how much to do a phd in uk

• How Much Does a PhD Cost in the UK?
• Funding a PhD

Choosing to dedicate the next few years of your life towards a PhD is no light decision. Not only will it require you to dedicate an extensive amount of your personal time, but you’ll also need to consider how you’ll fund it. This raises the question, how much does a PhD cost in the UK?

The cost of a PhD can be divided into three key areas; tuition fees, living expenses and research expenditures. The combined cost of these are approximately  £20,000 per year  for UK students and can increase to over  £40,000 per year  for international students. A more in-depth breakdown of these costs can be found below. We’ve also compared these costs to other countries and outlined the various methods available to you to fund your PhD studies.

Tuition Fees

For UK ‘home’ students, the tuition fee for a PhD varies between £3,000 to £6,000 per academic year. For 2023/24 programmes, most universities opt for £4,712 per year within this range. Although this number may seem a little odd, it’s commonly adopted due to being the indicative rate set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for UK universities.

International Fees

Unlike for UK applicants, the rates for international students don’t align with the indicative level set by UKRI. Following the implementation of Brexit, EU students now follow the same fee rates as other international students. International students will find that their tuition fees are higher than those of home students. For example, at the time of writing, the average annual PhD tuition charge at the University of Dundee is £4,825 for home students undertaking an Engineering PhD. This same average is £25,305 for international students.

International applicants will also find that the fee for PhDs in STEM subjects are greater than those in non-STEM subjects. For example, at the University of Bristol, a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering costs £25,300 per year whilst a doctorate in Medieval Studies costs £20,100 per year.

To summarise, international students can expect a tuition fee of between £16,000 to £25,000 per year, with an average of around £19,600 per academic year. Non-STEM subjects will generally be at the lower end of the range, whilst STEM subjects will be at the higher end of the range.

Part-time Fees

The above fees are based on full-time postgraduate study. If you’re doing a part-time PhD, you can expect the fee to be half of these amounts. Although this may appear to be a cheaper option, keep in mind that the average duration of part-time PhDs are twice that of full-time PhDs. Therefore, the total tuition cost will amount to the same value and the end of both courses.

Other Degree-related Costs

Research support fees.

If your research project requires a high use of consumables, equipment or other resources, you may have to support the cost of these through an additional annual fee. This additional annual fee, often referred to as either a ‘research support’ or ‘bench’ fee, often apply to laboratory-based STEM research projects. Bench fees vary between different projects, even those within the same field. Therefore, it is best to speak to the admissions team on a project-by-project basis to receive anything useful.

Another cost you will need to account for is travelling. As part of your degree, many supervisors will expect you to attend conferences, training workshops, or other collaboration opportunities. As a result, you will often need to travel to various destinations which aren’t always limited to the UK. Although some programmes will cover these costs, it’s not unheard of that some positions will expect you to fund this yourself. It’s impossible to put a value on this, as the extent of travel depends on each project. Therefore, it would be wise to speak with the admissions team and current PhD students. They can provide you with an accurate estimate and let you know whether the university will cover the expenses.

Overtime Period Fee

When you’re enrolled into a PhD programme, you will be given a period to complete your PhD within. This period is known as your ‘registration period’ and is usually 3-4 years for a full-time PhD and 6-7 years for a part-time PhD. If you’re given an extension due to not completing your PhD study within this time, you will need to pay an overtime registration fee. Although the amount depends on each university, the University of Leeds sets theirs as £290 for 2023/24.

Living Costs

From a 2022 survey of over 2,300 university students , the average living cost, covering expenditures such as rent, bills, food and recreation, was £924 per month. This equates to £11,088 per year.

Although this is an average cost, your true cost of living will depend on your location. Living in major cities such as London will draw significantly higher rent and travel costs than living in more rural locations. Although your living situation will in large be driven by the university you undertake your PhD with, you should factor it in when deciding which universities to apply to.

To put this into perspective, the survey average of £11,088 per year uses a rent average of £418 per month. In London, this average increases to £650 a month and can surpass £1,000 if staying in university halls or private student accommodation. This is supported by University College London (UCL) who state you should expect an average rent of £1,028 per month if living in private accommodation around their university.

Tip  – You can use this handy calculator for an estimated average cost of living for any UK university. All you need to do is select the university, and the calculator does all the rest.

If you’re an international student, you should factor in return flights back home. Although this may seem like a small expenditure compared to tuition fees and rent, they can add up quickly depending on the frequency and distance of your trip.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

How to Fund Your PhD

Studentships.

A studentship is a form of scholarship for doctoral students. They can either be partially funded, which cover tuition fees only, or fully funded, which also covers living costs through a ‘stipend’.

Studentships can be found in various places. Research Councils (RCUK) and European Social Fund (ESF) make funding available to university departments, who in turn make the funding available to doctoral students. Therefore, you will find that there are many postgraduate funding opportunities available to you, with the best places to look being the RCUK and ESF websites and the university departments themselves. External institutions which focus on research and development such as research trusts and charities would also be a useful place to look for a funded PhD.

Doctoral Loans

If you’re a UK student, you may qualify for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan from Student Finance England. This form of financial aid is available for nearly all postgraduate research degrees undertaken in a higher education setting. They will allow you to borrow up to a total of £28,673 for 2023/24 courses .

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are a form of studentships which allow you to teach undergraduates as part of your research degree. This not only helps improve your academic skills, but it also enables you to receive a salary whilst you’re studying. As well as teaching assistantships, some departments also provide opportunities for demonstrations, marking papers, and tutorial support. The amount you can earn through these schemes will depend on how many hours you work and what agreements you make with your supervisor or course leader.

Working Whilst You Study – Part-time PhDs

A research student may opt for a part-time PhD as opposed to a full-time one. Although this would double the duration of their studies, it allows them to take on a part-time job to improve their financial situation. For students going down this route, it would be highly beneficial to pick up a part-time role in a position related to your industry. This will help refine your skills and increase your employability within this career role should you choose to pursue it after your degree.

If you’re an international student, keep in mind that you’ll likely be on a study visa. Therefore, there’ll be certain restrictions on what you can and can’t do alongside your study.

How Does This Compare to the Fees in Other Countries?

When considering the tuition fee of PhDs across different countries, the United Kingdom is generally considered as being in the ‘middle-ground‘ region.

A handful of countries offer PhD programmes for free. These include, but are not limited to, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Norway and Poland.

The middle-ground region comprises countries such as Austria, Spain, Russia and New Zealand where postgraduate fees range from £1,400 to £4,000 per academic year.

The upper-end region comprises countries such as Hong Kong and the United States, where postgraduate tuition fees for a PhD student can go up to £33,000 per year.

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PhD in UK: Fees 2024, Top Colleges, Placement and Salaries

The average annual tuition fee for pursuing PhD in UK at the top universities is 20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (20-50 Lakh INR) and the average cost of living in UK is around 14,000 GBP (14 lakh INR) per year. The opportunities after studying in UK universities are vast. Almost 87% of the Ph.D. students start working after graduation and earn an average pay of 40,000 GBP- 60,000 GBP (40-60 Lakh INR) per annum.

PhD in UK: Top Universities

International students are attracted to the high-quality education offered by the top universities in UK . According to the QS Ranking of 2024, 5 universities in the UK rank among the top 50 universities across the world. The following table lists some of the top universities offering PhD in UK:

Why Study PhD in UK?

• PhD graduates from UK universities have a high employability rate, with 82% of them in employment or further study within six months of graduation, Higher Education Statistics Agency.
• The UK has some of the world's best universities, and many of these institutions are highly ranked for their PhD programs. According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, the UK has 3 universities in the top ten for graduate employability, and five universities in the top 40 for graduate employability.
• The opportunities after studying in UK universities are vast. Almost 87% of the Ph.D. students start working after graduation and earn an average pay of 40,000 GBP- 60,000 GBP (40-60 Lakh INR) per annum.
• UK universities offer cutting-edge research facilities and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students have access to world-class resources and expertise, allowing them to undertake innovative research in their chosen fields.

PhD in UK: Admissions

Depending on the institution and the particular school, the admission requirements for PhD in UK may change, but they typically include academic credentials, English language proficiency, and work experience. In the section below the detailed admission requirements for top universities offering PhD in UK are given.

PhD in UK: Eligibility Criteria

Admission requirements for a PhD in UK can vary depending on the university and the area of research. However, there are some general admission requirements that most universities will require from applicants:

• Academic Degree- A first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a related field of study.
• Minimum GPA- The minimum GPA requirement is 3.7 on a scale of 4.0
• English Proficiency Test Score- IELTS: 7.0 or above, TOEFL: 100+.
• Statement of Purpose (SOP) - Submit a 5000 word personal statement outlining their academic and professional background, their reasons for applying to the program, and their career aspirations.
• Letters of Recommendation (LOR) - Applicants are usually required to provide at least 2-3 academic or professional references.
• Research Proposal- A 3000 word research proposal needs to be submitted in the area of research you are applying for.

PhD in UK: Admission Requirements

Following table shows the general admission requirements for getting into a Phd program in the UK universities along with their respective academic requirements and additional document requirements:

PhD in UK: Cost of study

United Kingdom is one of the most pursued and sought out countries in the world for international students. The cost of study in UK will include the cost of living and the tuition fees a student is paying for PhD in UK. The cost of study in UK can differ from person to person depending on the university of their choice. The average cost of study in UK ranges from 30,000 GBP to 37,000 GBP (30-37 lakh INR).

PhD in UK: Tuition Fees

A PhD in UK lasts for 3-5 years on a full-time basis depending on the University and the area of research. The following table highlights the annual fees for pursuing PhD in UK universities:

Cost of Living in UK

The cost of living in UK includes accommodation, food, transportation, healthcare, personal expenses etc. The average cost of living in UK is around 14,000 GBP- 24,000 GBP (14-25 lakh INR) per year.

PhD in UK: Scholarships

If you are planning to study in UK for a PhD you should know that it can become heavy on your pocket. For that reason UK universities provide different scholarships in UK for international students to lighten their burden. Following are some of the scholarships offered to international students who are applying for PhD in UK.  

PhD in UK: Job Opportunities

A PhD graduate earns on an average of 40,000 GBP- 60,000 GBP (30-60 Lakh INR) per year in the UK. Most of them go for an academic job especially in the teaching and education sector. According to Prospects UK, over 50% of graduates having PhD in UK are either education or science professionals working in the science and pharmaceutical industry.

Here are some sectors in the where PhD graduates may find job opportunities in UK , along with the percentage of PhD graduates employed in each sector (source: Vitae Researcher Development International):

• Higher Education - 37%
• Business and Industry: 23%
• Government- 16%
• Non-profit Organizations- 10%
• Self Employed- 5%
• Health and Social Care- 5%
• Other Sectors- 4%

Here are some average salaries for various job titles in the UK for PhD holders:

Phd in UK: Visa

International students planning to pursue PhD in Uk will require a points-based Student Route visa (previously known as the Tier 4 student visa). To get this visa you must be able to show that you have sufficient money for living costs. The minimum requirements are:

• £1,023 per month if your PhD is based outside London
• £1,334 per month if your PhD is based in London

A student visa requires 70 points. These are awarded to you as follows:

• 50 points – for gaining your confirmation of acceptance for studies
• 10 points – for proving that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your degree
• 10 points – for proving you meet the English language requirements

PhD in UK: Work Permit

Provided you are pursuing a full-time PhD in UK, you may work alongside your project or programme, provided you do not: work for more than 20 hours per week, except during any vacations or in the case of an agreed work placement or internship

PhD in UK: ROI

A UK PhD offers a strong ROI as graduates gain advanced skills leading to higher salaries and diverse career opportunities, offsetting initial costs. The prestige of a UK PhD can boost professional credibility, leading to leadership roles and consulting opportunities, further enhancing ROI.

PhD in UK: Degree Comparison

The following table draws a comparison between PhD in UK vs PhD in USA on the basis of program duration, tuition fees, cost of living, visa, average salary among other parameters.

Pursuing a PhD in the UK can be a great opportunity for students who are looking for world-renowned universities, a multicultural environment, generous funding opportunities, and a shorter duration of the program. UK offers excellent research opportunities, and PhD graduates from UK universities have a high employability rate. After completing your PhD in UK one can work at higher posts in different fields and earn an average annual salary of 40,000 GBP- 60,000 GBP (30-60 Lakh INR).

Ques. How much does a PhD cost in UK?

Ans . The average annual tuition fee for pursuing PhD in UK at the top universities is 20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (20-50 Lakh INR) and the average cost of living in UK is around 14,000 GBP (14 lakh INR) per year.

Ques. How long is the PhD in UK?

Ans . PhD in UK, also referred to as a doctorate, is a 3-5 years full-time and 5-6 years part-time degree depending on the University of choice and the area of research.

Ques. Do PhD students get paid in UK?

Ans A stipend is awarded to students planning to pursue Ph.D in the UK. The cost of the stipend varies from university to university. PhD stipends in the UK were set at £16,062 for students outside of London and £18,062 for those within London, reflecting the higher cost of living in the capital.

Ques. What are some of the top universities offering PhD in UK?

Ans . University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, and University of Edinburgh are some of the top universities offering PhD in UK.

Ques. What are the admission requirements for applying to a PhD in UK?

Ans . The minimum admission requirement for PhD in UK is to have a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a related field of study or a masters degree with a minimum of 70%, IELTS score of 7.0 or above or a TOEFL score of 100+ and while applying for a PhD in UK you will need to submit a research proposal in the field you of research you are applying for.

Ques. What are the career prospects after completing a PhD in the UK?

Ans . Graduates with a PhD from a UK university have diverse career opportunities. While some pursue academic careers as researchers or professors, others find employment in industry, government, or non-profit organizations. The skills acquired during a PhD, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, are highly valued in many sectors.

Ques. Are there funding opportunities available for international students pursuing a PhD in the UK?

Ans . Yes, many UK universities offer scholarships, grants, and funding opportunities for international PhD students. These may cover tuition fees, living expenses, or research costs. Prospective students should research and apply for relevant funding opportunities early in the application process.

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What is the real cost of a PhD?

The answer to this depends on your situation and many factors should be taken into account.

Studentship course fees

  If you are self-funding, you’ll need to pay the course fees, and the amount you pay will depend on where you live , the subject you are studying and whether you’re studying full or part-time. For example, annual fees for UK/EU PhD students at the University of Warwick are £4,786 full-time and £2,872 part-time (2024-25). For overseas students, fees are £23,070 for Business and Economics courses and £17,682 for science and engineering programmes.

Studentships are a financial contribution for doctoral research and are normally fee-free, many universities offer full fee waiver scholarships; for example, the University of Huddersfield offer full fee waivers for all of their subjects.

Course fees may also be affected by where you studied previously – for example, the University of Birmingham currently offer a postgraduate degree fee discount of £1,500 for those who studied there at the undergraduate level.

Loss of earnings

While loss of earnings is not a ‘cost’ as such, it’s certainly something to bear in mind if you are currently earning a salary, as your income may drop significantly.

Even if you are lucky enough to get maintenance funding, bear in mind that the minimum level of stipend set by the research councils is supposed to match the tax-free equivalent average graduate starting salary. Find out about the standard tax-free Personal Allowance here .

Research Council stipends are currently a minimum of £19,237 per annum (2024-25 rates) , paid tax-free, and may be topped up by other organisations involved in your research.

