Dhiraj Kandel
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Quick answer
The essentials at a glance
You can work out the total cost to study in the UK from Nepal once you know your level, course and university. Tuition differs a lot between them. For most Nepali students, a 1-year master's outside London costs about £29,500 to £33,500 in the first year, which is about Rs 59 to 67 lakh. That covers tuition of about £17,000 to £21,000, 9 months of living money, and the visa fee with the health surcharge. A bachelor's costs about Rs 63 lakh in its first year and about Rs 1.8 crore in total, and London adds about Rs 7 lakh a year.
Key takeaways
Main points from this page
- International tuition usually runs from about £17,000 a year at modern universities to £35,000 or more at big research universities.
- A 1-year master's outside London usually costs about £29,500 to £33,500 in the first year, or about Rs 59 to 67 lakh.
- From 30 November 2026, UKVI's living rate is £1,203 a month outside London and £1,570 in London, so 9 months is £10,827 or £14,130.
- The £558 visa fee and the £776-a-year health surcharge add about £1,722 for a 1-year master's and £3,274 for a 3-year course.
- Part-time work of up to 20 hours a week at £12.71 an hour helps with living costs but cannot pay your tuition.
How Much Does a Year of Study in the UK Cost?
For most Nepali students, a year in the UK costs about £29,000 to £50,000 in all, which is about Rs 58 lakh to 1 crore.
The cost of studying in the UK is made of three parts, and it helps to plan each one on its own. Tuition is the biggest part, and it depends on your level, your subject and your university. Living costs depend mostly on whether you study in London or in another city. The visa fee and the health surcharge are fixed amounts that you pay once, when you apply from Nepal.
So the same student can pay very different totals. A 1-year master’s at a modern university outside London sits at the lower end, while a bachelor’s at a big research university sits at the top. This page shows the tuition for each level, the first-year total for the most common choices and how Nepali families usually pay for it. For visas, intakes and courses in one place, start with our guide to study in UK from Nepal.
Here is what goes into your budget for the first year:
- Tuition fees: about £17,000 to £36,000 a year, set by your university and course
- Living costs: rent, food, transport and phone, about £10,800 to £14,100 for the 9 months UKVI counts
- Visa costs: the £558 visa fee and the health surcharge, paid in Nepal before you fly
- One-off costs: the TB test, an English test, your flight and the first month’s rent
How Much Are UK University Fees by Level?
UK university fees for international students usually start at about £17,000 a year for a bachelor’s or master’s and go above £35,000 at big research universities.
Every UK university sets its own international fee, so the only exact figure is the one on your course page and in your offer letter. Still, fees fall into clear bands, and knowing them helps you shortlist before you apply. The table shows typical yearly fees from the universities’ own fee pages, with rupees at about Rs 200 to the pound.
| Level | Typical tuition a year | In Rs (about) | Example from an official fee page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation year (after +2) | £12,000 to £18,000 | Rs 24 to 36 lakh | Hertfordshire International College £16,995 for 2 semesters |
| Bachelor’s degree | £17,000 to £36,000 | Rs 34 to 72 lakh | University of Hertfordshire £17,450; University of Manchester £35,300 |
| Pre-master’s | £12,000 to £16,600 | Rs 24 to 33 lakh | Hertfordshire International College £11,995 to £16,595 |
| Master’s degree (1 year) | £17,000 to £35,000 | Rs 34 to 70 lakh | University of Manchester MSc Management £34,800 |
| MBA | £20,800 to £51,500 | Rs 42 lakh to 1 crore | University of Greenwich MBA Global £20,800 |
| PhD | about £16,000 to £19,000 | Rs 32 to 38 lakh | University of Hertfordshire PhD £18,120 |
Rupee amounts on this page are rounded, because the exchange rate moves every day. Check today’s value of your fee with our GBP to Rs forex converter before you pay.
Bachelor's Degree Fees
A bachelor’s usually takes 3 years, or 4 years in Scotland. At many modern universities the fee is about £17,000 to £20,000 a year. The University of Hertfordshire charges £17,450, and the University of Greenwich asks £17,975 for business. Big research universities cost about twice as much. The University of Manchester lists £35,300 a year for its management degree. You can also get £1,000 off at Hertfordshire if you pay the whole year at once.
Master's and MBA Fees
Most taught master’s in the UK last just 12 months, so you pay one year of tuition for the whole degree. Modern universities usually charge about £17,000 to £25,000, while the University of Manchester MSc Management costs £34,800. An MBA ranges from £20,800 for the Greenwich MBA Global to £51,500 for the Manchester full-time MBA, which also asks for work experience. Read more in our guide to master’s degrees in the UK.
Foundation, Pre-Master's and PhD Fees
If your +2 results are below a university’s entry level, a foundation year leads you into the first year of a bachelor’s. At Hertfordshire International College it costs £16,995 or £17,795 for two semesters, and a pre-master’s costs £11,995 to £16,595. Remember that a foundation year adds a full year of living costs too. A PhD usually costs about £16,000 to £19,000 a year in tuition, and many PhD places come with funding.
