When a student asks us what an MSc in the UK costs, the honest answer is two numbers. There is the figure on the university page, and there is the figure that leaves your family account by the end of month one. The gap between them is where most budgets break.
The bill nobody itemises
Here is the full set of line items for a one-year taught MSc in London, paid by a Transitley student in the 2025-26 intake. We have rounded to whole pounds.
- Tuition: GBP 27,000 (paid in two instalments).
- Immigration Health Surcharge: GBP 1,552 for a 16-month visa, paid upfront.
- Visa application fee: GBP 524.
- Biometrics and priority service: GBP 500.
- Accommodation deposit plus first month: GBP 2,400.
- Flights, one way, with luggage: GBP 550.
The university quotes you tuition. The Home Office, your landlord and the airline quote you the rest, and they all want paying before your first lecture.
The costs that ambush you
Tuition is predictable. These are the ones that surprise students because no agency lists them on a brochure.
- Upfront IHS. You pay the full health surcharge for the whole visa length on day one, not monthly.
- Maintenance proof. You must show roughly GBP 1,334 per month of living costs in your account for 28 days before you apply.
- Double rent. Many students pay a deposit at home and a first month on arrival before any maintenance loan or stipend lands.
What happens after you budget
Build the full-year number, not the tuition number, before you accept an offer. If you would like our London cost template with the current IHS and maintenance figures, drop us a message and we will send it within a day.