Some students can supplement their income with teaching/research assistant work at their university, but unlike undergraduates, PhD students are expected to continue their studies throughout the year, so vacation work is not an option. You are advised to speak with your supervisor before accepting any paid work.

Many self-funded PhD students combine part-time study with part-time jobs to meet their costs, but this means their programme takes some six or more years to complete.

Maintenance

Living costs depend on where in the country you live. For example, UCL in London is estimated at around £20,000 , per annum for living costs; however, the University of Edinburgh website suggests that students can spend between £920 – 2,257   per month on living costs.

If you are relocating to study, find out the average price of university accommodation as well as local rates for private accommodation – it may be significantly different from where you currently live.

Living costs as a student are often different from when you are working. If you’re conducting the majority of your research from home, commuting costs will be minimal but utility and phone/internet bills will be higher.

Remember you will still be eligible for the usual student discounts/concessions.

Research costs

Whatever your course of choice, there is likely to be equipment, books, photocopying, travel for conferences and/or fieldwork costs that will need to be factored in. There may be small grants available from either the university or charitable bodies for research costs. The Association for the History of Glass is an educational charity, that provides a Grants budget of £3,000 to support research, projects, and activities for the year 2024/25.

Check with your department to see what’s available.

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• Postgraduate Research

PhD fees and costs

To study a PhD, you'll need to pay the cost of tuition fees, research support fees (such as materials used in a laboratory) and be able to cover your living expenses

A funded PhD studentship may meet all or part of these costs or you may be able to find funding for your self-funded PhD or research project.  The fees below are for the academic year 2024/25.

The fees stated in the table above exclude potential research support fees also known as ‘bench fees’. You will be notified of any fee which may apply in your offer letter.

* Please note that if you are undertaking a PhD within the Faculty of Science and Engineering the fee you pay, Band A or Band B, will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others e.g. if you are required to undertake laboratory work. You will be informed of the fee for your programme in your offer letter.

^ Self-funded, full-time international students studying a PhD programme classified as Band A will receive a £2,000 reduction in their fees for the first year only.

Paying fees

The University requires payment of tuition fees at registration for the whole of the coming academic session or for the duration of a programme that is to be completed in less than a year. However, arrangements can be made for self-supporting students to pay their tuition fees in installments.

All instalments must be arranged with the Student Administration and Support Division. If you hold a scholarship or studentship, the awarding body should provide the Student Fees section of the Student Administration and Support Division with an acceptable guarantee of payment.

If you expect to be sponsored please ensure that your sponsors understand fully their responsibilities for your fees and maintenance and that they are prepared to honour them for the duration of your studies in Liverpool.

If your sponsor does not provide an acceptable guarantee of payment, or defaults on their guarantee, you will become responsible for the payment of fees yourself. Unfortunately, the University is not able to provide financial aid or waive fees for students whose arrangements for financial support fail during the period of their studies.

Transfering funds from abroad

International students will need to ensure that they can bring sufficient funds with them for living expenses, as well as for payment of fees, or have sufficient funds sent to them in instalments throughout the year. Students from countries which operate strict foreign exchange controls should make sure that permission can be obtained for the transmission of adequate funds.

Other costs

Research support fees.

Research support fees, also known as 'bench fees', cover the cost of consumable materials used in your study. Some MPhil/PhD and taught programme projects use up large amounts of materials or ‘consumables’. In these cases you may be charged an annual Research Support Fee to help cover the cost of this. Programmes which might incur a Research Support Fee are likely to be those which are laboratory-based. You will be notified of any fee which applies in your offer letter. Research Support Fees are the same for UK, EU and International students.

Study costs

We want to try and help you prepare for the day-to-day costs of studying. These might include things like photocopying in the library, buying textbooks and specialist equipment or going on field classes. We have put together tables of additional costs for guidance, for each subject area, including where departments make contributions towards these costs.

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The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?

Considering whether to stay in university as a PhD student or to leave and get a job? If so, you may be wondering “How much do PhD student get paid?” and “How does a UK PhD salary compare to a graduate salary?” .

In this post I delve into the details and reveal that the difference in take home pay between a UK PhD stipend and a grad position can actually be much lower than it first appears!

If you’re looking to know how much a PhD could boost your career and salary after finishing your doctoral degree I’d suggest checking out my post: Is a PhD Worth It ? See details here for how much people earn in academia after getting their PhD .

I also have a complementary post covering my monthly expenses as a PhD student. You may also wish to check out my guide to the application process , PhD FAQs and article on how I got a PhD scholarship .

February 2024 : This post has been updated to include figures for the 2023/24 academic year.

Do PhD students get paid in the UK? If so, how much do PhD students get paid?

Before we delve into the details let’s first cover whether PhD students get paid in the UK. Generally, yes, most PhD students get what is called a PhD stipend to support themselves during their PhD. Importantly, a PhD stipend (in the UK at least) is tax free .

It is worth noting though that not all PhD projects automatically include funding. Funding may also not be applicable for every applicant. For example sometimes it may only be available to home students i.e. those from the UK.

Therefore some students may resort to self funding their PhD. In STEM subjects self funding a PhD is pretty rare and often only happens because of limitations in funding eligibility. I’ve personally worked with a mix of funded and self-funded (often by parents) PhD students, though most are certainly funded by grants and scholarships.

If your project doesn’t already include funding, for most people I strongly advise trying to find funding rather than considering self funding. For more information on this check out my post on PhD Funding in the UK.

2023/24 UK PhD Salary

• PhD salary outside of London: In 2023/24 most new PhD students in the UK will receive a PhD stipend worth at least £18,622 per year .
• PhD salary in London : In 2023/24 most new PhD students in London will receive an increased stipend to account for cost of living , which is typically around £20,622 per year .

Notice that the PhD stipend for outside of London is at least £18,622 per year. I’ve seen several advertised at the London rate. There are also some available at an even higher rate. For example I know of CDTs in Bristol paying more like £24,000 tax-free.

Your PhD stipend will usually provide funding for 3.5 years, although it can occasionally be for 3 or 4 years.

These values are for most PhD studentships including those awarded by all UK research councils following the UKRI guidelines .

Certain scholarship schemes pay upwards of £25,000 per year, such as the £25,150 (2024/25 rate) President’s PhD Scholarships at Imperial. For details on how to get such a scholarship, check out this article where I go over how I got awarded my own PhD scholarship.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN)  runs all across the EU. As well as nice training and exchange opportunities it pays a staggering stipend of approx £40,000 – £45,000 . The grant level is reviewed each year and increases if you have family dependents. I personally wish I’d known about it earlier and highly recommend anyone interested puts a reminder in their diary for when the next call opens!

Is a UK PhD stipend taxable?

Here is what PhD stipends look like compared to some fairly typical starting grad salaries in the UK:

At first glance a PhD stipend doesn’t stack up well against the higher wages of a graduate salary which can sometimes be twice this amount or more. But crucially PhD stipends for students are tax free !

There are a few other financial perks that come with being a student so I was intrigued to find out how the two salaries really compared. The results may surprise you!

Below is a high level overview and I’ll delve into each of the numbers in depth later in the post.

Grad salary vs PhD salary starting numbers

As mentioned earlier, in 2023/24 a typical PhD stipend outside of London is at least £18,622 . Within London this will typically increase slightly to account for cost of living to around £20,622 . These rates rise every year for new students, but do not rise for each year of the PhD. So for new students considering starting in 2024/25 a UK PhD salary will likely be around £19,100 outside of London. 

For the sake of simplifying the comparison I averaged the 2023/24 PhD stipend to £19,622 for all PhD students studying in the UK.

A fairly typical grad salary, for someone qualified enough to be considering a science PhD, is around £30,000 . Of course this is an average salary so needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As the number can vary dramatically it may be considered too low by some, but I think it’s a good benchmark accounting for different regions of the UK.

I’ve included higher and lower graduate salaries too in the summary charts for this post.

Salary Gap: £10,378

On the face of it the PhD student would be earning £10,378 less per year: around 35% lower! This is enough of a difference to put off a lot of potential PhD candidates who’ve likely spent the last few years building up student loans.

But unlike normal wages, PhD stipends are tax free so maybe things aren’t as bleak for PhD students as it seems? Let’s explore how they really compare.

Income Tax & National Insurance Contributions

The 2023/24 Personal Income Allowance is £12,570. This means that you can earn up to this amount and not pay any income tax. Earnings from £12,571 up to £50,270 fall into the basic rate bracket of 20% tax.

PhD Student Salary: PhD stipends are tax free and incur no income tax or national insurance contributions. Remaining stipend: £19,622

Professional Salary: On £30,000 you’d pay £ 3486 in income tax and NI contributions of £2004 . Remaining wage:  £24,510

Salary Gap: £4888 Income tax and national insurance contributions have immediately almost halved the difference in take-home pay from £10,378 down to £4888!

Student Loan Repayment

PhD Student Salary: Even with a PhD stipend you are officially an unwaged student so you won’t make student loan repayments as a PhD student. Remaining stipend: £19,622 [see footnote 1]

Professional Salary: The amount you may have to pay for student loan repayments depends upon when you started your undergraduate course. If you started your undergraduate course since 2012 you pay student loan repayments on earnings above £27,295. Meaning on a salary of £30,000 you’d pay £243 a year on student loan repayments. If you began your undergraduate course before 2012, repayments start on salaries above £22,015 and would be £541 a year . Most of you likely completed your undergrad degree recently so we’ll go with the more recent, lower, repayments. Remaining wage:  £24,267

Salary Gap: £4645

Council Tax

PhD Student Salary: Another cost that students are exempt from is council tax. Though be careful if you share a house with non-students since council tax must then be paid on the property. [2] Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Council tax varies greatly between council boroughs, and depends on the property you live in. For example in Cardiff I lived in a one bed flat and the annual council tax was £1050 per year. During my PhD in London council tax for a lovely three bed house  in Clapham it was £1000! Now that I live in Bristol it is over £2000 per year for a three bed house. I’ll go to the liberty of saying on average it would be £1150 per year and would be divided between two people: -£575 each. Total: £23,692

Salary Gap: £4070

Private Pension Contributions

PhD Student Salary: Although universities pay a PhD stipend to students, you are not a member of staff and hence do not make private pension contributions. Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Legislation has been phasing in making contribution to private pensions mandatory. The upside is that employers match your contribution up to varying percentages: sometimes up to about 10% of your salary. Additionally there are tax benefits to contributing so overall you could see it as boosting your salary looking at the longer term view. [3]

I believe there are troubling times ahead for 20-somethings and personally am not relying on a state pension existing by the time we all reach retirement age. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend making a decently sized contribution at least up to the same amount that your employer matches. For the purposes of this comparison I won’t deduct anything for private pension since it’s not really being deducted so I’ll call this one a draw.  Total: £23,692

Student Discount

Ah the obvious one! Student discount may have been the first thing you thought of when you saw this article, but I’m not going to include it in this analysis.

A student card does allow a significant amount to be saved, not only on luxuries such as entry to attractions and deals in shops but also travel. For example in London, an 18+ student oystercard gets you 30% off travelcards. For a monthly zones 1-3 ticket this would save about £50 a month: over £600 a year!

The reason I’ve not included it? How much you use student discount depends on your circumstances and lifestyle and I wanted to keep the analysis widely applicable. Also, there are ways around needing to pay for travel at all: I started cycling to university every day in London .

Curveball: the £12,570 Tax-Free Personal Income Allowance

So far the recent grad is still earning an additional £4842 per year: almost a third more than the PhD student. Owing to the fact that PhD students are exempt from income tax, national insurance contributions, council tax and student loan repayments the gap in earnings has shrunk considerably.

One last calculation I wanted to try was to consider the scenario of a student earning some additional money on the side. It is a common thing to make extra money with teaching assistant, tutoring and consultancy opportunities. In fact I think every PhD student I know does at least a little. There are of course non-academic routes to make additional money too.

I have written a post about some of the ways that I make extra money , many of which are in fact available to non-students. Do be careful to check that this is acceptable at your institution. My favourite way to make extra money is matched betting which is tax-free for everybody. You can find my complete guide to matched betting here .

Tax-free side-hustle

Currently you can earn £12,570 tax free in the UK . Given that the PhD stipend itself is tax free, unlike an equivalent worker you wouldn’t pay any tax on extra earnings up to this threshold. This might sound insignificant but it’s not.

Admittedly, unless you’re very entrepreneurial, it is unlikely that you would make use of the whole tax-free opportunity. But earning several thousand pounds per year on top of the stipend is certainly common.

As pointed out by a reader, John, in the comments below: a consideration should be that that some universities limit how much paid work you can do per month. Even so, there are lots of ways to make money and your time as a student could even be a great time to start your own business .

I’ve been paid more than £25 an hour doing pretty simple work for the university , so these earnings can mount up quickly.

To illustrate the extra earning potential afforded to PhD students, let’s consider the most extreme case where the tax-free earnings are maximised.

Since 2017 there has been a £1000 tax-free trading allowance for workers in the UK , meaning even those in a normal taxable job can earn £1000 on top of their salary from side-hustle jobs. Therefore the grad will pay additional taxes on £11,570 instead of £12,570.

PhD Student Salary: An enterprising student maxing out the tax-free allowance could earn £12,570 a year and pay no national insurance either, leaving additional take-home pay of  £12,570 . With a PhD stipend of £17,062 the student would in total earn £32,192 for the year. They’d keep 100% of those extra earnings.

Again, yes it is unlikely that someone would really earn this much on the side but it is common to make at least several thousand throughout the year.

Professional Salary: As a grad on £30,000 per year in your main job, to have an equivalent side-hustle earning £12,570, in total you’d pay tax on £41,570. Income tax would be £5800: £2314 higher than on their base salary of £30,000. NI contributions would be £3335: £1331 higher. Plus student loan repayments would be £1284: £1041 higher. Student loan repayments really start increasing considerably when you’re earning more. These additional taxes and costs total deductions of £4686,  leaving the professional with extra take-home pay of  £7884 . Including their day-job the total they’d be left with is £31,576 .

For this extra £12,570 of work, the student would pocket 100% of it and the professional would keep £7884 ( 63% ). Looking at the pre-tax difference in their earnings: at face value the student would be earning £32,192 and the grad £41,570: a difference of £9378. Yet once taxes are considered the final result is two people with remarkably similar take-home pays: a difference of £616 in favour of the student!

Check it out:

Under these circumstances the student would in fact take home £616 more per year than the professional! I used the maximum tax-free allowance to highlight the point and yes it’s unlikely that many students will fully utilise it. Yet the point stands that any additional earnings are much better retained by PhD students.

If someone was running a fully-fledged business on the side then the difference becomes even bigger as the grad salary approaches the next tax bracket for earnings of £50,271 and above, at which point the rate of income tax doubles.

There are very few legal ways of making money which are tax-exempt for everyone. One of these rare cases is also my favourite way to make money on the side: matched betting. Intrigued? I’ve written a huge guide to it here . In this rare instance none of the grad’s extra earnings get eroded by tax.

Grad salary vs PhD student salary conclusion

Starting from a difference of £10,378 in salary, taxes and other outgoings have knocked £6308 off the graduate’s wage. This brings the difference in earnings down to £4070. This equates to £339 per month. More than nothing, but not a huge difference. And this doesn’t include any extra earnings on the side which the student can do a much better job of retaining.

Surprised how small the difference is? I certainly was whilst I was writing this.

