How Much Does a PhD Cost in the UK (2025)?

On average, a PhD in the UK costs around £15,000 per year for domestic students, including living costs. The cost for international students is closer to £40,000 per year. Tuition fees are part of the cost, and these vary greatly between universities and subjects. STEM subjects typically have the highest tuition fees. Other costs include living costs, bench fees, visa fees, language tests, and travel expenses.

So, you’re looking to study a PhD in the UK? Nice choice. The UK has plenty of respected education institutions, world-leading research projects, and roughly 10,500 fish and chips shops (very important).

Of course, much like fish and chips, PhDs cost money. Even if you’re aiming for a studentship that covers everything, I’d still recommend getting up to speed with the various costs. Unexpected fees aren’t my idea of a fun surprise, at least.

To that end, I’ve collected as much info as possible for how much a PhD costs in the UK. I’ll go through tuition fees, living expenses, and any additional costs you’re likely to run into. The guide, however, is completely free—consider it a gift from me to you, okay?

How much are tuition fees for a PhD in the UK?

Domestic students

PhD fees for domestic students in the UK range between around £4,500 and £20,000 per year, with the average sitting at £4,500.

Why the large range? For one, university choice: the bigger, more well-known research universities typically charge higher tuition. The other factor is subject choice, with STEM students usually paying more. Specialist equipment and facilities = higher fees, in short. I’m pretty sure they aren’t charging higher fees just to prank the STEM students.

For a real world example, Coventry University charges £4,786 per year for most full-time PhDs (domestic).

International students

PhD fees for international students in the UK range between around £15,000 and £35,000 per year. Again, fees for STEM will usually be higher, but they’re also more likely to have funding attached.

For a real world example, Leeds Beckett charges £15,500 per year for most full-time PhDs (international).

Part-time costs

The above fees are calculated for full-time PhDs. Part-time PhDs are generally around 50% cheaper per year, but they’ll also take longer, of course. If you’re studying a PhD abroad, bear in mind that some visas don’t allow part-time study. Make sure to check the terms and conditions of your visa (and the PhD itself) before applying.

Research support fees / bench fees

Research support fees/bench fees are typically between £5,000 and £10,000. These fees go towards consumable materials, specialist equipment, etc. This is more of a thing for STEM PhDs, so if you’re not doing STEM, you probably won’t pay any. I assume you won't need extremely advanced equipment for your PhD in Gothic Literature (unless you count photocopiers).

These fees are either included in the tuition fees or quoted separately, and they’re typically discussed during the application process. Also, in a rare win for international students, you’ll usually pay the same amount as domestic students. You love to see it.

How much are PhD living costs in the UK?

Living costs are between £600 and £1,040 per month, on average. Generally you need to be alive to complete PhDs (with the exception of posthumous awards and/or necromancy), so you might want to keep these in mind. The variability in costs is usually due to the city you’re living in, so here’s a handy table for you with average living costs for each university city:

Living costs in UK university cities
City	Monthly Cost	City	Monthly Cost
Aberdeen	£910	Hull	£600
Bath	£905	Leeds	£813
Belfast	£737	Leicester	£755
Birmingham	£788	Lincoln	£800
Bournemouth	£700	Liverpool	£805
Bradford	£600	London	£1,040
Brighton	£900	Luton	£785
Bristol	£840	Manchester	£872
Cambridge	£879	Middlesbrough	£803
Canterbury	£953	Newcastle	£803
Cardiff	£771	Norwich	£786
Chester	£764	Nottingham	£789
Colchester	£808	Oxford	£886
Coventry	£781	Plymouth	£814
Derby	£786	Portsmouth	£734
Dundee	£786	Preston	£718
Edinburgh	£899	Reading	£804
Exeter	£770	Sheffield	£817
Glasgow	£859	Southampton	£807
Guildford	£876	Swansea	£749
Huddersfield	£696	York	£854
Figures are calculated based on crowdsourced data published by Numbeo.

Oh, and if you’re on a full Research Council studentship, you’ll receive a minimum of £20,780 per year to cover living costs and maintenance. Handy!

Travel costs

Commuting between your accommodation and the university could incur travel costs, so bear that in mind in your calculations. Travel to academic conferences should also be considered, so if possible, try and find out which conferences you’re likely to attend ahead of time. Once you have those, you can then go ahead and visit websites such as Trainline to help estimate ticket prices.

Other fees and costs for international students

Here are a few other fees and costs to keep in mind:

Visa fees
- One-time £490 application fee
- Yearly £776 healthcare surcharge
Cost of return flights back home
Agent fees (if applying through an agent)
Language tests (if you need one)
- Fee depends on the test and test location, but IELTS is £190-£220

How can I fund my PhD in the UK?

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry—universities and research councils offer scholarships, bursaries and full studentships to help shoulder some of the burden. For a general overview of your options, you should check out our introduction to PhD funding.

Student Story: Paying for a PhD – The Cost of Self Funding

If you're interested in self funding, PhD student Ben Turnbull wrote about his experience self funding a part-time PhD.

Tips from the author

You can’t beat a good spreadsheet for this kind of thing, so that’s my first tip. Open up Excel (or your preferred alternative) and pop in all the fees and costs relevant to you specifically. Once you’ve got them all row by row, use the SUM function to add them all together. If you’re thinking of applying to different universities, maybe tally those up in separate sheets for comparison. I’d say it’s exciting work if that wouldn’t make me sound like a massive data nerd (not entirely inaccurate).

As for keeping costs down, you have a few options. If you want to study in London, it may be worth looking at rental properties on the outskirts rather than London central. Any further than the outskirts and the commute might end up more expensive than the rent, so have a poke around and see what’s out there.

Of course, it’s not all about London. If you’re considering a London university but the cost is putting you off, there are plenty of research universities elsewhere that still have great outcomes. You can always go for a day trip if you’re feeling the draw of that one big wheel they have (also known as the London Eye).

Finally, while self-funding is an option, choose to do so with caution. PhDs can be difficult enough without an additional financial burden on your back, so make sure to research funding options thoroughly before choosing to self-fund. I wouldn't typically recommend self-funding if you're an international student—if scholarships and studentships aren't an option, you may wish to consider other study destinations with lower international fees.

Frequently asked questions

What are the cheapest PhD fees in the UK?

This varies based on the subject and domestic status. However, universities such as the University of Chester, University of Cumbria, Leeds Trinity University and Wrexham University are known for having affordable PhD fees.

What are the PhD fees at UCL (University College London)?

This varies based on the subject and domestic status. As an example, a Biosciences PhD costs £6,215 per year for full-time domestic students. International students would instead pay £36,500 per year for full-time study. You may wish to visit UCL’s website for more fees information.

What are the PhD fees at Coventry University?

This varies based on the subject and domestic status. However, typical full-time PhD fees are £4,786 per year for domestic students. International students would instead pay £15,086 per year. You may wish to visit Coventry University’s website for more fees information.

Ready to find a PhD?

Search our course listings for your perfect PhD programme. Results can be filtered by topic, location and funding available.

How Much Does a PhD Cost in the UK (2025)?

On this page