Why Do Fees Differ Between UK Universities?
Fees differ because each university sets its own price, and your subject, the type of university and the length of your course all change it.
Two Nepali students on the same flight can pay very different fees for courses with almost the same name. A business degree at a modern university can cost half of what the same subject costs at a big research university. Lab-based courses such as engineering, science and health usually sit in a higher fee band than business, law or humanities, even within one university.
Fees also rise. Hertfordshire’s standard bachelor’s fee went from £15,965 to £17,450 in one year, and some universities raise fees each year of a longer course. So plan for a small rise in year 2 and year 3 of a bachelor’s. If you want a list of lower-fee options, see our cheapest universities in the UK guide. These are the main things that move your fee up or down:
- Your subject: lab, studio and clinical courses cost more than business or humanities
- The type of university: big research universities charge the most
- Course length: a 12-month master’s costs one year of fees, a Scottish bachelor’s four
- A placement year: many universities charge a much smaller fee for it
- Discounts: early payment, full payment or a merit scholarship can take £1,000 or more off
How Much Does a Whole Degree Cost?
A 1-year master’s outside London costs about Rs 59 to 67 lakh in total, while a 3-year bachelor’s costs about Rs 1.8 crore.
This is why most Nepali students go to the UK for a master’s after their bachelor’s in Nepal. You pay one year of tuition, one year of living costs and one visa, and you finish in 12 months. A bachelor’s is three years of everything, so the total is about three times higher, and a foundation year adds a fourth year.
For a 3-year bachelor’s at a fee near £17,450, tuition alone is about £52,000 before any rises. Add about £10,800 a year for living outside London and £3,274 for the visa fee and health surcharge, and the total comes to about £88,000. After you finish, the UK Graduate route visa costs extra if you want to stay and work. These are the usual whole-course totals outside London:
- 1-year master’s at a modern university: about £29,500 to £33,500, or Rs 59 to 67 lakh
- 1-year master’s at a big research university: about £47,000, or Rs 95 lakh
- Foundation year and a 3-year bachelor’s: about £117,000, or Rs 2.3 crore
- 3-year bachelor’s at a modern university: about £88,000, or Rs 1.8 crore
- 4-year bachelor’s in Scotland: one more year of tuition and living costs
What Do You Pay in Nepal Before You Fly?
Before you leave Nepal you usually pay a tuition deposit, the visa fee and health surcharge, the TB test, an English test and your flight.
These payments come in a set order, and it helps to have the money ready before each step. Most universities ask for a deposit before they issue your CAS; Manchester, for example, asks master’s students for £2,500, and many modern universities ask for more. The deposit is part of your tuition, not an extra cost. Our CAS letter UK guide explains how deposits work.
The visa fee is £558, and the health surcharge is paid for the whole visa at once, so a 1-year master’s pays about £1,722 in total. The UK student visa fee page shows the amount for every course length. Separate from these payments, your family also keeps the living money in the bank for 28 days. Plan for these items:
- Tuition deposit, or the first half of the year’s fee, to get your CAS
- Visa fee of £558 and the health surcharge of £776 a year
- TB test at an approved clinic in Nepal; see our medical exams and TB tests guide
- An English test if your university asks for one; see the minimum IELTS and PTE scores for the UK
- Your flight and the first month’s rent and deposit for your room
How Do You Pay UK Tuition Fees from Nepal?
You pay UK tuition from Nepal by bank transfer to the university, after you get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Education.
Nepali banks need the NOC before they send foreign currency for your studies, so apply for it as soon as you have your offer letter. Our guide to the NOC in Nepal lists the documents and steps. The bank then sends the fee to the university’s account in pounds, and you keep the receipt, because the university uses it to confirm your payment.
Most universities let you pay in two or three instalments, with the first one before enrolment. Some give a discount if you pay the whole year at once, so ask your university before you decide. Any tuition you have already paid is shown on your CAS, and then you show only the unpaid part of the first-year fee for the visa. Bank letters and the NOC often carry Bikram Sambat dates, so check them with our Nepali date converter before you send them to the university.
How Do Nepali Families Pay for UK Study?
Most Nepali families use savings, an education loan and a scholarship or discount, and part-time work helps with living costs.
Very few families pay the whole cost from savings alone. The usual plan is to pay the first-year tuition and the visa money with savings and a loan. Part-time work then helps with day-to-day spending in the UK. Here is how each source fits in.
Family savings and income
Savings, fixed deposits and family income are the base of most budgets. For the visa, the money must stay in the account for 28 days in a row, as the GOV.UK money rules explain. Our bank balance certificate guide shows the letter you need.
Education loan
Many Nepali banks give education loans, usually against land or a house as collateral. A loan letter can count as funds for the visa. Read our education loan process in Nepal guide before you apply.
