With the university application deadline upon us, we take a look at the cheapest and most expensive universities to attend.
London is the most expensive place to go to university in the UK and will cost £30,000 more than studying in Edinburgh, the cheapest location, according to new research.
Rent and tuition fees make up a large proportion of the costs, but other factors such as; food and drink, books, socialising and travel need to be included.
With the university application deadline of 15th January nearly upon us, let's take a look at the cheapest and most expensive places to study.
The tables below have been compiled by the company Ukash.com and a number of factors were used to get the final cost. These were the cost of a hoody, car insurance, gym membership, a pint at the student union, a SU event, a pizza, contents insurance, annual fees and rent.
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The most expensive universities
Unsurprisingly the most expensive universities are found in London, with the London School of Economics topping the bill with a cost of £59,152 for three years or £19,717 per year. This is largely made up of rental costs in the capital of £8,710 per year.
It’s followed by University College London, at £53,954, and Imperial College London, at £53,822.
|
Rank |
University |
Annual rent* |
Living cost for three years |
|
1 |
London School of Economics |
£8,710 |
£59,152 |
|
2 |
University College London |
£7,113.60 |
£53,954 |
|
3 |
Imperial College London |
£7,349.16 |
£53,822 |
|
4 |
Oxford University |
£6,360.12 |
£50,540 |
|
5 |
Cambridge University |
£5,200 |
£47,997 |
|
6 |
Exeter |
£4,420 |
£45,291 |
|
7 |
Bath |
£4,378.40 |
£45,199 |
|
8 |
Durham |
£4,407.52 |
£44,459 |
|
9 |
Surrey |
£4,058.60 |
£44,264 |
|
10 |
Loughborough |
£3,807.96 |
£43,965 |
*per room of a four-bed house in the local area
The cheapest UK universities
Edinburgh is the cheapest place in the UK to go to university. The Heriot-Watt University comes out top with a price tag of £28,761 for three years. This is more than £30,000 cheaper than the most expensive university on the list.
Second cheapest is the University of Edinburgh, which would cost £31,210 for a degree while the University of St Andrews is third at £33,603.
|
Rank |
University |
Annual rent* |
Living cost for three years |
|
1 |
Edinburgh Heriot-Watt University |
£3,650.40 |
£28,761 |
|
2 |
University of Edinburgh |
£3,650.40 |
£31,210 |
|
3 |
University of St. Andrews |
£4,285.84 |
£33,603 |
|
4 |
University of Kent |
£4,484.48 |
£35,344 |
|
5 |
University of East Anglia |
£3,108.56 |
£41,604 |
|
6 |
University of Birmingham |
£3,095.56 |
£41,727 |
|
7 |
University of Warwick |
£3,226.60 |
£41,790 |
|
8 |
University of York |
£3,556.80 |
£42,793 |
|
9 |
University of Leicester |
£3,510 |
£43,139 |
|
10 |
University of Lancaster |
£3,801.72 |
£43,938 |
*per room of a four-bed house in the local area
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Living costs
Depending on where you go to study, your living costs will vary quite a bit.
[SPOTLIGHT]In London, for example, it would cost you £120 to get into the student union for a year while in Edinburgh the majority of these nights are free. Gym membership is another one where the cost at the most expensive universities is around £160 per year but £75 at the cheapest.
Tuition fees
Although you won’t have to pay back your tuition fees until after you graduate, it’s still a major factor. Nearly all UK universities have opted for the more expensive top-up charge of £9,000 a year which you can’t avoid paying.
However, Heriot Watt, the University of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Kent University have avoided adding on more and charge between £4,000 and £6,000 per year.
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