Here is a chart for comparing a wider range of salaries:

This analysis doesn’t take in to account the extra earning power that gaining a PhD could bring, nor the potential lifestyle benefits of being a student such as autonomy and flexible working hours which it could be argued level the playing field even further. Plus the opportunities afforded to PhD students, which everyone should seize. And yes, student discount if you use it.

Furthermore if you consider the opportunity to make an additional £12k+ per year before incurring tax  any difference in earnings can become close to negligible!

I hope that this post has helped explain that the wage gap between UK PhD stipends and grad salaries is not as dramatic it first seems. Perhaps it’s even encouraged you to consider a PhD. If so I’ve written posts to help with your application and an article on how to improve your chances of securing a PhD scholarship . Also if you’re curious you can read about life as a PhD student along with profiles of PhD students around the world .

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

What do you think about this comparison between a UK PhD stipend and grad salary? Do you think there are any additional factors that I have overlooked? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and if you’ve enjoyed this post you can subscribe to hear about more content:

[1] Some people might say that by continuing studying you’re simply delaying your student loan repayment.  Considering most people don’t pay it off in the 30 odd years until any outstanding balance is wiped I think it’s fair to say that this doesn’t ring true.

[2] No council tax is paid on a property if all occupants are students. If you live with one professional they can claim the single occupancy discount of 25% but with two or more professionals the full council tax amount must be paid. If you share in a mixed group it is up to you how you divide it within the group. Ironically given the spirit of this post, last year I voluntarily did pay an equal (third) share of council tax given that my partner was moving to London specifically to live with me…

[3] If you go on to work for a university after your PhD you’ll be enrolled in the USS pension scheme where you’ll usually pay in 9% of your salary and your employer pays in 19%: yes, nineteen! For comparison most often the best private companies may match contributions up to 10%. Pension contributions are often removed from your pay packet before taxes. This effectively leaves you with a smaller salary and hence pay less taxes and national insurance contributions. Between this and your employer’s contributions overall your salary could be “boosted” by quite a bit, around 20% in the USS example, if you consider the pension as part of your long-term salary.

All calculations were carried out using the tax calculator on Martin’s Money Saving Expert. A fantastic website for all things personal finance.

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17 Comments on “PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?”

It’s probably worth factoring in that most HEIs limit PhD students to a maximum I’m of 10hours pw of external work. By my rough estimate, the student would have to earn £25 an hour to make the money you’ve described here. The side hustle, should probably be halved to reflect a more typical salary. Still a fair whack though.

Hi John, yes that’s a good point and I’ll update the post to reflect this. In my experience £25/hour is realistic, at least here at Imperial, though I appreciate it would rarely get fully utilised. Thanks again

Hello Jeff! I am a Sustainability Consultant from India, looking at PhD opportunities in UK. It would be great if we can connect and discuss a bit about your experience and journey. Looking forward!

Hey Akhyata! Great, yes let’s have a chat. I’ve emailed you to arrange it. Best wishes, Jeff

Hi Jeff! I love your article, I’m a pharmacist juggling the idea of a PhD. I would love to take up on your offer to connect.

Hey Kai! Great, I’ll email you now to arrange it.

Hi Jeff, I am a law grad very interested in further study and pursuing a PhD.

I would love the chance to chat to you further about this article and your experience!

Thanks in advance

Hey Clara, Yeah no worries. I’ll send you an email now to discuss.

Hi Jeff, I’m putting together a PhD proposal at the moment and would really appreciate your input on a few things about the process when you have some free time. Cheers, Ben

Hi Ben, sure no problem, I’m happy to try and help. Let’s discuss over email.

Hi Jeff, Thank you for taking the time to write the articles you do. On this particular article, you have saved us all quite a lot of time. With such a minimal difference even without an additional income, it makes a lot of sense, especially with an increase when you graduate.

Those from the UK can take a £24k loan from the Gov (as if they didn’t have enough debt already). Still, it could enable a student to focus more on academia, speeding up the process and increasing the quality of work.

Apologies Jeff, the stipend and student loan are not available at the same time.

Thanks very much for your comments Tyrone. I’m pleased you find the website useful!

If you can get funding, I agree that there isn’t much of a reason to not do a PhD.

I must admit I’ve never looked much at postgraduate loans, in part because I encourage everyone doing a PhD (in STEM at least) to pursue funding. We’re doing PhDs which can help wider society and it doesn’t make sense for people to have to sacrifice even more by adding extra debt if they can avoid it. Interesting to hear that you can’t take out a loan if you have a stipend, thanks for letting me know.

Perhaps of interest to you, there is a post going live tomorrow which should put the length of a PhD in context of someone’s whole career. In short it doesn’t sacrifice much of a career but of course but make a very useful addition!

If there are any other topics you want to see covered please do let me know.

Best wishes.

Tax Free is not a perk. If you are not paying tax in the UK you cannot contribute to your pension. This may not seem important now, but it will later. This is especially important for mature students who can really lose out if there is a break in their NI contributions.

Thanks for your comment Marie.

The point is that normal tax-paying jobs don’t actually pay quite as much more than PhD stipends once you consider tax. I agree that over the long term avoiding paying taxes is neither a good idea because of things like pensions, nor is it socially ethical. But I don’t think there is any harm in taking 3-4 years out for a PhD:

You have to pay NI for a minimum of only 10 years to qualify for some level of state pension in the UK. After this the pension received simply increases linearly with the number of years of contributions, up to a max of 35 years. With retirement age edging up to 70 that gives at least 45 years between undergrad and retirement so most people will comfortably qualify (for now) for the full state pension. I’d argue that there is ample time to earn some tax free money as a PhD student without having to worry about making enough NI contributions. You can even voluntarily pay NI to gain additional qualifying years on your record. More generally I’d suggest also to not rely on receiving the state pension, I’m not personally betting on there even being a state pension by my own retirement (nor do I want to retire at 70+) so it’s always a good idea to build up your own private pension and savings too!

Hi Jeff, I was looking for funded PhD projects in the Marie Curie network and found a few on the EURAXESS website, but they all require a Master’s degree to apply. I was wondering if there is something I am missing or if you know where to find PhD funding opportunities in the Marie Curie network with only a bachelor’s degree. Thank you.

Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. I must admit I’m not an expert on all of the different Marie Curie funding routes available. If you’ve already done an extensive search then it sounds like yes they all may require a Master’s. By the way, when I first wrote this post I believed that all PhDs funded by UK research councils (UKRI) were at the very specific levels as mentioned in the post. However, I now know that there are some exceptions. For example, the Interactive AI CDT here at Bristol pays a stipend of £22,106: quite a bit higher than the standard non-London rate. CDTs such as this one include a foundation year and not everyone has a Master’s, so it may be worth considering schemes such as this. Best wishes, Jeff.

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Science and Technology Studies

STS offers degrees at each university level: undergraduate, masters, and PhD

• Funding Your Doctorate

PhD programme: fees and funding

Fees and funding.

Information on tuition fees: UCL Tuition Fees

Part-time fees are pro-rata of full-time fees.

Scholarships

UCL scholarships available to STS applicants

UCL Research Excellence Scholarship

Open to exceptional applicants from any country.  Up to 40 scholarships are awarded across UCL

DEADLINE FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS: Friday 10th January 2025 (TBC)

If you are applying for UCL RES funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship

UCL's Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) supports BAME postgraduate research degree students.  7 scholarships are awarded across UCL

If you are applying for UCL ROS funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

External scholarships for STS applicants:

London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP)

The  LAHP AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership  funds up to 80 research studentships per year across all subject areas covered by LAHP. Applications for funding should be made directly to LAHP, and open on 25th November 2024 (TBC)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO FUNDER:   5pm 24th JANUARY 2025 (TBC)

UK students with excellent academic records in history of science or philosophy of science are encouraged to apply. Please note that in order to be eligible for this funding you must have established your supervisor before applying to LAHP for funding. We strongly recommend that interested individuals contact potential supervisors by late November, and you will need to have submitted a standard UCL PhD admissions application complete with references, by the STS January deadline. However you are advised to submit a complete application earlier if possible.

More information can be found on the  London Arts and Humanities Partnership website.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The department has ‘+3’ and '1+3' recognition from the ESRC in the category of Science and Technology Studies. Studentships are available to UK and EU applicants intending to pursue a PhD and who have already received a foundation in research training (+3), or who wish to pursue a PhD after completing an ESRC-recognised MSc (including those within the department) (1+3). Applicants with such qualifications who are interested in the areas of public understanding of science, science policy research, social history of science, or the sociology of science and technology are encouraged to discuss the possibility of applying for an ESRC grant with the departmental graduate tutor at the time of their application. See the  ESRC Doctoral Training Programme website  for further details. You can also visit the  main ESRC Website  to find out more about the council itself.

DEADLINE FOR PRELIMINARY  APPLICATIONS    Monday 13th January 2025 23:59 GMT TBC  (Applications open October 2024).

If you are applying for ESRC funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

British Society for the Philosophy of Science

The British Society for the Philosophy of Science offers scholarships for doctoral work in the philosophy of science at a UK university. Scholarships are only available to students applying to degree programmes in philosophy or in philosophy of science. Further details are available from the  BSPS website .

The next scholarship competition will run in 2025

Overseas students are encouraged to apply for Commonwealth and British Council Scholarships in those countries where they are administered.

A list of other scholarships available to students applying to UCL is available via the  UCL Scholarships page.

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Graduate Prospectus 2023/24

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How to Apply

Funding your phd, visiting doctoral students, support for current students: .

Can we help? support for current students  STS PhD Moodle site.

• Reading Groups

STS hosts a series of reading groups, run by current PhD students, to discuss interesting, thought provoking material in relevant fields.

STS Research Space

The STS Research Space is an initiative to assist PhD students with a wide range of academic and non-academic problems.

• The STS Research Space

• Postgraduate
• PhD and Professional Doctorates
• Fees and funding

Fees and funding for research students

Find out how much a PhD or Professional Doctorate will cost and the funding options available, including PhD studentships, stipends, loans and doctoral awards.

Once you’ve decided to study a research degree, the next step is figuring out how you're going to fund it. There are many different types of PhD funding, including studentships, external grants, and loans. Explore this page to see what’s available and how much a research degree will cost.

How much does a PhD or Professional Doctorate cost?

Our tuition fees are set and reviewed on an annual basis and the amount you pay will depend on the length of your course and mode of study. For some Science and Technology projects, an annual bench fee may also be payable.

Postgraduate Research fees for 2023/24 entry

Postgraduate Research fees for 2024/25 entry

PhD funding

There are many different ways to fund a PhD, including university studentships, funding from research councils, charities or businesses, and doctoral loans. PhD funding falls into three main categories:

• Fully-funded – your PhD tuition fees are covered in full along with an amount for living costs and other expenses (usually called a PhD stipend).
• Partially-funded – part of your fees or living costs are covered, but not both. You will usually need to top up this funding with your own money or other grants.
• Self-funded – you are financing your own PhD fees and living costs through a combination of savings or earnings and loans.

Search our current projects .

ESRC studentships

The Midlands Graduate School (ESRC accredited) is looking to recruit top quality PhD students to commence study in October 2024 across a range of subjects, offering studentships – covering a maintenance stipend and payment of tuition fees at the home fee rate.

NTU fully-funded PhD studentships

Every year we provide fully-funded PhD studentships with opportunities across all our academic disciplines. These cover the full cost of tuition plus a stipend for living expenses for both UK and International students. Applications usually open in October.

Sign up for emails to be notified of the next release and to keep up to date with research funding.

What is a PhD stipend?

Some funded projects may eligible for a  PhD stipend – a grant to help cover your living expenses that you don't have to pay back. Find out the  current minimum stipend rates set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

PhD funding for international researchers

Many of our funded PhD projects are open to international students. Check the specific project details to see who is eligible.

FindaPhD also provides a guide to funding for international students looking to study a PhD in the UK.

Other funded opportunities at NTU

We’re pleased to participate in funded projects that improve access to research and benefit local communities.

Midlands4Cities

Funding and supporting outstanding research in Arts and Humanities across the Midlands.

Co(l)laboratory

A Universities for Nottingham project providing funding for locally-relevant, challenge-based research.

Equality and Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI)

A funded programme for NHS workers, created to tackle barriers to doctoral education for racially minoritised groups.

ESRC Studentships

Funding and further support for doctoral candidates in a range of subjects and pathways.

Doctoral loans

Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales provide a non-means-tested Doctoral loan of up to £28,673 to help with course fees and living costs for a postgraduate research course, such as a PhD or Professional Doctorate.

These are available on full-time, part-time and distance learning courses if you are living in the UK and you’ll only start to repay when your income is over £21,000 a year.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) helps to cover the extra costs you might incur because of a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental health condition, physical disability, or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Learn more about DSA

Alumni discount

We offer an exclusive 20% discount to NTU alumni who enrol on an eligible postgraduate course.

External funding

A variety of research councils, governmental agencies and charities can provide funding for your research degree. Take a look at some of the opportunities available below.

Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences

• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge transfer in the environmental sciences.

Art and Humanities

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - small, large, and project-based grants for students in humanities and social sciences.

Science and Technology

• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - funding provider for research into biological systems
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - funding for Information Systems and Mathematics research.

Social Sciences

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - small, large, and project-based grants for students in humanities and social sciences
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues
• Ford Foundation - provides grants to support research into social change and development
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation - endowed charity that funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme focussing on social policy issues
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - supporting researchers in health and social care
• Nuffield Foundation - fund research and innovation in education and social policy
• Social Science Research Council (SSRC) - an independent non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of social science research and scholarship
• Wellcome Trust - grants for human health-related research.

Situational

• Commonwealth Scholarships - offers opportunities to Commonwealth citizens to study in the UK
• Leverhulme Trust - funding for cross-disciplinary research.

Financial support

Studying through the cost-of-living crisis.

How we can support you, and how you can make your funding go further.

We provide a range of support and resources to help you manage your finances while you're studying at NTU.

Need advice on how to fund your studies?

Our student finance team are here to help. They can offer guidance on postgraduate fees, loans, and money management.

Chat to the  team on Unibuddy , email  [email protected] or call +44 (0)115 848 2494 .

For advice on making secure international payments please visit our international scholarships and fees pages .

PhD Fees in the UK for International Students

• Maisie Dadswell
• July 31, 2024

PhD fees in the UK for international students vary based on several factors, including your field of study, the university you are doing your doctorate research with and which city the university is in. The cost of a PhD in the UK is generally anywhere from £15,000 to £35,000 for annual PhD tuition fees. To help you budget, this article will cover all the variable factors before covering several potential finance options which can help you to fund your studying in the UK. 

Even if the fees seem steep at first, don’t get disheartened; there are plenty of funding sources for international students – there is a reason why UK universities, including UWS London, are such popular academic destinations for PhD students beyond our high academic standards.

It is also worth bearing in mind that PhD tuition fees tend to increase each year in line with inflation. Always ensure you are budgeting with the most up-to-date PhD tuition fees, and take into account that for self-funded students, tuition fees may be marginally higher in the second and third years. The good news is that whatever your field of study and preferred university, PhDs will be vastly cheaper than undertaking a taught undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the UK as an international student. Along with covering the typical cost of PhD fees, we have also outlined additional expenses and living costs you may have to budget for. Luckily, as a full-time, student you’ll never have to worry about paying council tax.

PhD fees in the UK for international students

For domestic students in the UK, the average cost of PhD tuition fees is around £4,500. However, this can rise to £20,0000 – depending on the subject. The main reason there are vast differences in the price of PhD tuition fees is the resources that research students will require; typically, STEM students pay the highest tuition fees due to resources such as tech support, servicing, and equipment. The PhD students who can expect to pay minimum fees are students looking for a doctorate title in the arts, social sciences or humanities.

