UK Tuition Fees for International Students: What Universities Charge by Course Type
TL;DR: UK tuition fees for international students are set by each university and depend on the course type. For 2027 entry, the published fees below run from £17,600 to £34,670 a year for non-clinical undergraduate degrees, £51,380 for Medicine at Sheffield, and £18,700 to £32,850 for taught master's. Check the entry year on every fee page, and whether the fee rises in later years.
Students often compare rankings first and discover the fee last. This guide covers how universities price courses, published fees from five universities' own pages, what you pay on top, and how to read a fee page. If you are applying from Sri Lanka, the local steps are near the end.
Not sure which universities fit your budget and your grades? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
How do UK universities set international tuition fees?
Each university sets its own international (overseas) fee for each course. Most group courses into bands by how they are taught:
Classroom-based courses such as business, law and humanities sit in the lowest band.
Laboratory or workshop courses such as engineering and science cost more.
Clinical courses such as Medicine and Dentistry carry the highest fees.
Premium courses, often MBAs and some business master's, can sit outside the bands.
The University of Reading shows this clearly for 2027/28 postgraduate entry: £27,450 a year for non-laboratory courses, £32,850 for subjects with significant laboratory or workshop content, and a separate premium fee for some Henley Business School courses.
UK tuition fees for international students: published examples
Every figure comes from the university's own fee page, read on 18 October 2026, with the entry year it covers.
University | Course type | International fee a year | Entry year |
|---|---|---|---|
University of Sheffield | Undergraduate (excluding Medicine and Dentistry) | £27,650 to £34,670 | 2027/28 |
University of Sheffield | Undergraduate Medicine | £51,380 | 2027/28 |
University of Reading | Taught master's, non-laboratory | £27,450 | 2027/28 |
University of Reading | Taught master's, laboratory or workshop | £32,850 | 2027/28 |
University of Surrey | MSc Data Science, MSc Civil Engineering (September) | £26,900 | 2027 entry |
University of Surrey | MBA (full-time) | £29,000 | 2027 entry |
University of Huddersfield | Undergraduate (BA, BSc, BEng, LLB) | £17,600 | 2026/27 and 2027/28 |
University of Huddersfield | MA or MSc | £18,700 | 2026/27 and 2027/28 |
University of Bradford | Classroom-based master's | £15,700 | 2026/27 only |
University of Bradford | Lab-based master's | £19,500 | 2026/27 only |
Two patterns stand out: the same subject can cost far more at one university than another, and laboratory courses cost about £3,800 to £5,400 a year more than classroom courses at Bradford and Reading.
Want a second opinion on which universities match your budget before you apply?
Will the fee stay the same for the whole course?
Not always. Universities state one of three rules:
Fixed for the course. Sheffield says the fee you pay in your first year will be the same for each year of your course, as long as you stay on the same course. Huddersfield says its fees apply for the full duration of your course.
A fixed yearly rise. Surrey says annual fees will increase by 4% for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100.
A capped inflationary rise. Durham says fees for students starting in 2025/26 and later will rise each year by up to the higher of 6% or the latest annual rise in the Consumer Prices Index.
What do you pay on top of tuition?
A tuition deposit. Many universities ask for one before they issue your CAS. Our guide to the UK university deposit for international students covers when it is paid and when it is refunded.
The Student visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, set out in our UK student visa cost guide and our guide to the Immigration Health Surcharge for students.
Course costs: Huddersfield lists a £3,300 work placement year fee, and Bradford notes extra costs for some health courses.
Living costs, which you must also show for the visa.
How tuition fees affect your Student visa funds
For a Student visa you must show your course fees for one academic year plus living costs, minus any fees already paid and shown on your CAS. The University of Bristol's visa guidance puts it as "Total required = course fees, plus living costs, minus any payments already made." For applications made on or after 30 November 2026, the Statement of Changes HC 584 raises the monthly living cost figures from £1,529 to £1,570 in London and from £1,171 to £1,203 elsewhere. A deposit paid early lowers the amount you must show. Our guide to the 28-day rule explains how to hold the money.
How to read a UK university fee page
Check the entry year. A 2026/27 fee is not your fee if you start in 2027.
Check the fee status: international or overseas, not home.
Check the mode and intake. Surrey prices February starts and placement courses differently.
Check the rule for later years: fixed, a set percentage, or capped inflation.
Check the deposit and any instalment plan in your offer letter.
Applying from Sri Lanka
Fees are charged in pounds, so budget a margin for exchange rate movement between your offer and your payment dates.
If you pay a deposit or first instalment from a Sri Lankan bank, keep the receipt: the payment should appear on your CAS so it is deducted from the funds you must show.
Ask each university for the full-course total, including any yearly rise, before you accept an offer.
Frequently asked questions
How much are UK tuition fees for international students?
It depends on the university and course type. In the examples above, 2027 entry fees run from £17,600 to £34,670 a year for non-clinical undergraduate degrees.
Are UK tuition fees the same at every university?
No. Each university sets its own international fees, and classroom, laboratory and clinical courses are usually priced differently.
Do UK tuition fees go up every year?
Some universities fix the fee for the whole course, while others add a yearly rise, such as 4% a year at Surrey. Check the fee page before you accept an offer.
Do I need to show my full tuition fee for the Student visa?
You must show the course fees for one academic year plus living costs, minus anything you have already paid that appears on your CAS.
PS: The fee on a course page is a starting point, not your budget. Write down the entry year, yearly rule and deposit for each shortlisted university, then compare full-course totals. Check your eligibility with Prosper and we will go through them with you.
Team Prosper
References
Tuition fees for undergraduate overseas students, University of Sheffield. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/registration/tuitionfees/undergraduate_overseas_students (accessed 18 October 2026)
Postgraduate fees for international students, University of Reading. https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/fees-and-funding/fees-and-funding-pg/internationalpostgraduatestudentfees (accessed 18 October 2026)
Postgraduate taught course fees 2027 entry, University of Surrey. https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/postgraduate-taught-course-fees-2027-entry (accessed 18 October 2026)
Fees and funding for international students, University of Huddersfield. https://www.hud.ac.uk/international/fees-and-funding/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
Postgraduate (taught) international students: tuition fees, University of Bradford. https://www.bradford.ac.uk/money/fees/pgt-international (accessed 18 October 2026)
Tuition fees: how much are they, Durham University. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/tuition-fees-and-charges/tuition-fees---how-much-are-they/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
Money required for a Student visa, University of Bristol. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/directory/visas/student-visa/apply/money/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584, 3 September 2026, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-584-3-september-2026/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-584-3-september-2026-accessible (accessed 18 October 2026)
