How much are university tuition fees in the UK?
In England, the maximum Tuition Fee Loan for a full-time course is £9,535 for 2025/26 and £9,790 for 2026/27, according to GOV.UK student finance. Universities set the fee itself, within the cap set by government, and the loan is paid straight to them. Accelerated degrees have a higher cap.
The rules differ across the UK. Scottish students studying in Scotland have their tuition paid through the Student Awards Agency Scotland, while Wales and Northern Ireland have their own fee limits and student finance bodies.
International students pay fees set by each university, with no government cap. When comparing fees over time, adjust for inflation and check whether a claim refers to the fee charged or the loan available.
When is the next figure out?
HESA publishes its main student statistics early in the calendar year after the academic year ends, with finance data later. The Student Loans Company publishes its England release in June and separate releases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. DfE releases on Explore Education Statistics go live at 9:30am and are pre-announced on the GOV.UK statistics calendar; student loan forecasts appear in the summer and apprenticeship figures several times a year. Home Office study visa figures are quarterly.
Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.
Where the figures come from
- Higher education and student finance statistics (HESA, Student Loans Company, Office for Students and DfE)Official figures on UK student numbers, international students, student loan debt, graduate earnings, university finances and apprenticeships.
- Home Office statistics (immigration, borders and policing)Find Home Office figures on small boat arrivals, asylum, hotels, visas, returns, detention, police numbers and stop and search, and how to read them.
Related questions
- How much student loan debt is there in the UK?
- What is the financial position of UK universities?
- How many international students are in the UK?
This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about universities and student finance: all Universities and student finance questions.