Tuition fees
Source: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/graduate/funding-your-masters/tuition-fees Parent: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/graduate/funding-your-masters/paying-your-degree
Financial matters are a concern for all students and careful planning is important. You will have to pay tuition fees for your chosen course and will need money to cover your living expenses.
An overview of tuition fees
UCL’s tuition fees are set annually and cover registration, tuition and supervision for each academic year, or part of the academic year that you are enrolled. Tuition fees are subject to an annual increase of up to 5% annually (except for Overseas UG fees and all PG Taught fees which are now fixed at the rate at entry), which should be accounted for when you are applying for a course.
Fees are normally quoted at the full-time rate, except where the course is offered part-time or modular/flexible only. Fees for part-time or modular study are normally charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master’s fee taken in an academic session. Most fees are quoted in GBP, but some are in other currencies.
Research degrees
UCL’s tuition fees are set annually and cover registration, tuition and supervision for each academic year, or part of the academic year that you are enrolled. Tuition fees are subject to an annual increase of up to 5%, which should be accounted for when you are applying for a course.
Fees are normally quoted at the full-time rate, except where the course is offered part-time or modular/flexible only. Fees for part-time or modular study are normally charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master’s fee taken in an academic session. Most fees are quoted in UK Pounds but some are in other currencies.
Details about fees for individual programmes can be found on the specific course information pages.
Additional Fee Element (AFE)
Research courses at UCL may be subject to an Additional Fee Element (AFE). The AFE is applied to cover additional costs related to consumables, equipment and materials and other items (excluding student visas) which are not included in the composite tuition fee listed in the fees schedule and is, therefore, applied to a minority of courses.
As each PhD course is unique in its nature, the AFE is calculated on a student by student basis and is determined by the supervisor. The AFE is banded into four fixed amounts: £1,000, £2,500, £5,000 and £10,000, with one further band for variable sums over £10,000. Please contact your supervisor directly for advice on whether or not your programme will incur an AFE. Please note that you will be informed in your offer letter of any AFE you will be required to pay.
At some UK institutions the AFE may be referred to as bench fees.
Tuition fee classification
The level of tuition fee charged will also depend on whether you are classified as a UK or Overseas student. It is likely that you will already know into which category you will fall, but this will be confirmed if you are offered a place to study at UCL. Your fee classification plays no part in deciding whether or not to offer you a place to study at UCL.
Each student’s fee classification is determined in accordance with the 2007 Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations (SI No. 779) and subsequent amendments, and is based upon information that you have provided on your application.
Read more on student fees and funding
Paying your tuition fee
For full-time and part-time students your tuition fee will normally be quoted on your offer letter. For flexible/modular students, fees will be assessed according to the number of credits selected, therefore a fee will not be quoted on your offer letter.
You must pay at least 1/3 of your tuition fee before or at enrolment to be fully enrolled, or provide a letter of sponsorship indicating who should be invoiced for your fee.
Students can pay in three equal instalments; the first before or at enrolment, the second by 7 February and the third by 2 May. No charge is made for paying in instalments, and no more than three instalments are permitted. No discount is offered for paying in full at the start of your course.
Tuition fee deposits
UCL requires successful applicants to postgraduate taught courses to pay a tuition fee deposit.
For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee for those with a fee status classification of UK and 10% of the first year fee for those with a fee status classification of Overseas.
For flexible/modular offer holders a £350 deposit will be charged for those with a fee status classification of UK and £500 for those with a fee status classification of Overseas.
There is usually no fee deposit required for PG Dip and PG Cert applicants.
Payment of the deposit allows applicants to demonstrate their commitment to attending their chosen course of study at UCL and aids UCL in its student number planning. Once a successful applicant is enrolled on their course of study, the deposit will form part of the total tuition fee, as quoted on the offer of admission.
Please note that the required tuition fee deposit must be paid in full by the deadline specified in the offer of admission, which will usually be no earlier than 1 April for entry the following September.
Some courses will have earlier deadlines and you should consult your offer letter for the deadline which applies to you.
Please take time to read UCL’s tuition fee deposit policy. Payment of the tuition fee deposit (in full or in part) will be considered as acceptance of the terms detailed in the policy.
See all courses that do not require a tuition fee deposit
Fee deposit FAQs
Find out all you need to know about tuition fee deposits for postgraduate study with our frequently asked questions.
Tuition fee deposits policy
Find out all you need to know about our tuition fee deposits policy for 2026 entry.
Read our tuition fee deposits policy:
tuition_fee_deposits_policy_2026_entry.pdf
A note for EU students
The UK has now formally left the EU. Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland who start their programme of study in 2021 or later will no longer be eligible for the UK (Home) fee status and will pay fees at the Overseas rate.
Government statement on student fees