Scholarships and discounts
Most awards for Nepali students are university scholarships of £1,000 to a few thousand pounds, based on your grades. Check your +2 or bachelor’s grade with the NEB GPA calculator and see the scholarships in the UK page.
Part-time work in the UK
At degree level you can work up to 20 hours a week in term time, as the GOV.UK work rules say. At the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour, that is up to about £254 a week before tax. See our part-time jobs in the UK guide.
Total Cost to Study in the UK from Nepal for Your First Year
The total cost to study in the UK from Nepal for year one is about Rs 59 to 74 lakh for most master’s students.
The table adds tuition, the 9 months of living money UKVI counts, and the visa fee with the health surcharge. Living money uses the UK Student visa rates for applications made from 30 November 2026. These are £1,203 a month outside London and £1,570 in London. Applications made before 30 November use £1,171 and £1,529. The UK living cost page explains these. Your flight, TB test and English test come on top.
| Your plan | Tuition | Living (9 months) | Visa fee + IHS | First-year total | In Rs (about) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year master’s, outside London | £17,000 to £21,000 | £10,827 | £1,722 | £29,500 to £33,500 | Rs 59 to 67 lakh |
| 1-year master’s, London | £18,000 to £21,000 | £14,130 | £1,722 | £33,900 to £36,900 | Rs 68 to 74 lakh |
| Bachelor’s year 1, modern university | £17,450 | £10,827 | £3,274 | £31,600 | Rs 63 lakh |
| Bachelor’s year 1, big research university | £35,300 | £10,827 | £3,274 | £49,400 | Rs 99 lakh |
| Foundation year, outside London | £16,995 | £10,827 | £1,334 | £29,200 | Rs 58 lakh |
A bachelor’s student pays the visa costs for all 3 years at the start, which is why that column is higher. A 12-month course means about three more months of living costs on top. Keep about 10 to 15 percent extra on top, because the rupee can fall against the pound between your offer and your fee payment.
How Can You Lower the Cost of Studying in the UK?
You can lower the cost by choosing a 1-year master’s or a lower-fee university outside London, applying early for scholarships and paying on time.
The biggest saving comes from the choices you make before you apply. Studying outside London saves about £3,300 over the 9 months UKVI counts, about Rs 6.6 lakh. A modern university in place of a big research one can save more than £15,000 a year in fees. Compare options on our list of universities in the UK for international students.
Timing matters too. Scholarships and early payment discounts often close well before the course starts. So check the dates for your UK intakes early. A visa refusal also costs money, because you pay the visa fee again. So apply once, with a complete file that meets the UK student visa requirements.
You can get advice wherever you live in Nepal, from Dhangadhi to Jhapa, and our branches are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara. Talk to a Goreto counselor to work out your own first-year budget from your offer letter.
FAQs on the Cost to Study in the UK
For most Nepali students, one year costs about £29,000 to £50,000, or about Rs 58 lakh to 1 crore. That covers tuition, 9 months of living money and the visa fee with the health surcharge. A master’s outside London is at the lower end.
A one-year master’s usually costs about £17,000 to £25,000 in tuition at a modern university and up to about £35,000 at a big research university. With living costs and the visa, the first year outside London comes to about Rs 59 to 67 lakh.
For most students it is a 1-year master’s at a modern university outside London, after a bachelor’s in Nepal. You pay one year of fees and living costs, and university scholarships can lower the fee a little more.
Rs 50 lakh covers the tuition of most 1-year master’s courses, but not tuition and a full year of living costs together. Most students also need about Rs 22 lakh for 9 months of living outside London, so families usually add an education loan or a scholarship.
For applications from 30 November 2026, you show your unpaid first-year tuition plus £1,203 a month outside London, or £1,570 in London, for up to 9 months. Applications made before then use £1,171 and £1,529. The money must stay in the account for 28 days in a row.
Often, yes. Universities review their fees every year, and some raise them in each year of a longer course. At Hertfordshire the standard international bachelor’s fee rose from £15,965 to £17,450 in one year.
Most universities let you pay in two or three instalments after the deposit. Your offer letter and the university’s fee page show the dates. Paying the whole year at once can earn a discount at some universities.
No. Work of up to 20 hours a week in term time helps with food, transport and phone bills, but it cannot pay your tuition. UKVI also does not count future earnings as funds for your visa.
Tuition is about the same, but living costs are higher. UKVI uses £1,570 a month for London against £1,203 outside London, which is about £3,300 more over 9 months.
The yearly fee is similar, but a Scottish bachelor’s usually lasts 4 years instead of 3. That means one more year of tuition and living costs. A master’s in Scotland usually still lasts 1 year.
Sources
Reference links
Disclaimer
Important guidance note
This page provides general guidance about studying abroad. Requirements, fees and policies can change. For advice about your situation, speak with a Goreto counselor before applying.