Part-Time PhD Fees

If you want to study part-time, you can expect to pay 50% of the full-time fees. However, this can vary, and not all PhDs are available on a part-time basis. If you are looking to be a part-time PhD student around your work or any other responsibilities, always check with the institution where you want to study if this is viable. You will also need to check if your visa restricts part-time PhD study.

Research Support Fees

Research support fees don’t apply to every international PhD student in the UK. However, you may need to pay research support fees, which will go towards covering the cost of any specialist materials you use during your research. For students carrying out their research in a laboratory setting, these support fees are also referred to as bench fees and cover the cost of any consumables used in addition to the facilities where any research and experiments are carried out. 

Some universities will include bench and research fees in the tuition fee, while other institutions will quote them separately. Even if the PhD tuition fees aren’t all-inclusive, universities will always be 100% transparent and upfront about the costs. As the additional tuition fees can vary significantly due to the nature of the research that you are undertaking, bench fees and support fees will usually be discussed during the application process. Other universities prefer to make them available on request. Typically, where applicable, bench fees range between £1,000 – £10,000. You will only pay the higher bench fees if you are using expensive equipment and consumables; most UK universities keep the rates the same for domestic and international students.

How to Enquire about PhD Fees in the UK for International Students

To ensure that you are working with the correct figures when you’re budgeting or applying for funding for your PhD fees and living expenses, always be proactive in your search for accurate information by contacting the UK universities you are keen to study with. 

When you are getting in touch with the university, state if you are an international or EU student, and pose these questions:

• How much are the fees for the programme, and what is included/excluded in the fees?
• Are there any extra-departmental research fees, printing costs or administration fees?
• Does fieldwork incur additional costs?
• Are the bench/research support fees the same for international students?
• Are there any bursaries or scholarships available that I may be eligible for?

PhD Funding for International Students Studying in the UK

International students are eligible for many PhD scholarships in the UK; these scholarships and other funded projects are open to international students of all nationalities. Scholarships and grants can be provided by universities, government bodies and charities.

Funded PhDs for International Students

There are ample options to explore based on your field of research; to make your search for funding easier, many PhDs in the UK are advertised to domestic and international students with funding options attached. This is incredibly common for Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM) subjects, but it isn’t unheard of for the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities to offer the same funding options. Applying for a PhD with attached funding options isn’t worlds apart from applying for a job. If you are accepted as a candidate, you will receive a ‘salary’ in the form of tuition fees, research expenses and a grant which will go towards your living costs. If funding isn’t attached to a PhD project, you can use platforms such as FindAPhD to browse all the current projects offering funding to international students. To broaden your search, you can also use the search bar to sift through your different options. At the time of writing, FindAPhD has over 4,000 PhD projects and scholarships in the UK.

Research Council Studentships

Research Council Studentships are also frequently made available to international students in the UK looking for PhD funding. The more than generous financial support comes from UK Research and Innovation. If you receive funding from UK Research and Innovation, you will receive a monthly stipend to cover your living costs and a fee waiver. The waiver will allow you to pay the drastically reduced domestic rate instead of the PhD fees in the UK for international students. Whichever university funding you apply for, bear in mind that most funding is either provided in a bid to support widening participation or based on academic merit.

Government PhD Loans

If you aren’t eligible for a scholarship, grant, or funding from UK Research and Innovation, Government PhD loans are also available to some international students. Usually, to qualify, you will either need to be able to prove you have a settled status in the UK, be an Irish national or be part of the EU settlement scheme. These loans will cover your tuition fees and living expenses; you only need to repay the loan when you earn over the threshold amount.

Living Costs in the UK for PhD Students 

The living costs for international students in the UK will vary greatly depending on your circumstances, lifestyle and where you live. The most expensive city for living costs, excluding rent, is £894 for London, while the cheapest is £577 for Bradford – based on 2022 figures. With rent included in London, it can cost £1,309 per month if you are living off campus, or £1,237 if you are living on campus. 

How Much Does it Cost for a PhD in London?

London is renowned for its vibrant culture, history, and world-class education, making it a top choice for students pursuing higher degrees. However, it’s essential to note that London is also the most expensive city in the UK. The cost of living in the capital can be higher than in other parts of the country. While pursuing a Ph.D. in London offers incredible opportunities and access to prestigious institutions, potential students should be prepared for higher living expenses.

Additional Costs for International Students 

Your PhD fees, rent and living costs will be your greatest expenses as an international PhD student. However, there are additional expenses which you may need to account for:

• Visa Processing Fees – to apply for a visa outside of the UK, it will cost £363. If you are extending your visa or switching to a student visa, the processing fee is £490. 
• University Application Fees – these fees aren’t especially common in the UK; however, they aren’t unheard of.
• Language Tests – if you are studying your PhD in a second language, you will need proof that you possess sufficient language skills. In some instances, you will be required to sit a language test and achieve a certain score.

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Where Tea Breaks and Thesis Breakdowns Collide!

Are you considering pursuing a PhD in the UK? Completing a PhD in the UK in 2024 from the renowned research institutes present in the country adds a unique weight to your resume. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the intricacies of pursuing a PhD course in UK. This blog aims to provide you with practical advice and in-depth insight for prospective PhD students. Whether you are deciding upon the university to pursue your PhD course or you have already dived into the application process, here is all you need to know about pursuing a PhD course in UK.

Overview of PhD in the UK

PhD is one of the highest degrees awarded in UK universities. A PhD involves a substantial research project prepared around a specific topic and area of interest. It typically involves up to 100,000 words woven together within an informative thesis. In the end, once the thesis has been finalised, the candidates go through a stringent oral examination where they are expected to defend their thesis findings in front of a knowledgeable and esteemed group of experts. 

The candidates each have an assigned supervisor who helps and assists the students with their research. The duration of a PhD generally ranges from three years (full-time) to 6 years part time PhD in UK. Students can choose from full-time and part time PhD courses on the basis of their requirements. Some of the most popular PhD courses opted by students include Computer Science, Medicine, Engineering, Paramedic Sciences, Law, and many more! 

Why Study PhD in the UK?

You can find a plethora of reasons to explore the range of PhD programs in UK. We have listed down a few out of many to help you understand why UK is considered to be one of the best educational destinations in the world:

1. Houses Top-notch Institutions

‍ The UK is home to top universities and educational institutions such as the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, and many more. This allows students to conduct their research using the right resources under the supervision of esteemed professors. The country has established itself as a leader in the academic sector. 

2. Research-centric Infrastructure

‍ The universities and academic institutions in the UK provide abundant infrastructural support to students who wish to accomplish their research in the country. The UK cherishes an ages-long tradition of substantial research and has also led some of the most groundbreaking research around the world.

3. Scholarships and Grants

‍ If financial constraints are holding you back from enrolling in a PhD course in UK then do not fret. Various private organisations and universities in UK offer scholarships and financial aid to students who come from humble backgrounds. This eases the financial burden on them and helps in the growth of the research community.

4. Globally Established Footing

‍ A PhD in the UK assists students in building their CV and is regarded as one of the best achievements in their professional careers. It opens multiple doors for students in a varied range of fields.

5. Culturally Immersive Experience

‍ UK, being one of the most preferred student destinations, brings students from all over the world together. One can also explore the vibrant culture of UK and learn about the rich and diverse history that the country has had. 

Types of PhD in the UK

There are several types of PhD degrees available in the UK that an individual can pursue. Each of them is tailored with the precision of the respective academic disciplines. 

1. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This is the most common doctoral degree of all that one can pursue in the UK. It emphasises the original research based on a specific field, which culminates in a thesis or dissertation at the end.

2. Professional Doctorates

This type of PhD degree is specifically curated for practitioners working in fields of education (EdD), business (DBA), engineering (EngD), and even healthcare ( Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Clinical Psychology)

3. Integrated PhD

An integrated PhD includes a combination of doctoral study with Master’s level coursework. This allows students to seamlessly enter into a PhD after finishing the Master’s degree without actually having to apply for a PhD in the UK separately. 

4. Joint or Dual PhD

A dual PhD or a Joint PhD consists of a collaborative partnership between international institutions. The candidate is supposed to undertake the research under the tutelage of two universities and get a single doctoral degree from both institutions combined.

5. PhD by Publication 

A PhD by publication is when a candidate, a substantially experienced researcher, is allowed to submit a series of published papers or articles. Along with this, they can also submit a contextualising commentary, which works as a basis for their doctoral thesis.

6. Practice Based PhD

Practice-based PhD candidates are those who pursue fields that require an empirical understanding of the subject. This involves creative arts and design disciplines. This kind of PhD generally involves candidates producing and working on their artistic work and even performances along with their theoretical thesis. 

Top Universities for PhD in the UK

Numerous universities in the UK offer top-notch Ph.D. courses in a diverse range of fields. These academic institutions are a major point of attraction for international students pursuing a Ph.D. Here are some of the top universities in the UK and their prominent Ph.D. programmes.

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1. University of Oxford

QC Ranking: #1 Top PhD Course Offered: DPhil in Computer Science, DPhil Socio-Legal Research Eligibility & Admission Requirements: First class or upper second-class bachelor degree with honors in a relevant discipline and four-year undergraduate degree. First class or upper second class 3-year long bachelor degree along with a Master’s with merit or distinction. Average Tuition Fees: £27,770

At the University of Oxford, students can apply for a PhD in Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Social Sciences, Medicine & Health, Humanities, Computer Science, etc.

2. University of Cambridge

QC Ranking: #3 Top PhD Course Offered: PhD in Biological Sciences Eligibility & Admission Requirements: First-class honours degree from a recognized UK university or from an internationally known institution. A Master’s with distinction and relevant work experience. Average Tuition Fees: £31,515

At the University of Cambridge, one can choose from a plethora of domain options for PhD such as Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Archaeology, Criminology, Computation Cognition and Language, etc.

3. Imperial College London

QC Ranking: #6 Top PhD Course Offered: Business School Master’s in Research (MRes) in Finance/ Management Eligibility & Admission Requirements: Four year long undergraduate degree or a Master’s in relevant field along with a significant GMAT/ GRE score.  Average Tuition Fees: £36,800

The university offers a variety of PhD courses in eclectic domains such as Aeronautics, Bioengineering, Brain Sciences, Immunology and Inflammation, Life Sciences, etc.

4. University of Edinburgh

QC Ranking: #22 Top PhD Course Offered: Doctor of Philosophy, Philosophy MScR Eligibility & Admission Requirements: First or upper second class honors degree in UK or equivalent international institutions. Master’s with excellent scores in relevant subject. Average Tuition Fees:  £26,700

The University of Edinburgh is widely recognised for establishing its cachet as a top business school. It offers a variety of business-oriented Ph.D. courses in the UK, such as Those in Accounting, Business Economics, Finance, Financial Technology, and more.

5. University College London

QC Ranking: #9 Top PhD Course Offered: Management MRes + MPhil/ PhD Eligibility & Admission Requirements: First or upper second class honors degree. Master’s from UK or equivalent from international institutions must have an MA degree. Average Tuition Fees:  £28,900

UCL is one of the leading research and management institutes which offers top research programmes. It also offers PhD and doctoral programmes in Computer Science, Engineering and Technology, Paramedic Science, etc.

Admission Requirements & Criteria 

The admission requirements to enrol for PhD programs in UK depend from university to university, although some common requirements for admission are as follows:

 1. Academic Qualifications ‍

Academic qualifications, which involve the candidate’s previous degrees, including their Master’s or equivalent degree, which is extremely important for a PhD. During some exceptional and rare cases, a student with just a Bachelor’s degree can also be selected based on their skills and previous achievements.

2. Research Proposal

‍ Research proposal plays an important role in getting selected for a PhD course in UK. A well-prepared research proposal that underscores the topic, research questions, methods, and, ultimately, the objective is required during the application process. This document helps the jury assess the feasibility of the proposed research project.

3. References & Letter of Recommendations

References are something which any candidate applying to a PhD program in UK must have. These references should come from professors and previous supervisors who need to attest that the candidate holds high academic abilities research potential, and is best suited for the doctoral program.

4. English Proficiency

‍ English language proficiency is also assessed, especially in the case of PhD in UK for international students. The students whose primary language isn’t English are supposed to demonstrate their proficiency through different tests such as IELTS & TOEFL .

Test Scores Required for PhD in the UK

When one decides to study in the UK, one of the major qualification requirements rises to be is language proficiency. To prove the same, one needs to perform well in exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and many more and score a required grade or band to enrol in their desired course and university.

Application Process

The application process to pursue a PhD degree in the UK is pretty simple. Here is a step by step guide as to how you can apply for your PhD program in the UK.

1. Choose a discipline. Explore what you really wish to pursue and see what all PhD universities in UK are offering.  2. Submit your application to the respective universities and pay the application fee. 3. Submit all the documents and paperwork required by the university. This may vary from university to university.  4. Write down your research proposal and send it in along with all your other documents.  5. Look for a supervisor who can guide you through your research degree.  6. If you are looking for financial aid or scholarships in UK while you pursue your PhD, apply for them at the same time.  7. Wait for the decision from the respective university.

Cost & Tuition Fees for PhD in the UK

The cost and tuition fees for PhD in the UK depends from university to university and course to course. Although, students who come from humble backgrounds can easily apply for various PhD scholarships in the UK to get financial support.

PhD in UK Scholarships

There is a varied range of scholarships that students who wish to accomplish their PhD in the UK can explore. Here is a list of scholarships that one can apply for while planning to pursue PhD programs in UK. Following are the PhD scholarships UK that you should check out:

Career Prospects after PhD in the UK

The UK, being a flourished economy, offers numerous job opportunities to students after they accomplish their PhD degree in the UK. Following are some of the job prospects that you can look after once you have completed your PhD courses in UK. The prospects can be divided into different types such as - Academic Careers, Industry Careers, Government and Public Sector, and much more. Let’s explore the possibilities:

1. Academic Career Opportunities

• Postdoctoral Researcher 
• Lecturer (Entry-Level)
• Senior Lecturer

2. Industry Specific Careers 

• Research Scientist 
• Data Scientist 
• Project Manager

3. Government and Public Sector

• Policy Analyst 
• Government Scientist
• Program Evaluation
• Entrepreneurship

4. Non-Traditional Careers

• Science Writer 
• Scientific Policy Analyst
• Editor (Publishing)
• Global Opportunities

All and all, pursuing a PhD degree in the UK opens up a number of opportunities for students who wish to delve deeper into their area of interest. Expanding their knowledge in the respective fields helps these individuals make significant contributions to the fields of academia, a specific industry, and society as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of opting for phd courses in uk, what is the duration for phd, what describes a student's eligibility to enrol in a phd program in uk, are there fully funded phd programs in uk, is it worth enrolling for a phd course in uk.

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• Postgraduate study

Find out how much your research degree will cost and our approach to the tuition fee-paying period.

View tuition fees alphabetically by department:

Tuition fees for postgraduate research degrees by department

Tuition fees for the degrees of Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Dental Science are available once you have applied and subject to you having met the admission and eligibility criteria.

In common with other UK universities, the University of Sheffield charges different tuition fees depending on whether students are classed as Home or Overseas for fee purposes.

