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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 an undergraduate in UCL self-catered halls, postgraduate in UCL self-catered halls and any student in privately-rented shared accommodation in London. Please note these amounts may change during the year due to factors such as inflation, and are based on a student whose living costs are at the lower end of the scale and do not include discretionary spending.
All costs other than rent, travel and mobile phone are guided by Save the Student's annual National Student Money Survey for 2021. Figures have been rounded up to the nearest pound. Other forms of transport such as the London Underground may be more expensive.
Undergraduate student in UCL self-catered halls
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 39 week academic year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average rent | £227 | £984 | £8,857 |
| Student bus pass (18+ Student monthly Oyster photocard) | £15 | £63 | £564 (9 monthly payments) |
| Food | £35 | £152 | £1,365 |
| Course materials | £4 | £18 | £156 |
| Mobile phone (SIM-only plan, unlimited calls and texts, 30GB data) | £2 | £8 | £72 (9 monthly payments) |
| Going out | £11 | £48 | £429 |
| Clothes, health, other | £18 | £78 | £702 |
| Total | £312 | £1,351 | £12,145 |
Postgraduate student in UCL self-catered halls
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 52 week academic year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average rent | £225 | £975 | £11,700 |
| Student bus pass (18+ Student monthly Oyster photocard) | £15 | £63 | £752 |
| Food | £35 | £152 | £1,820 |
| Course materials | £4 | £18 | £208 |
| Mobile phone (SIM-only plan, unlimited calls and texts, 30GB data) | £2 | £8 | £96 |
| Going out | £11 | £48 | £572 |
| Clothes, health, other | £18 | £78 | £936 |
| Total | £310 | £1,342 | £16,084 |
Undergraduate or Postgraduate student in shared privately-rented accommodation
| Costs | Per week | Per month | Per 52 week contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average rent | £174 | £750 | £9,000 |
| Household bills | £9 | £39 | £468 |
| Student bus pass (18+ Student monthly Oyster photocard) | £15 | £63 | £752 |
| Food | £35 | £152 | £1,820 |
| Course materials | £4 | £18 | £208 |
| Mobile phone (SIM-only plan, unlimited calls and texts, 30GB data) | £2 | £8 | £96 |
| Going out | £11 | £48 | £572 |
| Clothes, health, other | £18 | £78 | £936 |
| Total | £268 | £1,156 | £13,852 |
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.
Budgeting
The above estimations will give you a rough idea of how much coming to UCL may cost. However, it is also important to look at the funding you will have available to you and adapt your lifestyle to fit within that budget.
You will need to support yourself from your income which may include student loans, scholarships, support from family or earnings from a part-time job. It is important to choose accommodation and adapt your lifestyle to match the money that you have available to you.
Ideas on how to maximise your income and minimise your costs as a student can be found on this page.
In order to manage your money well at university, you will need to make a budget. This is a simple process of looking at how much money you have coming in and tracking how much money you are spending. If you're not sure where to start, there are some useful online resources that can help you:
- Money Saving Expert Student Budgeting Planner
- Save the Student's 'How to budget at university' including student budgeting spreadsheet
If you are struggling to make a budget or to keep you costs within your budget, our Student Funding Advisory team can help.
To find out more about how to cover the cost of tuition fees and living costs, see our Fund your studies pages.