Reviewed by Mustafa Bilgic
Founder, WebCalculator
Tuition fee cap (£9,535) per gov.uk/student-finance. Maintenance loan and interest rates are illustrative — check SLC for the latest year's figures. Not financial advice.
This university cost calculator estimates the total cost of a UK degree — tuition fees, maintenance loans and interest — so you can see your projected debt at graduation. Enter your course length, tuition fee and expected maintenance loan to model the full picture before you start.
Tuition + maintenance + interest
The cost of a UK degree has two main components: tuition fees paid to the university, and living costs covered partly by a maintenance loan. Both accrue interest from the moment they are paid out by the Student Loans Company, meaning the debt grows during your studies even before repayments start.
English universities can charge up to £9,535 per year from September 2025 — the first increase since the £9,250 cap was set in 2017. Most Russell Group and mid-tier universities charge the maximum. Some specialist or private institutions charge more but fall outside the SLC loan system.
| Component | Per year | 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee | £9,535 | £28,605 |
| Maintenance loan (max, away from home, outside London) | £10,227 | £30,681 |
| Total borrowed | £19,762 | £59,286 |
| Estimated interest during study | Varies | ~£4,000–£6,000 |
Maintenance loan figures are for 2025/26 (latest published). The exact 2026/27 maintenance amounts will be announced by the Student Loans Company. Source: gov.uk/student-finance.
Students starting from September 2023 onwards are on Plan 5. Interest is charged at the prevailing RPI rate only — there is no additional margin during study, unlike the older Plan 2 which added up to 3% on top of RPI. The RPI rate changes each September based on the previous March's figure.
Interest begins accruing from the date each instalment is disbursed, not from graduation. Because tuition fees are paid in three termly instalments and maintenance is paid at the start of each term, the first term's loan accrues the most interest over the full course.
Repayments start the April after you leave your course. For Plan 5, you repay 9% of income above £25,000 per year (about £2,083/month). On a graduate salary of £30,000 that is 9% of £5,000 = £450/year or £37.50/month. The loan is written off after 40 years if not fully repaid.
Crucially, if your income drops below the threshold (for example during a career break), repayments stop automatically. Student loan repayments are not like commercial debt — they function more like a graduate tax with a 40-year time limit.
Scholarships and bursaries. Many universities offer merit or means-tested awards that reduce the headline cost. Check each university's financial support page during your UCAS application.
Living at home. The maintenance loan for students living at home is lower, but so are your actual costs. Avoiding rent is the single largest saving available — it can reduce total borrowing by £15,000 or more over three years.
Placement year earnings. On a sandwich course, the placement year typically has reduced or no tuition fees and you earn a salary. This can offset a significant portion of total costs, and the work experience boosts graduate earnings.
Once you graduate, the student loan repayment calculator shows your monthly repayments based on salary. The take-home pay calculator includes student loan deductions alongside tax and NI. For saving towards university costs, try the savings goal calculator.
Maximum tuition fees for English universities rose to £9,535 per year from September 2025. A standard three-year degree therefore costs up to £28,605 in tuition alone. Adding maintenance loan borrowing, total debt at graduation typically reaches £45,000 to £60,000 depending on household income and where you study.
The maximum maintenance loan for 2025/26 starters studying away from home outside London is £10,227 per year. Rates are household income-assessed — students from higher-income families receive less. The exact 2026/27 figures depend on annual SLC announcements. Enter your expected amount in the calculator above.
Plan 5 student loans (for students starting from September 2023 onwards) charge interest at RPI only, with no additional margin during study. Plan 2 loans (2012-2023 starters) charged RPI plus up to 3% during study and a graduated rate after. The exact RPI rate changes annually.
Plan 5 repayments begin the April after you leave university, once you earn above the threshold of £25,000 per year. You repay 9% of income above this threshold. The loan is written off after 40 years if not fully repaid. Plan 2 loans have a threshold of £29,385 and are written off after 30 years.
No. Government estimates suggest the majority of graduates on Plan 2 will not fully repay before the loan is written off after 30 years. Plan 5 extends the write-off to 40 years but lowers the interest rate and threshold, meaning more graduates may repay in full. It depends entirely on career earnings.
For most students, taking the tuition fee loan is financially rational because repayments are income-contingent and the debt is written off after 30 or 40 years. Paying upfront only saves money if you expect to earn well above the repayment threshold for enough years to repay the full loan plus interest. Use the calculator to model both scenarios.
Yes. Scottish-domiciled students studying in Scotland pay no tuition fees — the Scottish Government covers them via SAAS. Welsh-domiciled students receive a more generous maintenance grant and can study anywhere in the UK with tuition fee loans up to the cap. Northern Ireland students pay a lower fee cap at local universities.
Yes. Postgraduate master's loans are separate, up to £12,471 for 2025/26, with repayments at 6% of income above £21,000 per year. These repayments run alongside undergraduate loan repayments, so your total monthly deduction can be 9% plus 6% of income above the respective thresholds.