Which Top UK Universities Have the Cheapest Postgraduate Fees for International Students?

If you want to study in the UK at postgraduate level, it’s an unfortunate fact that fees are high – even more so for international students. We recently looked at the UK universities with the cheapest international undergraduate fees here, so here we’ll run through the postgraduate version, also based on the results of the Reddin Survey of University Tuition Fees 2017/18, conducted by The Complete University Guide. All fees are for overseas students starting a taught, classroom-based postgraduate degree in 2017.

1. Royal Veterinary College (RVC)

Annual international postgraduate tuition fees: £8,925 (~US$12,030)

If you’re looking to study veterinary science or a similar subject at the lowest possible cost, the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) could be ideal, being the cheapest of these UK universities for international students at postgraduate level. RVC’s fees are nearly £800 cheaper than the second-placed university – the largest gap between all the UK universities in this list. RVC is a constituent college of the University of London, and is the largest and oldest veterinary school in the country. It has two campuses, an urban one in Camden, London, and a rural one in Hertfordshire, giving students the best of both worlds. RVC’s postgraduate degrees include a range of taught master’s degrees in subjects such as One Health (Infectious Diseases), Veterinary Epidemiology, Wild Animal Biology, Wild Animal Health and Livestock Health and Production.

2. University of Chester

Annual international tuition fees: £9,700 (~US$13,070)

Also featuring in our list of the most affordable UK universities for international undergraduates, the University of Chester offers the cheapest tuition fees for international students of any non-specialized university. The university was originally founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839, and didn’t gain university status until 2005. Today, it has around 19,850 students from over 130 countries, including more than 4,000 postgraduate students. All students are automatically considered for the university’s scholarships when applying, meaning you may be able to enjoy even cheaper fees.

3. University of Bedfordshire

Annual international tuition fees: £9,900 (~US$13,300)

Also offering postgraduate degrees for less than £10,000 a year, the University of Bedfordshire was established in its current form in 2006. The university has six campuses, with the Luton and Bedford campuses the largest. Despite its name, it also has campuses in the neighboring county of Buckinghamshire.

4. York St John University

Annual international tuition fees: £10,000 (~US$13,450)

Next in our list of the cheapest UK universities for international students at postgraduate level is York St John University, which like Chester has its roots in a diocesan college in the 19^th century, not gaining university status until 2006. York itself is a popular, lively and historic student city, hosting around 20,000 students.

5. University of Suffolk

Annual international tuition fees: £10,080 (~US$13,530)

The University of Suffolk, home to 5,000 students, is one of the youngest of these UK universities, having only opened its doors in 2007. Its main campus is in the county town of Ipswich, but the university also has sites in Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and Bury St. Edmunds.   

6. University of the Highlands and Islands

Annual international tuition fees: £10,300 (~US$13,840)

The next institution in our list of the cheapest UK universities for international students is the University of the Highlands and Islands, which has a growing range of postgraduate courses, many of which take advantage of the unique environment, landscape and culture of the university’s location. The university has 13 colleges and 8,400 students, and also offers distance learning programs.

7. Newman University

Annual international tuition fees: £10,400 (~US$14,000)

One of the smallest UK universities with only around 2,800 students, Newman University is located in the Bartley Green area of Birmingham and is also one of the UK’s only catholic universities. It has some of the lowest postgraduate tuition fees around and welcomes staff and students of all religions and backgrounds. Newman has also boasted high graduate employment rates in recent years.

8. University of Cumbria

Annual international tuition fees: £10,500 (~US$14,100)

Also offering lower international tuition fees than most other UK universities, the University of Cumbria has around 8,800 students and has its main campus in Carlisle, northwest England. Founded in 2007 by a merger, the university also has locations in Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow-in-Furness, Workington and London.

9. University of Chichester

Annual international tuition fees: £10,620 (~US$14,300)

Another of the cheapest UK universities for international postgraduate students is the University of Chichester, which has its main campus in the small city of Chichester, West Sussex. There is also a campus in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, and both locations have been redeveloped with new and improved facilities in recent years.

10. Wrexham Glyndŵr University

Annual international tuition fees: £10,750 (~US$14,440)

The only Welsh university in this list, Wrexham Glyndŵr University was also featured as one of the top cheapest UK universities at undergraduate level. Another young university (founded in 2008), it has around 6,660 students, with 20% of its 650 postgraduate students coming from outside the UK.

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