Learn how much it will cost to study doctoral course at university or college.
Tuition fee for doctorate courses vary between academic institutions and between doctoral course types. You will be able to see exactly how much they are in individual course detail page, but you can get an approximate idea from below.
Tuition fees for doctoral courses depend on:
If you are unsure of your fee status (UK, EU, or international/overseas), please contact the Admissions Office for advice.
The amount that universities can charge for research degrees in the UK is governed by an organisation known as the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI). Tuition fees vary, but usually fall between £3,000 and £6,000 per year for UK and European Union (EU) students. You will find exact fees for doctorate courses on individual course page –
Despite tuition fees, many doctoral courses are partially or fully funded. Scholarships and bursaries are widely available, and particular attention should be paid to Research Council grants and the European Social Fund. PhD studentships involving a mixture of research and teaching are also common, with scientific studentships usually paid at a higher rate.
The UK has voted to leave the European Union. It’s not currently known how long that process will take or the impact that it will have on UK policy on higher education tuition fees, loans and bursaries. However, universities and colleges have confirmed that the fee for postgraduate EU students who will start their studies in 2020, will be at the applicable Home student fee rate and they will not be subject to the overseas fee rate at any point during the course of their study. Please note that all fees may be subject to increase, which may be annual. The fee status of EU nationals for 2020 entry onward has yet to be determined by the UK government.
There is no ‘standard’ international fee for UK doctoral courses. Instead, UK universities and colleges are free to set their own fees for doctoral programmes. However, as an international student, you will probably find that your fees are higher than a ‘home’ student. Your exact fees will vary depending on how expensive your course is to teach and which academic institution you study at.
The average tuition fee for a doctoral course in the UK for international student is around an average of £11,000 per year. However some fees can be £8,000 to £9,000 a year or up to £30,000 a year.