How we assess your fee status

The tuition fee-paying period

The tuition fee-paying period is the period during which full annual tuition fees are payable. This varies between 3 and 4 years for full-time PhDs (6-8 years for part-time PhDs), depending on the source of funding and scope of the research project. 3.5 years is the recommended tuition fee-paying period for most full-time PhDs.

If you're still working on your project between the end of the tuition fee-paying period and the overall time limit (4 years for full-time PhDs, 8 years for part-time PhDs), restrictions may apply .

PhD projects should be designed from the start to ensure that they can be completed within the tuition fee-paying period, as this is the period during which most students also receive a stipend from their funder to support their living costs. You'll discuss and agree the appropriate tuition-fee paying period for your project with your supervisor during the admissions process. Precise details of both the tuition fee-paying period and the overall time limit for the degree will be included in the offer letter.

You can find more information about fee types and tuition fee-paying periods on our Research, Partnerships and Innovation webpages:

Periods of registration

I simply would not have been able to undertake this PhD without the university's funding and I am very grateful to be able to remain in the UK to continue my studies Krissy Moore, Department of Archaeology Doctoral Academy Award recipient

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Postgraduate fees in the uk.

PLEASE NOTE: As a result of Brexit, from Autumn 2021 postgraduate students from the European Union studying at a UK university will be charged the same tuition fees as international students. Meanwhile, UK students studying their postgraduate course at a European university are also likely to incur higher tuition fees than their EU counterparts. It is advisable to check with the individual universities in the UK and Europe for up-to-date information on tuition fees for all postgraduate programs.

Postgraduate fees in the UK vary massively depending on the type of course, where you are from and a myriad of other factors. Postgraduate qualifications, typically, a Masters Degree , Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate , or a PhD , are a popular choice for many students who want to study a particular subject in greater detail. But with so many options it’s easy to get confused about how much a postgraduate degree will cost, what the course fees include and even how long the fees will take to pay. 

So, here at Postgrad, we’ve condensed all the information you need about average postgraduate fees in the UK down to one page.

Here are four of our most frequently asked questions about postgraduate fees, which hopefully will help you on your way to applying for your postgraduate degree.

1. How much will I pay?

The cost of your postgraduate program depends on two main factors; what sort of course you are doing and what country you come from. Remember to take the length of your degree into account too. 

PhDs and masters programs may seem to have similar or the same costs at first, but a PhD usually lasts three years, so you are paying three times the cost of a masters degree. For the same reason, part-time courses can sometimes work out more expensive.

Funding can come from a variety of sources including postgraduate loans , study bursaries and scholarships . 

How much is a masters degree in the UK?

The typical cost of a masters degree in the UK is £11,000, although fees can range from £3,000 to over £30,000 depending on the university, the subject, and the length of study. 

Non-STEM subjects, such as Arts and Humanities that are classroom-based, tend to be cheaper, and STEM subjects like Science and Healthcare are more expensive. Taught masters also differ in cost from research masters, a taught masters will be more expensive because you are charged for the price of the teaching. Specialised degrees like MBAs also tend to cost more. 

How much does a PhD cost? 

Tuition fees for PhDs vary, but the typical cost is between £3,000 and £6,000 per year for UK students. The average cost in 2021/2022 is around £4,500 per year, as this is the indicative rate set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for UK universities. 

EU and International students can expect tuition fees of between £16,000 to £24,000 per year. Non-STEM subjects will generally be at the lower end of the range, whilst STEM subjects will be at the higher end. 

Postgraduate fees

To give you some idea of tuition fees, here is a table examining how most postgraduate fees at Durham University vary according to status and course (prices are per year):

(Source: Durham University)

Durham University is an elite UK university – it is in fact a member of the UK’s highly prestigious Russell Group universities, so their prices tend to lean towards the more expensive side for overseas students.

On average, UK fees for overseas postgraduates are :

• Postgraduate classroom based degree: £16,000 – £20,000 (average £18,000)

• Postgraduate laboratory based degree: £18,500 – £23,000 (average £20,750)

• Postgraduate medical degree: £7,500 – £54,500 (average £31,000)

• MBA £8,500 – £63,000 (average £35,750)

* All figures sourced from the Complete University Guide, Reddin Survey of University Tuition Fees 2021/22. All currency was rounded to the nearest £100. 

How does residency affect postgraduate fees? 

How much you pay in postgraduate tuition fees largely depends on where you are from, as well as what you are studying. As the UK government subsidises part of postgraduate fees through the Higher Education Funding Council, postgraduate fees are slightly lower for British students in British universities. 

From 2021/22, most new entrant EU students will have to pay the same fees as all other international students. Yet there are still some ways for overseas students to escape their overseas premium and pay home student fees. You can find a detailed summary of the conditions here, but the most common exceptions are:

You have been a permanent resident and settled in the UK for at least three years (and the main purpose of this residence was not for education).

You have been granted refugee status.

Those who have applied for asylum (including those not recognised by government legislation, still granted ‘Humanitarian Protection’).

The UK government offers hundreds of scholarships, bursaries and additional financial support to students from several countries. You can visit the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs ) website to find out if you are eligible for a scholarship. 

Once you’ve used this guide to suss whether you have to pay Home or Overseas fees and have got an idea of the kind of fees you could pay, go to the website and prospectus of the universities you like and find out what their fees are. Almost all universities have their fees displayed on their websites, so have a search and find out! 

Many institutions also offer their own financial assistance, and you can check their websites for more information.

2. What am I paying for?

Charges levelled on you by your university usually cover most of your costs, including tuition and use of university resources. Although details vary between institutions, your money usually goes towards paying your teachers (in the case of taught courses), maintaining resources you will draw upon (such as libraries or laboratories) and other miscellaneous costs.

3. What isn't included in the course fees?

You may be expected to pay additional fees if you study a masters or PhD course that is resource intensive (especially in sciences). Laboratory fees are not uncommon and can come in anywhere from £100 to £1,000 per year. Also, course fees often do not include other necessary items such as textbooks, equipment for fieldwork and other items that add up in price.

4. How will I pay for my masters or postgraduate course fees?

Many undergraduate students in the UK have their fees directly paid by the Student Loans Company, meaning they never actually have to organise paying their tuition fees themselves. At postgraduate level however, you are expected to arrange the transfer of money for your fees yourself (unless any sponsors or scholarship committees have agreed to arrange the transfer).

The first thing to consider is that your university may ask you to make a small deposit (usually of around £500) to help clamp down on people dropping out after agreeing to a place. This may be returned to you upon enrolment or completion or discounted from your payment.

There are usually three ways of paying your fees :

A single payment : if you wish to pay all of your fees up front, then you can usually do so. In fact, it is encouraged or even required by some universities. Choose your method of payment carefully: you may be charged if you pay by credit card.

Termly payments : Many universities allow students to pay termly, so that their payments are spread across the year. This is particularly convenient for students who are reliant on scholarship payments that are spread out across the year.

Monthly payments : Select universities allow students to pay tuition monthly, typically by standing order or direct debit. This method may be the most convenient for you, but it can be costly if you cannot pay by standing order and have to make repeated bank transfers or credit card payments.

Please note that some universities require that you pay them from a UK bank account, and if this is the case you will need to open an account promptly before taking your place at a university. 

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PhD Handbook

Cost of Studying PhD in UK for International Students

Pursuing a PhD in the UK is a dream for many international graduate students. It is an excellent opportunity to conduct original and noteworthy research in a specific field or subject and to contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

The cost of a PhD in the UK for international students can vary depending on the university and the subject of study. However, international students can expect to pay higher tuition fees than domestic students. The tuition fees for a PhD in the UK typically range from around GBP 18,250 to GBP 35,500 (INR 18,25,000 to INR 35,50,000) per annum at top universities.

However, some of the universities in the UK precisely accept applications from international students having a 4-year bachelor's (Honors) degree. The cost of a Ph.D. can be separated into three key areas; tuition fees, living expenses, and research expenditures. And the combined cost of these is approximately INR 40,56,000 per year for international students. 

Yocket Premium can help you save money on your PhD in the UK. With Yocket Premium, you get access to a team of experts who can help you find the right Ph.D. program for your needs and budget. Yocket Premium also gives you access to a wide range of scholarships and funding opportunities.

So, if you're planning to go for a Ph.D. program in the UK, we have listed below all the needed details of the cost of doing a Ph.D. in the UK and other required information about the same.

Factors Influencing PhD Tuition Fees UK International Students

International students choose to pursue a Ph.D. in the UK due to many reasons including higher ROI and better education quality. Along with the course fees for Ph.D., students have to bear other expenses as well. Some of the important factors that influence the Ph.D. fees in the UK are mentioned below. 

UK universities Ph.D. fees

Studying at UK universities is a dream that most students have. Given the excellent quality of education and program structure, the fees for UK universities are pretty high. Students will have to spend up to INR 30,42,000  per year on Ph.D. costs UK.

Cost of living in the UK

Students who are pursuing a Ph.D. degree in UK will have to bear all expenses for different living conditions such as food, transportation, study resources, etc. 

Pre and Post Arrival costs to study Ph.D. in the UK

The Ph.D. price UK also contains several pre-arrival expenses such as Visa, Application fees, language test fees, etc. Even after arriving in the UK, students will have to bear the program fees for Ph.D. courses as well as the living costs.

Suggested: What can Indian Students Expect While Studying in UK

Pre-Arrival Expenses to Study Ph.D. in UK 

Included in the Ph.D. fees in the UK for Indian students are the pre-arrival costs. Yes, even before entering the UK, students have to go through some expenses. Students need to understand the budget in areas such as Language Test Scores, Student Visas, flight tickets, etc. These are the one-time expenses that students have to incur before arriving in the UK. 

Flight Ticket 

English language proficiency exam fees.

• UK Student Visa Fees
• Health Insurance Fees

Let’s know these pre-arrival costs in detail:

International students traveling from their respective countries to the UK will have to book a flight to the destination airport in the UK. The cost of flight tickets to the UK is somewhere between GBP 415 to GBP 620 (INR 43,092 - INR 64,380) . 

The cost of a Ph.D. in the UK for international students will also include the IELTS and TOEFL exam fees. These English language proficiency tests are a must for international students belonging to non-English speaking countries. The cost for these exams would be around INR 15,200 . 

 UK Student Visa Fees 

International students also have to apply for their UK student visa to continue with their studies in the UK. The UK student visa application fee is around GBP 339 (INR 35,200) for international students. 

Getting a PhD in the UK is a prestigious achievement, but it can also be expensive. 

Yocket Finance makes it easy and affordable to finance your international education, so you can focus on your studies and achieve your goals.

Health Insurance 

For international students planning to study Ph.D. in the UK, it is important to get their health insurance. The health insurance that you get depends on the length of the Ph.D. program. International students can use the National Health Service ( INR 30,400 for 2 years ) if their program duration is more than 6 months. 

Post Arrival Costs to Study Ph.D. in the UK 

Once you have arrived at your destination location in the UK, you can begin your course. But for that, you have to bear two types of post-arrival expenses. 

Ph.D. Program Fee

To pursue a Ph.D. in the UK, an international student has to pay the annual program fee. To the average cost of a Ph.D. in the UK is around INR 40,56,000 for Indian Students.  

Cost of Living

Student accommodation in the UK stands up to around INR 15,21,000 every year. The expenses include the cost of housing, cost of food, transformation, research costs, etc.

Suggested: Best Ways to Fund Studies in UK for International Students

Fee Structure for Top PhD Universities in UK 

The program fee in UK universities with most international students offering Ph.D. courses is one of the main factors that decide the cost of studying in the UK. The Ph.D. course fees UK range from INR 15,21,000 to INR 35,50,000 based on the location and the university of choice. Here we have given a basic overview of the average Ph.D. fee structure in some of the top universities in the UK. 

Suggested: List of Top 10 Universities for PhD in UK for International Students

PhD Programs Fees n the UK

If you are planning to study Ph.D. in the UK, it is important to know the costs associated with each Ph.D. program offered by UK universities. Mentioned below are some details about the different Ph.D. programs and the annual fees that students have to pay.

Suggested: Know How to Apply for PhD in UK from India

Cost of Living in UK for 2024

Apart from the program fees, students who are pursuing a Ph.D. in the UK will also have to bear their living expenses. These expenses include accommodation, personal spending, eating, and other lifestyle costs. So, the cost of living in the UK depends on the lifestyle choices that students make. Here are some factors for living costs in the UK.

Suggested : A Comprehensive Guide To Ph.D. In London For International Students!

Additional Costs

Some other expenses can be included in the total costs for a Ph.D. in the UK. Some of the details for additional costs are mentioned below. 

Suggested : A Complete Guide to Ph.D. in UK for International Students

From the Desk of Yocket

The cost of a PhD in the UK can be a significant investment, but it is also a valuable one. PhD graduates from UK universities are highly sought-after by employers around the world, and they have the opportunity to make a real impact on their field of study.

The following article provided information about Ph.D. tuition fees in the UK for international students. Applying for a Ph.D. program in the UK is pretty simple if you are familiar with the costs and expenses of living and studying in the UK.

However, there are several other factors to consider when applying for a Ph.D. in the UK, such as the eligibility requirements, the application process, and the different types of funding available. Yocket Premium can help you navigate the entire application process and ensure that you are well-prepared for your PhD journey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cost of Studying PhD in UK

Is it worth it to pursue a Ph.D. in the UK?

Yes, the UK houses some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. So, the options are endless when it comes to Ph.D. universities in the country.

Is a Ph.D. in the UK an expensive program?

When compared to the universities in other countries, the Ph.D. programs in the UK aren't that expensive. On average, a student will have to spend about INR 18,27,000 per year on Ph.D. course fees.

What are the top universities offering Ph.D. courses in UK?

The top universities that offer Ph.D. programs in the UK are: 1) University of Cambridge 2) University of Warwick 3) University of Oxford 4) University of Southampton 5) Newcastle University

Can I get Ph.D. programs in UK for free?

No, there aren’t any free programs available in UK for Ph.D. students. However, UK universities provide scholarships and financial assistance to students who have good academic scores.

Sumeet Jain

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Frequently asked questions.

Tuition fees throughout the United Kingdom vary from University to University. However, the typical cost of PhD tuition for home UK and EU students is around £4,500 per year. These costs are calculated by the Research Councils UK.

How much are PhD fees for international students in the UK?

Fees for studying a PhD in the UK for international students are more expensive and again, vary from University to University but range from anywhere between £14,000 and £30,000.

There are more ways to get funding for a PhD than you might realise. For instance funding bodies may contribute to your course fees and come with a stipend while others help to fund travel expenses.

These funding bodies all have their own criteria for deciding who gets funding and what level of PhD funding they are eligible to receive. For instance these bodies can include the Research Councils who invest around £400 million into PhD research each and every year. Other funding bodies come in the shape of academic institutions such as colleges and universities and charities and trusts.

You have to weigh up the benefits of a PhD for yourself. Your career advancement may depend on having the qualification but for most jobs a PhD is unnecessary. However, it should be noted that those with a PhD earn on average around 26% more than those who attend university but have not obtained a PhD.

When you are thinking about studying for a PhD, especially as you will be studying for three or four years, you will be thinking about how much does a PhD cost in the UK and where you could find funding. Below is important information that you should consider before beginning your study.

What does a UK PhD studentship usually cover?

If you are a UK (and sometimes an EU student) you may be able to apply for full funding for your PhD in the form of a PhD studentship which will pay you a tax free sum to cover your fees, and a living stipend. EU students sometimes receive the fees but not the stipend.

