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Resources to help you calculate the cost of coming to UCL
When calculating the cost of study there are two elements to consider - tuition fees and living costs.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees will vary from programme to programme, and depend on your fee status. Check the Undergraduate Prospectus, Graduate Taught Prospectus, Graduate Research Prospectus or the Fees Schedules for information on what your fees may be for any particular programme.
Additional Course Costs
Some degree programmes may involve additional costs that are not covered by the tuition fee. This could include specialist equipment, artists' materials, books or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
Contact the department in which you are interested to find out more about potential additional costs.
Living Costs
'Average living costs' can be difficult to predict, as every student will have different priorities and lifestyle choices. We have provided some guide amounts below for some of the types of essential living costs you will need to cover.
Accommodation
Undergraduate student in UCL self-catered halls
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 39 week academic year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent* | £207 | £897 | £8,073 |
Postgraduate student in UCL self-catered halls
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 52 week academic year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent* | £250 | £1,083 | £13,000 |
Undergraduate or Postgraduate student in shared privately-rented accommodation
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 52 week contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent* | £174 | £754 | £9,048 |
| Household bills** | £10 | £43 | £520 |
Other essential costs
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 39 week academic year | Per 52 week academic year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food** | £39 | £468 | £1,521 | £2,028 |
| Course materials** | £5 | £21 | £195 | £260 |
| Mobile phone (SIM-only plan, unlimited calls and texts, 30GB data) | £2 | £9 | £78 | £104 |
| Health and wellbeing** | £17 | £74 | £663 | £884 |
| Student bus pass (18+ Student monthly Oyster photocard) | £14 | £63 | £564 | £751 |
| Total | £77 | £635 | £3,021 | £4,027 |
*Rents are based on the most common room rate for UCL accommodation figures and information from www.spareroom.co.uk
** Based on the Save the Student survey for 2021 and uprated by 10% to reflect the current rate of inflation
Please note the above amounts may increase throughout the year if inflation rates rise further.
Discretionary costs and budgeting
The above estimations will give you a rough idea of how much you may have to spend on your essential costs. Most students will have additional discretionary expenses to consider such as subscriptions, costs associated with going out and socialising, clothing and so on. It is highly recommended that you look at the funding you will have available to you and adapt your lifestyle to fit within that budget.
Further information about how to create a budget, ideas for increasing your income, and suggestions about how to save money on your expenses is available on our Manage your money pages.
International Students
As an international student there are some additional costs you will need to consider when coming to study in the UK.
If you need to arrange a Student Visa, there are costs associated with this. These include the fee for the visa, the healthcare surcharge, and the financial evidence needed as part of your visa application.
More information on arranging a student visa is available on the Student Visas page and the Applying from outside the UK page.
You should also consider your travel costs, and if you will need to purchase items you are unable to bring with you, for example bedding. Further advice is available on the International Students page.
Student Parents
Students with dependents will have additional costs to consider, depending on their circumstances. For more information on UCL support available please read the Student Support and Wellbeing team’s pages for Student Parents.
Support from UCL
To find out more about how to cover the cost of tuition fees and living costs, see our Fund your studies pages.
Information about additional financial support for current students is on our Financial Support from UCL pages.