Affordable Colleges in UK: Tuition Fees & Living Expenses

Content Curator | Updated On - Nov 21, 2024

UK is one of the most expensive study abroad destinations with annual tuition fees ranging between £25,000 to £68,000 (₹27.28 - ₹74.20 lakhs) for Indian students. However, there are several cheap universities in UK with tuition fee typically below £20,000 (21.37 lakhs) per annum for both UG and PG courses.

You can expect to pay annual tuition fee around £3,492 -£18,500 (₹3.81 - ₹20.18 lakhs) for UG and £7,430 to £20,750 (₹8.1 lakhs - ₹22.64 lakhs) for PG across cheap universities in UK.
Some of the cheapest universities in UK for Indian students include The Open University, York St John University, Amity University, University of Derby and University of Chester.

Cheap Universities in UK

Also Check:

Cheapest Universities in London for International Students	Cheapest Universities in UK for MBA

Table of Contents

Top 20 Affordable Colleges in UK
Top 5 Affordable Colleges in UK
Cost of Living in the UK

15 Cheap Universities in UK for Indian Students

Given below are the top 15 cheapest universities in UK for international students with annual tuition fee for UG and PG programs:

University	Annual Tuition Fee for UG (GBP)	Annual Tuition Fees for PG (GBP)
The Open University	£3,492	£7,430 - £17,500
York St John University	£12,100 - £14,700	£11,300 - £18,400
Amity University	£12,500	£12,000 - £17,000
University of Derby	£14,045 - £14,900	£14,900 - £19,950
University of Chester	£14,450	£15,000 - £19,132
Liverpool Hope University	£14,500	£15,000 - £17,000
University East London	£14,580 - £14,820	£14,580 - £18,060
University of Highlands and Islands	£14,988 - £15,996	£14,400 - £16,281
Abertay University	£15,500	£13,750 - £17,000
University of Hertfordshire	£15,500	£16,450 - £18,950
Bath Spa University	£15,750 - £17,585	£15,905 - £17,760
University of Brighton	£15,900 - £16,900	£14,900 - £15,900
University of Winchester	£16,700	£17,450
University College Birmingham	£16,000 - £18,500	£17,000 - £20,750
University of Gloucestershire	£16,600	£12,775 - £17,100

Note: 1 GBP = 106.88 INR as of November 21, 2024

Top 5 Cheapest Universities in UK

Learn more details about the top 5 affordable colleges in the UK:

The Open University

The Open University is a public research institute which offers 137 undergraduate degree and 69 diplomas, and more than 180 postgraduate taught and research based degrees. Course at The Open University are available in distance learning, part-time and full-time mode of delivery. The Open University is the cheapest college in the UK with an annual tuition fee of £3,492 (₹3.81 lakhs) for UG courses and between £7,430 - £17,500 (₹8.11 - ₹19.10 lakhs) for PG.

York St John University

York St John University is one of the top 25 universities in UK for teaching quality according to The Times and Sunday Times. It was recently awarded University of the Year in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024. Here you can choose from 89 undergraduate and 64 postgraduate level courses in areas like business management, computer science, law, public health, psychology etc. The annual tuition fee at York St John University ranges between £12,100 - £14,700 (₹13.20 lakhs - ₹16.04 lakhs) for UG programs and £11,300 - £18,400 (₹12.33 lakhs - ₹20 lakhs).

Amity University

Amity University is situated in the Bedfordshire Square of London. It is one of the members of Amity Education Group, which is one leading higher education network in India. The university offers BA business management in 5 disciplines and multiple MBA programs in specializations such as entrepreneurship, finance & banking, marketing & public relations and international along with an EMBA and top-up MBA. You can expect to pay around £12,000 - £17,000 (₹13.09 lakhs - ₹18.55 lakhs) for an MBA and £12,500 (₹13.64 lakhs) for a BA business management degree.