You will generally need to be studying full-time to receive a studentship like this. If the PhD studentship comes from University funds it is likely to be for the same or a similar amount. These are tax free sums which pay you enough to live in most parts of the UK – and you also qualify for student discounts.

Some universities also make some PhD funding available for overseas students. If you will only be partly funded, or you cannot get funding, as well as the fees, here are some of the other costs you need to think about, for each of the years of your PhD.

Living costs – including accommodation and family into your over cost of getting a PhD

If you are living at home your costs will be less than if you have to move and find accommodation. If you do have to do this, the university may have postgraduate accommodation that is not too expensive. It may help you find other PhD students you may be able to share with.

If you are hoping to bring your partner or dependents with you whilst you are studying check with the University. They will have policies to see what family accommodation they have available for students.

Most university websites give an indication of the general cost of living, including accommodation, in that area. These costs can be different depending on where you study in the UK.

Your travel costs will be to and from campus, either every day or the days you need to be there. If you are studying away from home these will be additional occasional costs too. If you are travelling by car, you may be able to park for free on campus but they may charge.

Whilst you are studying

As a PhD student, there may well be conferences you either need, or want, to attend whilst you are studying. Student registration costs are less than the Academic cost, but you will still need to travel, and perhaps stay over. Many academic departments have travel funds for PhD students, but the number you can attend may vary. Always check this first before you book if you are likely to want to attend conferences.

Clubs and Societies

Many universities have specific clubs and societies for PhD students. Some social and others that may be related to your subject area. Some that are run to offer general support and to bring PhD students together. Your academic department or by a central graduate school run these. They can be a great opportunity to make friends, but also to look for support and share experiences with other PhD students. They can be a really important part of your time as a PhD student. Some can also help you with networking and development. Some of these clubs and societies will be free, but others may charge a subscription which you will need to take into account.

One good thing about being a student is the discounts you get with your student status – remember to get the right cards and registration from the University when you start and find out about the local shops and services where you can use them to reduce at least some of the costs of doing your PhD.

Although the cost of studying for a PhD may seem daunting, the benefits, both whilst you are studying and in the future for your career and development, can be really important, whether you pursue an academic career or move into industry.

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Getting an academic job

A PhD is often used as a stepping-stone into the world of academia - here's how you can get started with landing your first academic job at a UK or overseas university

What academic employment opportunities are available?

According to HESA's Graduate Outcomes data and statistics 2020/21 , a fifth (21.3%) of PhD graduates were employed as either higher or secondary education teaching professionals 15 months after completing their Doctorates.

While the majority pursue careers outside of academia, a range of roles are available to work in universities, including:

• Academic researcher - May also be referred to as a research fellow, research associate, postdoctoral researcher or postdoc, this fixed-term research position often acts as a stepping stone from studying your PhD into a research career. While you may just be able to continue your research, more experienced academic researchers may split their time between research activities and teaching at the university. You'll need to be adept at research methodology, analysing data and critical thinking. A PhD in a relevant area is usually an essential requirement for this post.
• Teaching associate - To kickstart your academic career you could take up a position leading on lectures and seminars for undergraduate or postgraduate programmes. You'd be supporting module leaders in preparing teaching and assessment materials and may be asked to mark assignments. Some teaching associates work on a freelance basis before landing a full-time position.
• Higher education lecturer /Senior lecturer - Your main responsibility lies with supporting students along their academic journeys. Your duties will focus on delivering lectures, assessing the academic work of students and acting as a mentor to others. Depending on the department, you may also be involved with creating courses and carrying out research. As you progress to a senior role, you may get involved in the strategic decision-making of the department, while using your extensive research and teaching experience to publish high-level academic papers and journals.
• Professor - At senior management level you'll lead on innovation and change in teaching practices for the department and university, primarily involved in strategic development and enhancing the student experience. You'll require a Doctoral degree in a relevant area and a strong background in research, as well as previous experience of academic leadership.
• Head of department - This senior leadership role involves managing teams within the department and developing relationships with external stakeholders. At this level you'll have a say on the university's overall strategy and its reputation, but you'll still oversee the department's day-to-day research and teaching operations.
• Dean - This high-ranking academic leadership position involves being head of all other university departments, with responsibility for recruiting key members of staff. As the dean is looked upon to maintain and improve the quality of academic teaching at the institution, it requires a unique set of skills and experience. With a strong track record for teaching and innovation, you'll give the go-ahead to complex projects and lead on the future direction of the university.

What does an academic job involve?

Tasks vary according to job title, but may include:

• administrative work
• analysing data and preparing reports
• applying for Research Council funding
• marking and assessing work
• presenting work at conferences and seminars
• teaching in lectures and seminars
• writing up research and publishing the findings.

As detailed in comparing UK universities , the Research Excellence Framework (REF) assesses the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Universities therefore work in a competitive environment and are under pressure to recruit the best possible staff. In turn, this increases the burden on academic staff, with many expected to hit performance targets.

How much do academics earn?

Typical salaries for academic positions include:

• academic researcher - £27,000 to £44,000
• research assistant - £30,800
• higher education lecturer - £35,000 to £50,000
• senior higher education lecturer - £40,000 to £60,000
• professor - £78,500.

More than half (57%) of full-time academics had an annual salary greater than £46,718 in 2020/21, while just over a fifth (21%) were in the highest salary band of £62,727 or over (HESA).

How do I get an academic job in the UK?

It's difficult to gain a permanent academic job immediately after graduation. The traditional entry point for PhD graduates is as a research assistant or research fellow. However, these roles aren't renowned for their job security.

Short-term contracts are usually offered, lasting from three months to three years. It's not uncommon for a research assistant or fellow to spend years working on a temporary contract before being offered a permanent role.

Universities typically advertise academic positions on their websites. If you have a clear idea about where you want to work, try contacting the institution directly. You'll also find academic jobs online at Jobs.ac.uk - Research assistant jobs .

Having previous teaching experience will help your application, and universities often make teaching opportunities available to PhD students. Getting your work and name well-known is an excellent means of kickstarting your academic career. So, try to get articles published in high-quality journals and actively engage with other academics through collaborations and attending conferences.

The University of Manchester notes that successful academics must possess skills in:

• presentation
• time management.

If you're interested in academic jobs abroad, see our work abroad and study abroad pages to discover what it's like to get a job in a specific country and its higher education provision.

How do I apply for an academic job?

When applying for jobs in academia, it's important that your CV showcases your academic experience.

You must also provide clear evidence of your research and a plan of how you wish to develop this in future. As with most jobs, it's important to get your application in as early as possible.

An academic CV is essential when looking to apply for roles such as a higher education lecturer or anything that's research based.

You'll therefore need to ensure that your academic achievements plus research interests and any specialist skills are featured on the first page.

While there may be no page limit, keep your CV concise and targeted to the specific requirements of the role. Each section should be in reverse chronological order.

In terms of your writing style, it should be scholarly but still easily comprehensible for those unfamiliar with your field of interest.

Be sure to include information about the outcomes of your research, potential future developments, and any funding you've received, events you've attended, professional memberships you hold and publications you've been in.

Please note, if you're a postgraduate but not looking for an academic career, your CV should follow an alternative layout - see our CVs and cover letters section.

Find out more

• Discover what other Doctorate graduates do at your PhD, what next?
• Consider a career in teaching and education .
• Read our advice on getting a job .

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• Queen Mary University of London
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• PhD Tuition fees

PhD tuition fees

Students enrolling on a postgraduate degree programme are charged tuition fees each year by Queen Mary University of London. The rate you will be charged depends on  whether you are assessed as a Home or Overseas student .

2024-25 Tuition Fees 

Home students beginning their PhD in September 2024 (or later) will be charged the following tuition fees:

• £4,786  for full-time research degrees 
• £2,393 for part-time research degrees 

2023-24 Tuition Fees 

Home students beginning their PhD in September 2023 (or later) will be charged the following tuition fees:

• £4,712 for full-time research degrees 
• £2,356 for part-time research degrees 

Tuition fees for Home students are set by UK Research Council (UKRI) and each year UKRI usually increases their fee and stipend levels in line with inflation. Further information can be found on the  UKRI website .

For international students (this now includes EU students), the tuition fees for 2023-24 and 2024-25 entry can be downloaded below:

2023-24 PGR Tuition Fees [PDF 436KB]

PGR 2024-25 Tuition Fees [PDF 133KB]

Some postgraduate courses may include an additional charge known as a fee band. This is to cover associated costs including equipment, laboratory consumables, specialist technical support, data processing, training and travel. You will be notified at the point of offer if a fee band is applicable.

Please note that fees are quoted at the full-time/part-time rate for the academic year you’ve applied for.  If you begin your study part-way through the academic year then your first tuition fee payment will be calculated on a pro-rata basis

You may also be interested in

Information on how to pay

Instalment Plan

If your fees are more than £1,000 per year, you can pay in instalments. 

Fee status determines the rate of fees throughout studies at Queen Mary.

University Fee Regulations

Our regulations are updated every year, you can access a list of present and past University fee regulations here

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Will the funding crisis confine UK research to elite universities?

At a time of increasing financial constraint, jobs are being shed even in uk departments that ride high in the research excellence framework, while time allocations for research are being cut. can a loss-making activity like research survive outside traditional institutions, asks jack grove .

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The mood was bleak when Les Back visited the sociology department at Goldsmiths, University of London recently, where he had spent almost 40 years as student and lecturer. It was February and brutal job cuts had just been announced at the south London university, which, at the time, was expected to require 130 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff to leave , equivalent to one in six staff.

That number has since been reduced to 97 , but the axe will fall particularly heavily on sociology: “It’s facing a 50 per cent FTE reduction,” says Back, who left Goldsmiths in 2022 in protest at a previous round of redundancies and is now head of sociology at the University of Glasgow .

“To see 30 years of accumulated expertise wiped out so quickly is just heartbreaking,” he says of the latest proposed redundancies – concentrated in the Schools of Arts and Humanities; Culture and Society; and Professional Studies, Science and Technology – which have sparked ongoing industrial action .

In the current financial climate of high inflation, frozen English tuition fees and declining international enrolments following the government’s ban on master’s students bringing dependants into the country, grim stories about large-scale job cuts at UK universities are all too familiar. Dozens of institutions have adopted major redundancies , restructures and course closures; most recently, alll staff with more than two years experience at the University of Northampton were invited to take voluntary severance as a result of a steep fall in international enrolments and a projected deficit of £19.3 million .

With each redundancy round, departments and lives have been upended, with ever more people cast on to a dire academic jobs market. But Goldsmiths’ treatment of sociology has an added significance, insists Back.

“For most of my career, UK academia has operated on the premise that research excellence would be recognised and supported wherever it was found,” he explains. “That is the meritocratic idea that underlies the Research Excellence Framework: it gives money on the basis of excellence regardless of location or type of institution. In turn, universities are encouraged to look after these pockets of excellence.”

But sociology is arguably Goldsmiths’ best-known department, ranking 13th in the 2021 REF by grade point average and seventh on research power owing to its large size. It was joint first by GPA in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise . For Back, the department’s fate illustrates that “meritocracy has been broken because, in some universities, it doesn’t matter if you’re a brilliant researcher or not. You just won’t be able to do research because the current conditions have made it unviable,” he argues.

With UK universities incurring a shortfall of £5 billion a year on the research they undertake, it is undeniably becoming harder to support research at all types of institution given the pressure on the teaching income that traditionally met the research shortfall. But the funding gap is hitting medium-sized universities such as Goldsmiths particularly hard, says Back. Following the previous government’s decision to lift domestic student number quotas – a process that began in 2012 and was completed by 2016 – he notes that many Russell Group institutions have been able to shore up their finances by significantly expanding domestic recruitment – to the detriment of what some have called the “ squeezed middle ” of UK universities.

“It has played out exactly as we said it would,” he says of the move to uncapped recruitment.

That view is perhaps borne out by the long list of universities announcing redundancy plans in recent months. While several newer entrants to the Russell Group (Durham, Exeter, York and Queen Mary University of London ) are cutting posts, it is either mid-sized research universities (Bradford, Hull, Keele, Kent and Surrey ) or former polytechnics with previously growing research reputations (Middlesex, Northumbria , Huddersfield and Portsmouth ) that dominate the list of downsizers.

Even if hefty job cuts are avoided, some academics may wonder if more insidious threats to research will make it impossible for them to thrive outside the large research-intensives. In March, Kent – home to the country’s top history department on GPA in the 2021 REF and the second-best law school – made waves by outlining plans to cut staff research time to a “baseline” of 20 per cent – half the level found in the typical 40:40:20 split between teaching, research and administration, respectively.

Academics at other smaller research universities have claimed that such a policy is already in place there, with rising teaching loads making it impossible for scholars to devote two full days a week to research unless they have external grants that, in effect, buy them out of some teaching duties.

But does austerity alone explain why institutions are cutting back on research? For some affected by proposed cuts, there is a feeling that financial woes are being used, in part, as an excuse to reset the essence of their institutions – in some cases, returning them to their roots as polytechnics, in which research was a niche exercise.

“In the last REF, our department had the best output scores in the entire university, but we’ve been explicitly told quality won’t be a factor in whether we’re cut or not,” according to one professor at an under-threat humanities department – who, like many Times Higher Education spoke to for this article, does not wish to be named given the precarity of his position. “The only thing that matters is the income we bring into the university.”

He notes that his department brings in enough to cover salaries but not the required 50 per cent surplus to cover broader central administration costs. “There is no black hole in our accounts and we’re charging £18,000 a year to our international students, so it feels like a strategic decision [to cut his department] has been taken at a higher level, even if it means writing off a big block of income,” he says.

At another “squeezed middle” university, even research groups with a track record of winning large grants are not being spared, adds a professor there. This is partly because of “ridiculous” cost models that deem researchers a drain on resources by virtue of their working on campus. “If I get a grant, this will allow me to employ a postdoc, but my institution claims it will cost it £80,000 a year in heating, lighting and other central costs for that person to occupy an office, as opposed to leaving it empty,” the professor says. “Who can really break even on research in this situation? No funder is going to cover these sorts of costs.”

Such shortfalls might have once been met by the £2 billion in quality-related (QR) funding paid to English universities alone every year, dependent on their showing in the REF. Yet doubts about whether this funding stream still has much influence over departments’ fates are underlined by a departmental head who tells THE : “REF money only makes a difference if you’re [in the] top five. Otherwise, it’s only helpful to indicate you’re doing a good job.”

Another issue with QR funding is that while it is calculated on the basis of departmental performance, “it is very scattered – it’s paid to the whole university, so you can’t really rely on it,” says a research leader in social sciences, whose department is also facing cuts. Still, QR was previously “useful” to the department “because, as our university’s top REF unit, we’d tell the rest of our school, which did a lot of teaching, ‘You keep the teaching score up and we’ll look after the research – we’ll get the department noticed’,” he says. However, that “amazing relationship” is now “broken because we’ve been told that research quality doesn’t matter and it basically comes down to how expensive you are”.

Some see in this apparent indifference to research quality a move away from former polytechnics’ post-1992 aspirations to compete with and be judged against existing universities on the latter’s traditional turf – a change accelerated by the emergence of other indicators of esteem in which non-traditional universities can excel, such as the Teaching Excellence Framework and, indeed, the REF’s adoption of impact as one of its metrics (currently worth 25 per cent of total scores) in 2014.

“In the decade or so after polys became universities, it seemed there was money to support excellence,” observes one humanities professor. “This time feels different – it seems that post-92s aren’t trying to win on [research] quality any longer and are putting everything they’ve got into impact, where they’re able to chart a lot higher.”

