc/BA at 60%, while master's applicants with a four-year bachelor's degree usually need around 55% for 2:2-level courses or 65% where a 2:1 is required. Pakistan is not on the UKVI differential evidence list, so the pre-CAS deposit is typically a minimum of 50% of the first-year net fee, and — in common with many UK universities — applicants may be asked to complete a credibility interview before a CAS is issued. Leicester's long-established Pakistani community and low living costs make it one of the easier UK cities to settle into.
Full guide for PakistanUndergraduate applicants typically need a minimum 65% average in their best four Standard XII subjects (excluding Hindi); master's applicants usually need a recognised bachelor's degree at around 55-60% depending on the course. The deposit depends on your state and English evidence: applicants from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat currently pay the full first-year fee before a CAS, while those from other states pay a minimum £10,000 if relying on an MOI letter or 50% of the first-year fee with an approved English test. Leicester is arguably Britain's most Indian-friendly city — the Golden Mile, major Diwali celebrations and a large existing student community mean most Indian students feel at home quickly.
Full guide for IndiaFor master's entry DMU asks for a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.5/4.0 or 55% and above; undergraduate applicants usually route through A Levels, IB or a foundation year such as the DMU International College pathway. The most important practical point: Nigerian applicants are currently required to pay the full first-year tuition fee (minus any DMU scholarship) before a CAS is issued, which is a significantly higher upfront commitment than the £4,000 bands some other universities offer Nigerian students. Budget for this early, and speak to us about universities with lower deposit requirements if it is a constraint.
Full guide for NigeriaStudents from UAE schools are assessed on their qualification: A Levels, IB or strong CBSE/FBISE grades are considered for direct undergraduate entry, an American High School Diploma typically needs a 3.0+ GPA plus Advanced Placement subjects, and the UAE secondary school certificate usually routes through a foundation year. Master's applicants need a recognised bachelor's degree at around 2:2 equivalent. UAE nationals fall under the UKVI differential evidence requirement, so the pre-CAS deposit is currently a minimum £4,000 — expatriate applicants are assessed on their own nationality — and the February mid-year intake suits Gulf-based professionals who cannot wait for September.
Full guide for the UAEHealthcare professionals
A pharmacy MSc alone does not license you to practise in the UK. Overseas pharmacists register with the GPhC through the OSPAP programme.
OSPAP guideIf you already hold a nursing qualification, NMC registration (CBT + OSCE) may be faster and cheaper than a second degree — and leads straight to UK employment.
NMC route for nursesWe prepare healthcare applicants for OET as an alternative to IELTS — accepted by the NMC, GMC and GPhC, and often the easier test for clinical professionals.
OET preparationFAQ
DMU is ranked 110th in the Complete University Guide 2026 and sits in the 801-850 band of the QS World University Rankings 2026, with Art and Design ranked 201-300 globally by subject. Several subjects perform well above the overall table — the Guardian 2026 guide placed Paramedic Science and Health Professions 4th in the UK and Forensic Science 9th.
Undergraduate degrees are £16,800-£17,300 per year for 2026/27, including the MPharm at £17,300. Master's fees run £19,000-£20,900 in business and law (the MBA Global is £20,900), £16,800-£18,600 in computing, engineering and arts, and £16,100-£25,700 in health and life sciences. Eligible self-funded students can usually deduct an automatic Global Access Scholarship from these figures.
It depends on your nationality and, for India, your state and English evidence. Applicants from UKVI differential-evidence countries such as the UAE pay a minimum £4,000; most other countries, including Pakistan, pay at least 50% of the first-year net fee; and applicants from Nigeria, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Indian states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat currently pay the full first-year fee before a CAS is issued. Indian applicants from other states relying on an MOI letter pay a minimum £10,000.
Yes, in defined cases — DMU's own fees page sets a deposit band for Indian applicants using an MOI letter (outside Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat), which confirms MOI is considered, though it triggers a higher £10,000 minimum deposit. For other countries, English-medium study is weighed case by case. Otherwise most courses ask for IELTS 6.0-6.5 depending on subject, with PTE Academic, LanguageCert, Duolingo and TOEFL accepted and a pre-sessional English route available. We confirm your exact position with DMU before you rely on an MOI letter.
Yes — DMU runs a substantial mid-year intake across business, law, computing, engineering, art and design and some health courses, though in recent cycles it has started in late January or February (the next is February 2027). The MBA (Global) runs a 16-month winter route and the Clinical Pharmacy MSc admits in January, but MPharm and the NMC nursing degrees remain September-only, so always check the start date on your course page.
The most widely available award is the Global Access Scholarship — automatically applied to eligible self-funded international students who pay their deposit on time, recently worth £2,000 for undergraduates and £2,000-£3,000 for master's students, with £500 extra off for paying the full year upfront. DMU graduates get 20% off postgraduate fees, and the £8,500 Empowering Excellence Scholarship exists but is limited to citizens of 11 designated countries, which currently exclude Pakistan, India, Nigeria and the UAE.
Yes — pharmacy is one of DMU's strongest suits. The MPharm (Hons) is GPhC-accredited, priced at £17,300 for 2026/27 (below many rival pharmacy schools), and selects via an online interview for September entry; the Clinical Pharmacy MSc adds a January intake for pharmacists wanting postgraduate depth. Note that DMU does not run the OSPAP — overseas-qualified pharmacists seeking GPhC registration need one of the four accredited OSPAP providers, which we cover in our OSPAP guide.
Leicester is one of the UK's most diverse cities and among the more affordable larger ones — rent and day-to-day costs sit well below London, and the campus is a short walk from the city centre. The South Asian community is long established, with the Golden Mile's restaurants and shops, major Diwali celebrations and plentiful halal food, and London is just over an hour away by train with Birmingham around 50 minutes.
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.
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