University of Derby

University of Derby is one of the top 5 universities in the UK for employability according to Uni Compare Annual Student Rankings 2025. Around 96% of graduates from University of Derby secure employment or pursue higher studies after graduation. University of Derby charges a tuition fee between £14,045 to £14,900 (₹15.01 lakhs - ₹15.92 lakhs) for UG and £14,900 - £19,950 GBP (₹15.90 lakhs - ₹21.30 lakhs) annually for PG from international students.

University of Chester

University of Chester has been ranked #2nd in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2024. Here you can choose from nearly 250 undergraduate and more than 130 postgraduate level courses in disciplines like business and management, engineering, education, public health, law etc. Indian students can expect to pay £14,450 GBP (₹15.76 lakhs) for undergraduate courses and between £15,000 - £19,132 (₹16.36 - ₹20.87 lakhs) for postgraduate courses at University of Chester.

Cost of Living in UK

To study in one of the cheap colleges in UK, you must budget between £23,448 - £36,156 (₹25.58 lakhs - ₹39.44 lakhs) for annual cost of living. However, those planning to study in London must maintain a budget around £58,884 (₹64.24 lakhs) per annum due to expensive student housing and other daily expenses.

Apartment Rent in UK

Tabulated below are the apartment types and weekly rent for in campus housing across some of the cheapest universities in UK:

Colleges	Types of On-Campus Housing	Weekly Rent (GBP)	Accommodation Rent Per Week (INR)
University of Winchester	Flats, Ensuite, Shared Rooms,	£90 - £202	₹9,825 - ₹22,053
York St John University	Flats, Ensuite	£125 - £190	₹13,646 - ₹20,743
University of Derby	En Suite, Studios, Single and Double Bedroom Flats, Standard Rooms	£115 - £201	₹12,555 - ₹21,944
University Chester	En Suite, Flats, Double Rooms	£110- £194	₹12,009 - ₹21,179
Liverpool Hope University	Ensuite, Shared Flats	£80 - £126	₹8,733 - ₹13,756
University East London	Studio, Flats, Standard Rooms,	£196 - £224	₹21,398 - ₹24,455
University of Highlands and Islands	Flat, House	£111 - £143	₹24,455 - ₹15,612
Abertay University	Deluxe, En Suite, Standard Room, Large Room	£129 - £202	₹25,000 - ₹22,053

Monthly Cost of Living in UK

Given below are the monthly cost of living in UK across top cities which one can expect while studying in Affordable Colleges:

Cost of Living in UK By Cities

Studying in one of the affordable universities in the UK is a good option for Indian students as it will help them reduce their educational as well as living expenses. Apart from affordable tuition fees, these colleges also provide cheap accommodations for international students.

FAQs

Ques. Can I study in the UK under 10 lakhs?

Ans. You can study under 10 lakhs at The Open University with a tuition fee of £3,492 GBP (₹3.81 lakhs) for all UG level courses. Master's degree courses in the following disciplines are available for Indian students under ₹10 lakhs:

English literature
History
Computing
Psychology
Cybersecurity

Ques. What is the annual tuition fee range in affordable universities in UK?

Ans. For affordable universities in the UK, undergraduate tuition fees range from approximately £3,492 - £18,500 (₹3.81 - ₹20.18 lakhs), while postgraduate fees are generally between £7,430 to £20,750 (₹8.1 - ₹22.64 lakhs).

Ques. Which are the most affordable universities in the UK for Indian students?

Ans. Some of the most affordable universities in the UK for Indian students include The Open University, York St John University, Amity University, University of Derby, and University of Chester. These universities offer tuition fees significantly lower than the national average for international students.

Ques. How much is the average living cost in UK for Indian students?

Ans. Indian students should expect an annual cost of living between £23,448 - £36,156 (₹25.58 - ₹39.44 lakhs). However, students in London should budget closer to £58,884 (₹64.24 lakhs) due to higher housing and daily expenses.

Ques. What is the estimated weekly on-campus housing rent at the affordable universities in UK?

Ans. Weekly rent for on-campus housing at affordable UK universities ranges between £80 - £224 (₹8,733 - ₹24,455) depending on the location and type of accommodation.