Those shifting institutional priorities may help to explain why some universities – and not only former polytechnics – have been willing to impose substantial cuts on what could be regarded as their best research units. In May, for instance, the Royal Historical Society publicly protested against plans by the University of Lincoln to cut one in four staff members in its history department, which finished in joint 18th place by GPA in the 2021 REF, ahead of universities such as Bristol, Cambridge and Edinburgh. The cuts are part of a reported 220 planned redundancies, over which Lincoln staff have voted to strike .

Surrey’s world-leading linguistics research unit – the Surrey Morphology Group – has also been earmarked for cuts, while Kingston University ’s acclaimed Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy has been put under review a little over a decade after it moved to Kingston from Middlesex after the latter closed its philosophy department. Even prestige research institutes – such as the national nuclear facilities hosted by Huddersfield – are not safe, with the West Yorkshire institution seeking to cut 200 jobs , 12 per cent of its workforce.

Where might this road lead? Clearly, there are many possibilities depending on how policy, funding and economic conditions develop under the new Labour government. But one of the possible scenarios recently mapped out for the Higher Education Policy Institute by former Sheffield Hallam vice-chancellor Sir Chris Husbands is very relevant here.

“There is no realistic way through the issues facing English universities without thinking about the future shape and size of the sector,” Husbands said in early June. And whoever won the general election would “need to think hard about the higher education the [UK] needs and is willing to support”.

One of the broad scenarios he envisages would see the government accept that financial constraints meant it “could not afford all the research it, or the sector, wanted”, leading it to impose a “sharp differentiation” between a small number of institutions in which research was fully funded and a much larger number of universities focused on teaching, employability and research translation.

Elaborating on this “history” of a possible future, Husbands writes : “In looking for an objective measure to determine the reshaping, [the government] deployed REF outcomes…If institutional REF income would be less than a set figure (either per member of staff or as an institutional minimum), then the institution secured no QR funding.” That left two possible funding sources for non-research universities: Innovate UK for translational research and a specific fund for smaller specialist institutions.

As Husbands imagines it, the research institutions collaborated closely with the translational and specialist institutions “to drive regional and local growth, while teaching institutions – many of which had merged with larger [further education] colleges – focused on high-quality professional and academic programmes. These programmes were increasingly delivered flexibly: while the three-year undergraduate degree remained the norm in the small number of research institutions, it was less common across the sector as a whole.”

Back in the present, some see a certain amount of sense in the government’s taking a more proactive approach to the research base. For instance, at a recent symposium organised by the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, former Conservative universities and science minister David (now Lord) Willetts reflected that the size and composition of the UK’s research base is largely decided by the “subject choices of the UK’s 15-year-olds”. By opting to study humanities disciplines at A level and then at degree level, they indirectly force the government to spend billions on research-engaged academics in areas it would probably not otherwise deem top priorities, Willetts observed.

During his time in office, from 2010 to 2014, Willetts embraced the concept of industrial strategy and set out “ eight great technologies ” that he thought UK research should prioritise via a research budget that he helped to maintain at the height of austerity by slashing the teaching budget and tripling undergraduate fees to make up the difference. However, he never proposed imposing a formal stratification of higher education.

Labour’s recent general election manifesto, meanwhile, acknowledged the scale of the university funding problem but was silent on what the party would do about it. However, a party steeped in egalitarianism seems highly unlikely to adopt a solution that involves confining research to “elite” universities.

Still, many universities have taken the view by themselves that greater differentiation is important for their future success.

“They have to find identities, expressions of purpose, which are not simply about being second-best Russell Group institutions, nor upmarket post-92s,” says Ian Pace, professor of music, culture and society at City, University of London , where he is an adviser on interdisciplinarity. “We have to recognise that different universities serve different purposes in this time. We should not feel overly beholden to the essentially Humboldtian model [of researcher-teachers] provided by the Russell Group.”

City’s tagline – “the university for business, practice and the professions” – is an example, says Pace, of how some institutions are “moving in the direction of more regular and extensive engagement with these things” rather than simply chasing research excellence, which is too often defined by getting work in the “right journals”.

“It is important not to devalue [professional] practice, which has been central in some disciplines, especially those relating to medicine and health and many arts,” insists Pace.

Some post-92s are being increasingly strategic about the disciplines in which they conduct research. The University of South Wales , for instance, focuses its research in four areas – “Crime, Security, and Justice”; “Health and Well-being”; “Creative Innovation”; and “Sustainable Environment”: all areas with local relevance. Nottingham Trent University , one of the highest-ranked modern universities in the 2021 REF , at joint 55th by GPA, has also refocused its research around local challenges.

“There are lots of short-term, very focused projects – sometimes citizen science – but we’ve also been starting three-year projects led by PhDs,” explains Richard Emes, the university’s pro vice-chancellor for research on its Co(l)laboratory project, which, with the University of Nottingham , will sponsor 50 PhD students on community-based projects over an eight-year period.

For instance, one PhD project focused on Nottingham’s skateboarding community is considering everything from the higher injury rates among female skaters to how urban planning promotes outdoor activity among young people. “That’s a project that could help make cities more open, more attractive and safer for everyone,” Emes says.

It is, however, important that this kind of innovative, community-engaged research is properly recognised by universities as its results might not appear in a prestigious international journal, continues Emes.

“If you write a policy paper that is picked up by national or local governments, it could be really significant, so we now have different ways to reward that,” he says of Nottingham Trent’s “teaching and practice” career pathway, introduced in 2016 to “allow people to thrive through activities that aren’t traditional research outputs, such as knowledge exchange or consultancy”. Emes also calls on the REF to recognise locally engaged research; currently, “below nationally recognised” research is unclassified in terms of quality, while impact with limited “reach and significance” is also marked down.

The importance of locally focused research is stressed by Lincoln vice-chancellor Neal Juster. He notes that certain UK regions have long suffered from being “cold spots” for both higher education and research. And, notwithstanding Lincoln’s proposed job cuts, his view is that, “If R&D is exclusively concentrated in a handful of research-intensive universities in big cities, you are basically preventing whole swathes of the country from participating in the knowledge economy.”

For instance, Lincoln’s PhD students and researchers will often set their minds to challenges affecting Lincolnshire’s economy – from the competitiveness of its agricultural sector to the vitality of its tourist trail, centred on Lincoln’s medieval cathedral and International Bomber Command Centre, which has been visited more than 500,000 times since opening in 2018, says Juster. “It’s really important for us to have research that is fundamental to the county in which we live,” he says.

Lincoln’s annual research income is “relatively small” compared with the big research-intensives, but a “laser-like focus” on supporting areas of comparative strength means that Lincoln can punch above its weight in many areas, Juster believes. “There is no other agritech research group that is as good as ours,” he insists, adding that these clusters of excellence help to create “haloes” that drive industry investment. (Lincoln was 19th by GPA in the agriculture, food and veterinary sciences unit in the 2021 REF.)

Without a research-engaged university such as Lincoln – which moved its main campus from Hull in 2002 – the high-tech firms providing highly skilled and well-paid jobs will go elsewhere, Juster says. “If you’re not doing research, you’re a further education college – not a university. Our colleges do a great job, but this county has a big skills deficit and that means it needs not just apprentices but graduates, postgraduates and PhD graduates, too,” he says.

Leaving research to the Russell Group would be a huge mistake, agrees Glasgow’s Back, as it would hugely diminish the richness of UK research. “If you look at London’s most famous global institutions, they have some incredibly bright people, but they are fairly placeless – they’re globally orientated and don’t engage with their communities in same way as somewhere like Goldsmiths does,” he argues.

Still, the pressure to cut back on loss-making activities such as research is only going to get stronger unless the new government gets to grips with university funding. Nottingham Trent’s Emes has “worked in academic groups at Oxford, UCL and Nottingham, so I’ve seen both sides of the sector – we are all in a really difficult place, and it will be hard to manage our way through”.

And Back fears that university management’s reaction to the funding pressures could push the UK towards a Husbands-style scenario without the need for government fiat.

“I fear we’re moving to a hierarchical system where only scholars at elite institutions will research,” he says. “It is creating a whole reserve army of brilliant minds who will never realise their full potential. It is such a mistake because it will take years to rebuild what’s being lost.”

The post-92 premium

As a high-profile expert in early childhood development, cognitive neuroscientist Sam Wass could take his £2 million in research grants to any number of grateful university employers.

So it might surprise some that Wass – best known as a talking head on the award-winning Channel 4 series The Secret Life of 4-, 5- and 6-Year-Olds – chose to set up shop at the University of East London (UEL) after leaving the University of Cambridge in 2013.

One reason for his relocation was the access he would have to a more socially diverse group of children: his BabyDevLab tracks how stress in early life affects brain development, and Newham, where UEL is based, is the third most socially deprived of London’s 32 boroughs.

Another reason was the support he gets from UEL. In Cambridge, “with so many researchers, administrators are very overloaded”, he says. “It might take three or four weeks to get a response [to a query]. You’re also asked to submit grant applications at least three weeks in advance of the deadline due to this pressure.”

In contrast, he often has one-to-one meetings with UEL’s research team, who provide invaluable last-minute support on grant applications. “Having someone working on my grant on the day of submission is very useful,” reflects Wass, who holds a five-year research fellowship from the European Research Council and has previously won major grants from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy.

Securing large, prestigious grants also has a greater institutional impact at UEL, which gained university status in 1992, than it would at Cambridge, Wass continues. “It feels like you’re making a difference at your institution. UEL is very motivated to support my research, which aligns with its ethos of helping young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” he says.

Wass involves students in his centre’s research, and since many of them are from Newham, they have been able to offer valuable insights into issues faced by local children and parents. “I grew up in east London, as did many of my team. It does make a difference when the questions are set by members of the community – you don’t really get that with big, higher-profile universities, where students come from all over the UK and the world,” says Wass, who notes that local authorities and housing associations are also highly engaged with UEL, sometimes providing funding for projects.

Of course, the financial firepower of older and richer universities such as Cambridge provides certain advantages. “The standard teaching load is often lower, so everyone has the chance to do research,” says Wass. “At less research-intensive universities, if you don’t have a teaching buyout, then it can be trickier to strike a balance between the demands of teaching and developing research bids.”

On the flip side, the amount of teaching time that a successful grant bid buys you out of can be higher at modern universities, Wass adds. And while funding pressures inevitably persist, Wass has little doubt that his move away from Cambridge was the right one.

“Few other people have made this kind of move,” he concedes, “but it’s been crucial for making me feel connected to my research and for giving me the freedom and access to harder-to-reach communities that I need.”

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What Is Pre-Workout and Should You Be Using It?

Here's everything you need to know, from the benefits to the best pre-workout supplements you can buy

Don't believe in the power of pre-workout? Well, a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reported that combining pre-workout with HIIT sessions resulted in significant increases in VO2 max, training volume and lean body mass, while also speeding up the rate at which moderately trained recreational athletes lost body fat .

Still, if you decide to get in on the pre-workout action yourself, you'll want to know how to do it safely and smartly. That's why we've created a one-stop guide, which includes insight from a professional sports nutritionist, as well as the pros and cons of supplementing your nutrition with every lifter's favourite pick-me-up.

You'll also find a guide to the products that can give you a natural pre-workout boost, plus the best pre-workout supplements money can buy, as tested by Men’s Health . Consider this article your pre pre-workout.

How We Test Pre Workout

To help you find the best pre-workout supplements — whether you’re looking for a powerful energy kick or a gentle caffeine-free boost — we enlisted a panel of sports nutritionists to put a range of market-leading products to the test as part of our 2024 Men's Health Sports Nutrition Awards .

They assessed each pre-workout based on the quality of ingredients, nutritional make-up and formulation. Judging was extremely stringent and only the ones that really impressed were put forward for further testing back at Men's Health HQ.

Our panel of fitness fanatics, editors and food testers then rated each pre-workout on flavour, texture, aroma and ease of use. We also tested them over a period of a few weeks to see how they impacted athletic performance. After all that, feedback was analysed, and final scores were awarded. The products above with the esteemed Sports Nutrition Awards logo are our winners and have passed our rigorous assessments. Here are our seven winners.

The 7 Best Pre-Workout Supplements

Myprotein Pre-Workout Gummies

If you aren’t a fan of guzzling gallons of pre-workout before a session, these juicy sweets, which taste just like fruit pastilles, are a solid choice. One recommended serving (four gummies) provides a gentle 20mg-caffeine punch – ideal for PM workouts and those sensitive to caffeine – along with L-citrulline to help increase endurance and B vitamins to delay fatigue.

Warrior Rage Pre-Workout Energy Shot

No time to scoop, stir and shake en route to the gym? No problem. Swig one of these convenient shots to get you ready to smash that elusive PB. The punchy tropical flavour and smooth consistency made it easy to knock back in a hurry, and the 200mg caffeine dosage was spot on, helping our lifters kick-start their sessions, without causing jitters or itchy breakouts. The shot also contains the usual recovery-enhancing suspects: beta-alanine and vitamins B6 and B12.

PhD Charge Pre-Workout Powder

This potent pre-workout contains an impressive list of active ingredients that have been scientifically proven to aid performance. We’re talking 200mg of caffeine for an explosive hit of energy, plus beta-alanine, BCAAs and creatine to increase focus, buffer soreness and promote muscle growth. Sure enough, it kept our testers pushing hard, even during their most demanding sets, and they raved about the zingy lemon flavour, which was a treat to chug as they hyped themselves up ahead of training.

Optimum Nutrition Pre-Workout

Another ultra-convenient option, ON’s gold standard shot got the golden seal of approval from our nutritionist and our panel. It’s filled with a whole lot of good stuff – 175mg of caffeine, vits B6 and B12 and beta-alanine – to help you power through your sessions, even when you're feeling sluggish.

Protein Works Raze Extreme

We’re huge fans of Protein Works here at MH , so it’s no surprise that the brand’s pre-workout passed our tests with flying colours. It’s easy to use – simply mix with water – and contains a punchy 200mg of caffeine, 3.5g of creatine (to help avoid injury), 1.5g of beta-alanine (to protect against lactic acid build up and delay muscle fatigue) and EnXtra® (to intensify the effects of the caffeine). It also features a blend of vitamins C, B6, B9 and B12 to combat tiredness.

The impact on our panel's performance was impressive, facilitating faster runs and successful weights sessions. It’s probably best suited to experienced pre-workout users, however, as one tester said it made them feel quite jittery. Though on the artificial side, everyone enjoyed the sweet blue raspberry flavour. Beast mode, incoming...

Foodspring Energy Aminos

Give your AM reps a fighting chance with Foodspring’s top quality pre-workout formula. Fruity and sweet, its strong mix of ingredients includes an optimal dose of vitamins C, B3 and B12 along with plant-based BCAAs to see off those sluggish mornings. It also contains piperine (a compound found in black pepper), which is linked to enhanced strength and endurance.

The 171mg caffeine hit gave our testers a noticeable energy boost and they found the light berry flavour enjoyable and refreshing, but not overwhelming.

If you’re new to the world of pre-workout supps, this is a good one to go for – our testers reported ‘a nice clean buzz’, with no unpleasant side effects.

Myprotein THE Pre-Workout

Don’t let the luminous yellow colour of this pre-workout put you off. With 200mg of caffeine, plus creatine, L-glutamine and vitamin B6, it contains a host of energy-boosting ingredients designed to fight of fatigue and get you in gear for your workout.

