How Much is that Doctorate in the Window? - Investigating the Cost of a PhD in 2017

How much does it cost to study for a PhD? It's a simple enough question, but, as any good researcher knows, simplicity can be deceptive.

On the plus side, PhD fees can actually be lower than undergraduate (or Masters) fees. (As an independent research student you won't usually cost as much to teach and assess.)

On the other hand, some subjects can charge additional expenses such as 'bench fees' (covering the cost of specialist equipment and facilities). Whatever you study, you'll also need to support yourself for around three years (or more) of research work.

So - if you'll excuse the obvious pun - working out the actual cost of a PhD requires a little research. And, like all the best PhD research, this one is, ultimately, an individual project:

You'll need to check the costs for a doctorate in your specific subject area and factor in accommodation and living expenses for the city (or country) you plan to live and study in.

Still, it helps to know where to start. That's where this blog comes in. Think of the following as a bit of initial direction: a 'literature review' of sorts, covering some of the key information you'll want to check and be aware of.

First thing's first: your fees. Whatever you study (and wherever you study it) you'll normally have to pay something to your university for the privilege. (Those books / microscopes / lasers aren't free after all - neither are the comfy chairs in your supervisor's office).

Exceptions do apply in some European countries (more about those below). But we'll start with the UK, where fees are charged.

The UK

UK undergraduate fees have been in the news a fair bit recently, following the recent general election and the Labour Party's (unsuccessful) proposals to radically revise the student funding system.

For better or for worse, this debate doesn't really apply to postgraduate courses. This is because fees for UK PhD programmes (and Masters degrees) aren't capped by the Government.

In principle, this means a university can charge what it likes for a postgraduate course. In practice, things aren't so bad (or complicated).

Instead, institutions tend to set domestic fees in relation to something called the Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level. If you're lucky enough to receive a Research Council PhD studentship, this is the amount your university will be given for your fees.

• The Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level for 2017-18 is £4,195 per year of full time study.

Even if you don't receive Research Council funding, your minimum fees as a UK or EU student will usually be close to this amount. Bear in mind that expensive subjects (such as Science, Medicine and Engineering) often charge more, but self-funded Arts and Humanities students can generally expect to pay around £4,000 - £5,000 per year.

Unfortunately, these levels don't apply to international students (for whom Research Council funding isn't usually available). If you're coming to study a UK PhD from outside the EU, your fees are likely to be quite a bit higher - typically between £10,000 - £20,000 - or more. International funding may be available, but you should check that any fees you see published apply to 'international' or 'overseas' applicants.

The EU

The good news is that universities in the EU tend to be very generous when it comes to PhD fees. In fact, quite a few countries charge nothing (or almost nothing) for PhD programmes.

As you can imagine, it's difficult to summarise the exact details for PhD fees in 27 different countries - at least, not in a blog post. But the following are worth checking out if you're looking for a 'bargain' in 2017-18:

• Austria - Fees aren't normally charged to EU / EEA students (provided you complete your PhD on time). International students will pay around €726 per semester (roughly €4,360 for a PhD).
• Czech Republic - PhD study is potentially free for all students (EU, EEA and international). . . provided you study for your doctorate in Czech.
• Finland - No fees are charged for PhD programmes (though non-EU / EEA students are required to pay fees for Masters degrees).
• France - PhD fees are capped at a maximum of €391 per year.
• Germany - No PhD fees are charged for up to six semesters (three years) of study. Some additional admin charges may apply.

For information on other countries, see our guides to PhD study in Europe.

Elsewhere

Unsurprisingly, PhD fees vary quite a bit across the globe - to the extent that trying to summarise them here would probably be more misleading than it would be helpful.

Thankfully, that isn't necessary. Instead you can take a look at our detailed guides to PhD study in America, Asia, Australasia and Africa.

It's natural to focus on university fees when looking into the cost of a PhD, but the reality is that accommodation and maintenance will account for much more of your total expenses.

Unlike fees, you have a lot more control over living costs. Careful budgeting (and some advance research) can (potentially) save you quite a bit. The flipside of this is that it's even harder to accurately predict these expenses than it is to summarise a range of different tuition fees.

The following is a rough guide: your own mileage will vary (whether or not you have to budget for fuel).

The UK

Once again, the Research Councils offer a handy benchmark for PhD living expenses in the UK.

In addition to fee payment, postgraduates on full Research Council studentships also receive a Doctoral Stipend for other expenses.

• The National Minimum Doctoral Stipend for 2017-18 is set at £14,553 per year (students in London will normally receive more).

This is the amount the Research Councils deem a worthwhile contribution to a PhD student's accommodation and living costs. That doesn't necessarily mean it's all you'll need to support yourself for a year of PhD study, but it's probably a good minimum to budget for.

As above, you can reduce your expenses with effective planning. There are also several ways to save money during a PhD, including the obvious (part-time work and student discounts) as well as the less-obvious (taking advantage of subsidised accommodation and other facilities provided by your university).

The EU (and beyond)

By now you're probably expecting me to admit the difficulty of summarising postgraduate living costs in different countries around the world.

It's true: that would be difficult. It would also be time consuming to write (and not particularly interesting - or useful to read).

But there's a way around it.

Using crowd-sourced data, we can get a fairly rough estimate of the cost of living in some popular international study destinations:

Bear in mind that these are aggregate figures. They're calculated based on lots of individual prices reported by people living in those countries. This makes them useful for comparative purposes, but you shouldn't assume that these are the exact prices you'll pay - particularly as costs will vary over time and between different cities or regions.

Fees and maintenance will account for most of your expenses during a PhD, but they won't be all you have to budget for. Some will be familiar and routine. Others reflect the unique demands (and expenses) of a postgraduate research degree.

Typical examples include the following:

• Bench fees - These are charged to research students who require the use of specific facilities or expendable equipment. Bench fees are most common in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. Check these with your university.
• Travel - You're likely to need to travel at some point during your PhD - whether to visit archives or facilities beyond your university, or attend conferences in your field. Don't forget your commute, either: routine expenses like this can (and will) add up over the course of a doctorate.
• Conference fees - Once your PhD starts producing data and results (and it will) you'll want to present these (and you should). This usually means attending academic conferences. Attendance fees for these may be covered by your institution, but that isn't guaranteed.
• Health insurance - Studying a PhD abroad will usually incur a few additional expenses. Health insurance is chief among them. You may be covered by an existing policy or reciprocal arrangement, but it's worth checking. Our guides explain requirements in different countries.
• Extension / 'writing up' fees - It's not uncommon for PhD students to extend their registration period slightly whilst they finalise their thesis. Universities usually charge a reduced fee for this, but that cost won't necessarily be covered by a studentship or other fixed-term funding.
• Submission / examination costs - At the end of your PhD you'll need to submit your thesis and have it examined. There can sometimes be additional charges for this, on top of your standard fees.

You may not have to budget for all of these (unless you're an international STEM student, attending conferences, travelling to use external research facilities and taking extra time to write up your results at the end of your PhD) . . . but it's useful to be aware of them.

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