How much does uni cost in the UK and will I earn more if I go? (2024)

As freshers across the UK unpack their bags and prepare for the new academic year, some universities are calling for higher tuition fees.

Given the cost of getting a degree, does it pay for itself through higher future earnings?

One of the biggest costs of going to university is the course itself. Most students take out loans to pay for their undergraduate tuition.

The current maximum annual cost for UK students varies depending on where you live and study:

Tuition fees for home students have been capped at £9,250 in England since 2017.

But a group of 141 UK universities says that if fees had risen in line with inflation they would be "in the region of £12,000-£13,000".

Newcastle University vice-chancellor Prof Christopher Day, who chairs the Russell Group of universities, warned that without higher tuition fees and more government funding, "the sector will shrink or the quality will go down".

Student rents have risen sharply in recent years, according to data from 10 university towns and cities., external

Average annual rent rose from £6,520 in 2021-22 to £7,475 in 2023-24, according to research by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and housing charity Unipol. The figures do not include London and Edinburgh.

Student rents were particularly high in some cities like Bristol and Nottingham, where the average cost was £9,200 and £8,427 respectively.

Hepi warned that maintenance loans in England only just cover average rent, and without family support or part-time work, students "will have no money to live off" after paying housing costs.

If you are leaving home to study, it is generally cheaper to live in university-owned accommodation.

In 2021-22 (the latest UK-wide figures available), external average rent for university owned rooms ranged from £6,471 in England to £4,565 in Northern Ireland.

Students also need to budget for other big expenses, such as food, transport, course materials and going out.

Research by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), based on a survey of about 500 respondents, suggests that students spent £219 per week on average in late 2022., external

In June 2023, Hepi said that more than half of students had a job.

Most UK students are eligible for a tuition fee loan. Maintenance loans are also available for living costs. These are means-tested, so the amount you get depends on your family's income.

The maximum maintenance loan if you live away from home and outside London ranges from £10,227 in England to £6,776 in Northern Ireland, in 2024/25.

You are charged interest on your total loan from the day you take it out. Eligibility and repayment rules differ across the UK.

Loan repayment rules changed in England in 2023, meaning students are likely to pay back more, over a longer period of time, than those who went to university earlier.

The government says new students "will not repay more than they originally borrowed over the lifetime of their loans, when adjusted for inflation".

But MoneySavingExpert.com's Martin Lewis said extending the repayment period would increase "costs by thousands" for lower and mid-earners., external

Eligible students in Wales and Northern Ireland can claim maintenance grants which do not have to be repaid.

Full-time undergraduates normally resident in Wales are entitled to at least £1,000., external Students from the poorest backgrounds who study in London can get up to £10,124.

In Northern Ireland the maximum grant is £3,475., external

The Scottish government offers financial support to certain categories of students,, external such as those with dependants.

Across the UK, students in financial difficulty can apply for hardship funding and they may also be entitled to financial assistance from charities., external

Most students will leave university owing money.

The Student Loans Company says graduates in England leave university with average debts of £44,940.

In general, most graduates can expect to earn more than non-graduates, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)., external

However, it suggests the amount of extra money earned after a university education has declined.

According to HESA's survey of 2020-21 graduates, the average salary reported 15 months after gaining a degree was £29,699., external

Earnings also depend on the subject studied and university attended.

Research by the IFS think tank, external in England suggests, on average, women who studied creative arts and languages degrees earned the same amount in their lifetime as if they had not gone to university.

Women who studied law, economics or medicine earned over £250,000 more during their career than if they had not got a degree.

Men who studied creative arts on average earned less across their lifetimes than if they had not attended university. Male medicine or economics graduates earned £500,000 more.

Attending university can help students from poorer backgrounds earn more than their parents might have done, according to research by education charity the Sutton Trust, external in England.

But only a fifth of graduates who were eligible for free school meals went on to be in the top 20% of earners - compared to almost half of graduates who attended private schools., external

The Sutton Trust says attending a selective university, like a Russell Group one, gives young people the "best chance of being socially mobile".

Are you planning to study at university? You can get in touch by emailing [email protected], external.

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