It made a big impression on our testers, who said it delivered a surge of energy before their sessions and helped with post-workout DOMS. It also scored top points for its mixability and texture, which made it quick and easy to gulp down. The Berocca-esque orange mango and passionfruit flavour is one for those with a sweet tooth, while grape is a popular choice too.

What Does Pre-Workout Do?

If you don't fuel yourself properly before exercises or hard workouts, you'll be less energised, weaker and will tire faster than normal. That's a fact. Pre-workout is designed to help fight this and keep you going harder, for longer. While the supplement can be taken in a variety of formats — from meals to shakes to pills and more — they're all designed to boost energy levels and increase focus.

For many, pre-workout supplements are usually mixed with a drink and taken around 30 minutes before the beginning of a workout. By giving your body extra carbohydrates, it helps raise blood sugar levels and supply additional energy during exercise. In short, they're much more energising than a banana or a black coffee .

What's In Pre-Workout

As a pre-workout is designed to help you cruise through a particularly tough workout, it shouldn't be a surprise to learn that they supply your system with sugar, caffeine and other energy-boosting stimulants.

And it pays to read the ingredients label before you invest in a fresh pot of pre-workout. Caffeine is the key ingredient to look out for as the content can vary from mild to way too much, and in extreme cases, high levels of caffeine can cause some pretty serious health issues such as anxiety, insomnia and high blood pressure.

For most men, pre-workout is a safe supplement to take, but even at the safe end of the spectrum, its side effects can still cause jitters, itching and interrupted sleep , which are harmless but still uncomfortable. Our advice: if you're new to pre-workout, go for half doses to begin with and see how your body reacts.

Pre-Workout Ingredients To Look Out For

Creatine Monohydrate: A popular supplement among gym-goers, creatine is included in many pre-workouts due to its potential to increase muscle power and performance during training.

BCAAs: Branch chain amino acids have been found to improve endurance during a workout and increase strength by maintaining cellular energy and supporting protein synthesis.

Taurine: Found in various animal meats, taurine is a sulfonic acid that contributes to the metabolism of fats and fights oxidative stress during workouts.

B-vitamins : Vitamins B1, B2 B5, and B6 all play important roles in energy production and efficiency, while vitamin B12 supports blood production and vitamin B3 boosts DNA repair and promotes healthier skin.

NO2-boosters (ex. Arginine, Citrulline): Arginine, for example, is a nitrogen dioxide booster and an amino acid that acts as a 'vasodilator'. Essentially, arginine (and other similar nitrogen dioxide supplements) expands your veins and arteries, making it easier for blood to flow around your body, delivering nutrients quicker and more efficiently.

Pre-Workout Ingredients To Avoid

Research published in Food and Chemical Toxicology cited that 400mg of caffeine a day is the upper limit for adults. What does this mean to you? One cup of instant coffee contains 60-80mg of caffeine , but high street flat whites contain anything between 65mg at Pret A Manger and 160mg at Starbucks.

Some pre-workout brands spill over the recommended daily dose. ProSupps Mr Hyde NitroX pre-workout, for example, houses an uncomfortable 410mg of caffeine in a 7.5g scoop.

As sports nutritionist Matt Lovell points out, there are definitely some pre-workout products you should actively avoid. ‘I would say any speed cousins, amphetamine cousins. Some pre-workouts basically contain ecstasy. Or close to it,’ he says.

Is Pre-Workout Dangerous?

Broadly speaking, pre-workout supplements — such as the products we've listed below — are safe to take on a regular basis when following the manufacturer's instructions. Of course, when it comes to ingesting caffeine, we all have different thresholds and with some brands tipping over a sensible limit of caffeine content, it can become a risky game.

Bear in mind that figure from the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal: 400mg a day – that's around two to three cups of coffee — is the upper limit for adults, so be sure to check the per-serving caffeine content of your supplement during your next top-up.

How Long Pre-Workout Takes To Kick In

When you start exercising, you want to hit the ground running. You don't want to be waiting around for your pre-workout to kick in, so it's important to find the sweet spot. For most people, the ideal time is around 30 minutes to one hour before your workout — this should give the supplement enough time to hit your bloodstream and amp you up ahead of your session.

Something to consider, however, is the 'half-life' of caffeine. Generally, caffeine has a half-life of around three to seven hours after ingestion. If you're used to training in the evenings, you want to take half the recommended dose or swap it out for a pre-workout alternative.

When To Take Pre-Workout

Like we've mentioned above, most people take pre-workout around 30 minutes to one hour before they work out, but just because it's called pre-workout that doesn't necessarily mean you have to take it prior to your workout. ‘For longer sessions, you could delay until an hour into the session,’ suggests Lovell. Always refer to the label of your pre-workout for specifics.

Should You Take Pre-Workout Every Day?

If you continue to take pre-workout on a regular basis, your body can build up a tolerance to its effects, which is why Lovell advises cycling the supplement or coming off it for six to eight weeks at a time to give your body a chance to reset. ‘Cycling is the way forward,’ he says. ‘Also get some stimulant-free ones [that] you can use most days or just some plain old tyrosine, which is a very good budget pre-workout.’

Can You Use Coffee as a Pre-Workout?

As we've mentioned, coffee and pre-workout share a common primary ingredient: caffeine. Found to have an effect on improving athletic performance, coffee also doesn't contain the additives and additional ingredients that other pre-workout supplements may have. Studies have shown that caffeine concentration peaks at about 45 minutes after ingestion, with effects lessening thereafter.

Simply put — yes, you can use coffee as a pre-workout.

The Pros and Cons of Taking Pre-Workout

• Improved performance: Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that pre-workout supplements 'have promise as an ergogenic aid for active individuals.' Or, in other words, they enhance the performance of people who already exhaust the gym.
• Increased concentration and focus: Pre-workout is packed with caffeine, which is know to enhance cognition. As research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found, caffeine works to boost people's arousal, mood and concentration, so if you want to be focused on a workout, pre-workout is the supp for you.
• The University of Córdoba found the citrulline added to pre-workout could add up to 53% more bench press reps in a workout.
• In another study, pre-workout containing citrulline was found to give cyclists a 12% longer ride before hitting exhaustion.
• Negative side effects caused by overstimulation: if the jitters and interrupted sleep we mentioned earlier don't sound like fun, perhaps give pre-workout a miss.
• You can build up a tolerance with overuse: if taken excessively, your body can become immune to pre-workout's effects. To avoid this, it's probably best to save pre-workout for those sessions where it's 'go hard or go home' or try cycling the supplement once in a while.
• It can cause digestion problems: ingredients such as sodium bicarbonate, magnesium, creatine and caffeine can all cause digestion problems. Avoid this by trying different pre-workout supplements until you find one that works for you.
• Scientists have previously linked the original class of energy drinks to diabetes, mental health problems and kidney damage.

Pre-Workout Gels and Tablets

Finding the right pre-workout isn't always about finding the powder that suits you. There are plenty of alternative options you can take before your next training session. For example, there are pre-workout gels, pre-workout pills, pre-workout capsules and pre-workout drinks. We've put a few below:

Myprotein Pre-Workout Gel

If you don't want to be guzzling another fitness-centric drink from a protein shaker, pre-workout gel could be the fix you're after.

Gold Standard Pre-Workout Shot

Prefer your pre-workout in shot form? Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard pre-workout shot is the best we've tasted in a while.

While not strictly a pre-workout capsule, Grenade's Black Ops capsules use caffeine for focus and green tea extract for fat-loss support. Ideal if you're in a calorie deficit.

Natural Pre-Workouts

A cup of black coffee (with or without sugar) before your workout is a great way to up your energy levels.

Rich in starchy carbohydrates, one banana will contain around 14g of sugar, made of glucose and fructose – two sugar types that are ideal for athletic performance. Bananas are also rich in potassium and magnesium , providing electrolytes to your body that — when lost — will cause muscle cramps and fatigue, so it's best to keep your levels topped-up. Each banana will contain around 20-27g of carbohydrates, fuelling your muscles before strenuous exercise.

Coconut Water

Like bananas, coconut water is naturally full of electrolytes. With an improper electrolyte balance leading to muscle cramps, stiffness, nausea, headaches and fatigue, drinking coconut water will help top up your body's electrolyte supply. You'll want to ditch your energy drink too, because coconut water contains more nutrients per serving and up to 25% fewer calories when compared to market-leading sports drinks.

More Supplement Guides

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Priyankaa is our senior health and wellness writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones. Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist ’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges.

She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour , Bustle, Metro , HuffPost UK , gal-dem and more.  

Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills. 

Yanar has spent 15 years as a health and wellness editor and writer for national titles such as Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Runner’s World. Yanar is a 580-hour yoga therapist, 200-hour yoga teacher and level 3 personal trainer at Yanar Mind & Movement. After years of running races and marathons, she discovered CrossFit and Olympic lifting in her mid-30s and fell in love with training and competing. She now advocates strength training for women to build a stronger body for life and the benefits of nervous system regulation for better physical and mental health. When not training, teaching or writing, she can be found experimenting in the kitchen.

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Phd-Study-In-Uk

• Applying for a PhD in the UK

Written by Mark Bennett

Planning on applying for a PhD in the UK? This guide covers what’s required to get onto a UK PhD programme and how to submit your application.

UK universities

There are over 150 universities in the UK. The vast majority are public universities , meaning that they receive funding (including budgets for PhD studentships) from the UK Government. All British universities are free to pursue their own research objectives, but the amount of funding each institution receives is partly based on regular assessments of its performance as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) .

A small number of private universities also operate in the UK. They tend to specialise in specific subjects, such as Business or Law.

UK countries

The four parts of the UK each have slightly different higher education systems:

• England is home to the majority of the UK's universities, including the two oldest ( Oxford and Cambridge )
• Scotland is home to 15 of the UK's universities, including four 'ancient universities' ( St Andrews , Glasgow , Aberdeen and Edinburgh ) dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
• Wales has eight universities, all of which are public institutions, dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
• Northern Ireland has two universities, each of which operates multiple campuses

The governments of each part of the UK have powers to decide on higher education policy, including fees and funding. But, in practice, PhD research works pretty similarly across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The country that's best for you will depend on the research opportunities available at specific universities.

UK university groups

Some UK universities are organised – officially or unofficially – into different groups. Here are some of the more common ones you may come across, together with what they mean:

• The Russell Group is an association of 24 universities across the UK. The group is self-selecting (it decides on its own members) and positions itself as representing the country's leading research universities. In practice this is broadly accurate as the Russell Group includes some of the best ranked British universities and – perhaps more importantly – awards the majority of UK PhDs.
• The ancient universities are a group of seven institutions that date from the sixteenth century or earlier, including Oxford , Cambridge , St Andrews , Glasgow , Aberdeen and Edinburgh as well as Trinity College Dublin (in Ireland ). 'Membership' of this group isn't based on anything other than chronology (unsurprisingly, new universities can't join) and the ancient universities don't collaborate as such, though some are members of the Russell Group. Of more importance is the fact that some ancient universities award their doctorates as a DPhil rather than a PhD. The degree and its recognition are fundamentally the same.
• The red brick universities are another informal grouping based on history rather than collective organisation. They include nine civic universities founded during the nineteenth-century industrial revolution with the aim of providing education and training for their cities. In contrast to the medieval buildings of the ancient universities, their campuses were built largely from red brick – hence the name.
• The term 'post-92' is sometimes used to describe universities that were originally polytechnics (higher education institutions focussing on teaching and training rather than research) before being granted full university status in 1992. Many of these 'ex-poly' universities actually have long and proud histories and are now some of the UK's most innovative research centres.

There are a few other formal and informal groups, including 'plate glass' universities (founded in the 1960s – the UK has a thing for associating universities with building materials) as well as membership organisations for newer universities such as MillionPlus and GuildHE.

You don't generally need to worry about which group your prospective university is or isn't part of. It's true that some groupings confer a degree of prestige, but universities are invited into the Russell Group because of their research performance and reputation, not the other way around. There are also many excellent universities which haven't chosen to join particular associations.

Accreditation and research quality

The UK takes quality assurance for universities very seriously, with several levels of official recognition and accreditation.

The right to use a university title is protected by law in the UK and can be granted by royal charter, Act of Parliament or similarly official means.

The right to award degrees is also protected. A university must either be a 'recognised body', in which case it can award its own degrees. Or it must be a 'listed body' in which case a recognised body must award degrees on its behalf (listed bodies are often newer universities or specialist colleges with qualifications accredited by more established neighbouring universities).

You can use the UK Government website to quickly check if a university is officially recognised .

UK universities' research quality is separately monitored through an exercise known as the Research Excellence Framework (REF) . This examines the research a university is producing as well as its impact on society in general. The environment and support provided for PhD students is also considered as part of this process. The most recent REF results were published in 2021.

UK university cities

There are excellent universities located across the UK, from London and the South of England to the Scottish Highlands and Islands . With that said, here are a few of the UK's most popular student cities:

• Study in London
• Study in Edinburgh
• Study in Manchester
• Study in Cardiff
• Study in Birmingham
• Study in Sheffield

How to apply for a PhD in the UK

You should apply directly to a university for a place on a UK PhD project or programme. There are two ways to do this:

• Some PhD projects are advertised by universities with set aims and objectives. These are most common in STEM subjects and often have funding attached. You can browse UK PhD adverts here on FindAPhD.
• Other PhD projects are designed by students who put forward a research proposal for the work they would like to do. These are more common in Arts, Humanities and some Social Science subjects. You can browse UK PhD programmes to apply within here on FindAPhD.

It's often a good idea to contact a prospective PhD supervisor before applying, but this isn't usually a necessary step. Universities will usually pair students with the most appropriate supervisor for their project.

We’ve written dedicated guides to applying for a PhD in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences , as well as STEM subjects.

Admissions requirements

You will normally need the following to be accepted for a PhD in the UK:

• A suitable undergraduate degree (equivalent to a UK 2.1 or higher). A Masters may also be required in some subject areas.
• Evidence of language proficiency (if English is not your first language).
• Evidence that you possess the necessary materials to gain a UK student visa (for international students).
• Other application materials including a research proposal , personal statement or references .

Actual requirements vary between projects and programmes.

Not all UK PhD applications require a formal interview , but this is more common for funded positions or programmes with limited space.

Interviews can often be conducted online. You may be asked to answer some questions about your application and / or give a short presentation on your intended research.

Inidan qualifications in the UK

In July 2022, the UK and Indian governments signed a memoradum agreeing to automatically recognise undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in each other's countries. This means that if you studied your Bachelors or Masters in India and are now applying for a UK PhD, your qualifications will recognised as equivalent to British ones.

It also means that it will be easier for you to seek work in India with a PhD from a UK university!

Find a PhD in the UK

Why not get started browsing some UK PhDs ? Alternatively, you can look at our other guides to studying a PhD abroad .

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

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The seven UK Research Councils provide government studentships for PhD research in different subject areas. Our simple guide explains how this funding works, what you can get and how to apply successfully.

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Our guide explains the best ways to fund international PhD study in the UK, with information on all the main scholarships available to you.

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) or Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) provide UK Research Council funded PhD studentships to postgraduate students

The Graduate Route allows international students to stay in the UK for at least two years after graduating. This guide covers everything you need to know, including who is eligible and how to apply.

The Turing Scheme recently replaced the Erasmus programme, but is it any different? Let’s examine the Turing Scheme vs Erasmus debate in detail.

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