The cheapest and most expensive universities in the UK


Updated on 10 January 2014 | 3 Comments

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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More on students:

Students: how to find bursaries, grants, and scholarships

The financial advantages of being a student

Is a £3,000 student overdraft a good idea?

Student pods: a good investment for buy-to-let landlords?

How should students insure their possessions?

Money saving tips for students

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