Cheapest universities in UK for international students: fees list

As of October 2026, the cheapest UK university on our list for international students is Wrexham University, at £11,750 a year for undergraduates and £12,500 for a master's in 2026/27. Liverpool Hope follows at £15,225, and several others charge £16,000 to £17,000. For a UK study visa you must also show living costs of £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London, so the city matters as much as the fee.

Which UK universities are cheapest for a study visa from Pakistan?

We checked each university's own fees page on 14 October 2026. These are full time international fees. "Master's" means a one year taught MA or MSc unless stated. Most universities have not yet published 2027/28 fees, so the year is shown for each.

Points to read alongside the table:

• Fees vary by course. Health, social work and lab based courses often cost more. At Cumbria, for example, pre registration health master's cost £17,500 and the MBA £17,500.
• Undergraduate fees can rise each year. Cumbria warns that fees may increase in later years. Wrexham says its undergraduate fee stays the same throughout the degree.
• Wrexham does not take direct applications from Pakistan. Its Pakistan page says you must apply through one of its authorised representatives.
• Check the course page. London Metropolitan and Anglia Ruskin quote "from" prices, so your course may cost more.

Why is "cheapest" about more than tuition?

The cheapest fee is not always the cheapest year. Your total depends on four things.

1. Living costs in London or outside London

For your study visa, you show living costs for up to 9 months on top of your unpaid first year fees. GOV.UK defines London as the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.

Take two hypothetical master's students applying in 2027. At Wrexham, £12,500 tuition plus £10,827 for living costs means showing about £23,327. At London Metropolitan, £20,000 tuition plus £14,130 means about £34,130. That is a difference of around £10,800 in the money you must hold for 28 days, before you have spent anything. Some universities also have London campuses, such as UWS and Cumbria, where the London rate applies.

2. Scholarships that cut the real fee

Several of these universities publish automatic discounts for international students, which can change the order of the list.

• University of the West of Scotland: the Enhanced International Scholarship 2026/27 reduces the net fee to £13,000 for class based programmes and £15,000 for lab based ones, on selected master's and bachelor's degrees. Places are limited, and you normally pay 75% of the net fee before your CAS.
• Liverpool Hope: at least £2,000 off the first undergraduate year, plus £1,000 in years 2 and 3 if you keep a 2:1. Postgraduates get £2,000, or £2,500 on the MBA and selected MSc courses (2026/27).
• Cardiff Met: £2,500 for undergraduates and up to £3,500 for MA and MSc courses on the £17,600 fee, awarded at offer with no separate application. One scholarship per student (2026/27).
• University of Cumbria: up to £4,500 for undergraduates (£1,500 a year) and £2,000 for taught postgraduates, at the Ambleside, Carlisle and Lancaster campuses only.
• Teesside: the Global Excellence Scholarship of £2,000 for the first year and a one off Vice Chancellor's Scholarship of £7,000, both aimed at strong applicants.
• London Metropolitan: the South Asia Bright Futures Scholarship gives eligible Pakistani students £5,000 off tuition, automatically, for January 2027 and May 2027 starts. Ask the university to confirm in writing how much applies to each year.

With its scholarship, a UWS master's at £13,000 can cost about the same as Wrexham. Fully funded options such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships work differently. Our guide to fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students covers their deadlines.

3. The deposit before your CAS

Low fee universities often ask for a large payment before they issue your CAS, which you need for the visa. As of October 2026:

• Teesside: £4,000 before CAS for self funded students, refunded if your visa is refused.
• University of Cumbria: up to 50% of the programme fee, and some students pay the full year first.
• Edinburgh Napier: from £6,000 for September 2026 entry.
• Liverpool Hope: 50% of the first year's fee before arrival.

Read the refund terms before you pay. Every pound you pay towards fees reduces the unpaid fees you have to show in your bank statement.

4. Each university's own requirements

Each university sets its own entry grades, English level and checks. Universities that sponsor students must keep their visa refusal rate below 5% under the Home Office compliance assessment from 1 June 2026, so many interview Pakistani applicants carefully before issuing a CAS. Expect questions about your course choice, study gap and funds. Our guide to UK student visa refusal reasons explains why this pressure exists.

Which UK universities have paused recruitment from Pakistan?

We have left these out of the list above. Check again before applying, because positions change.

• Leeds Trinity University: its Pakistan page, checked 14 October 2026, says applications from Pakistan are closed for the September 2026, January 2027 and September 2027 intakes.
• University of Lancashire (formerly UCLan): its Pakistan page states it is unable to process applications from students living in Pakistan, apart from MBBS applications through approved agents.
• University of Staffordshire: its Pakistan page says it will not accept applications from Pakistan for September 2026.
• Buckinghamshire New University: its international page says it is only accepting applicants who do not need a visa.
• University of Chester, University of East London and University of Wolverhampton: the Financial Times, as reported by Dawn on 4 December 2025, said Chester paused Pakistan intake until autumn 2026, UEL stopped recruiting from Pakistan and Wolverhampton was turning away undergraduate applicants from Pakistan.
• University of Derby: The PIE News reported on 10 March 2026 that it paused recruitment from Pakistan and Bangladesh until at least autumn 2026.

The same Financial Times report said Sunderland, Coventry, Hertfordshire, Oxford Brookes, Glasgow Caledonian and BPP had halted or reduced admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Coventry now asks applicants from Pakistan for the full first year's tuition as a deposit. If one of these is on your list, ask the university directly whether it is accepting applications from Pakistan for your intake.

How do you find the cheapest UK university for your study visa?

1. Start with your subject. Shortlist universities that offer your course, then compare their fees.
2. Check the year. Make sure the fee is for your intake, 2026/27 or 2027/28.
3. Add the living costs for your city at the rate that applies on your application date.
4. Subtract any automatic scholarship shown on the university's own page.
5. Check the deposit and refund terms before you accept an offer.
6. Confirm Pakistan is accepted for your intake.

Our guide to the cost of studying in the UK from Pakistan adds the visa fee, health surcharge, TB test and a rupee budget.

Not sure where you stand?

If you want to know which of these universities you can realistically afford and get into, send your grades, budget and preferred subject on WhatsApp to a Via Nova counsellor at +92 316 4448062. You will get an honest shortlist and a plan for your funds and CAS, through our UK study visa service. Our counsellors are in Lake City Meadows (Ex State Life), next to DHA Phase 5, Lahore, and also advise online. Admission is decided by each university and the visa by UKVI.