How much does studying in the United
Kingdom cost?
An undergraduate
degree from a foreign university has longed been seen as unattainable for the
average Singaporean. Mind-boggling school fees, coupled with astronomical
living expenses have made many cringe at the mere thought of sending their
child overseas. Indeed, such an
experience does not come cheap. The United States, United Kingdom and Australia
are popular study destinations, where the exchange rate rarely works in our
favour. Yet, speaking to several of my
counterparts has made me realize that some overestimate the cost of an overseas
education. So, how much does studying abroad really cost? In this article, we
will look at the cost of studying in the UK.
Credits: http://pixabay.com/en/stamp-commitment-approval-study-451285/
United Kingdom
The cost of studying
in the UK is dependent on location (London vs Non-London) and the course chosen.
We will select two schools as a basis of comparison.
University of College London (Based in London):
Fees (2015 entry)
à £15,660 for most
Arts/Humanities/Social-Sciences courses. £20,700 for most Science and
Engineering programmes. £30,800 for Medicine.
Living Expenses
(30-week academic year + Easter & Christmas vacation) à 1) Accommodation: £5850
2) Food: £2145
3) Travel: £888
4)
Books/Equipment: £390
5) Leisure: £1950
Total Living
Expenses: £11223
Based
on the calculations above, a student studying in UCLwill have to fork out
roughly (per year):
Arts/Humanities/Social-Sciences:
£15,660 + £11223 = £26883 ≈ 56,240 SGD
Science/
Engineering: £20,700 + £11223 = £31923 ≈ 66,784 SGD
Medicine:
£30,800 + £11223 = £42023 ≈ 87,905 SGD
For a three-year arts course in UCL, it
will cost roughly 169K SGD.
University of Bristol:
Fees (2015/2016
entry) à £15,200 for most Arts
courses, £18300 for science courses and £18,300(first two years) + £33,900
(subsequent 3 years) for medicine.
Living Expenses
(30-week academic year + Easter & Christmas vacation) à
1) Accommodation:
£5460
2) Food: £1100
3) Travel: £750
4)
Books/Equipment: £300
5) Leisure: £1500
Total Living
Expenses: £9110
Based
on the calculations above, a student studying in Bristol will have to fork out
roughly (per year):
Arts:
£15,200 + £9110 = £24310 ≈ 50,852 SGD
Science/
Engineering: £18,300 + £9110 = £27,410 ≈ 57,335 SGD
Medicine:
£27,410 ≈
57,335 (years 1
and 2) , £43010 ≈
89,978 SGD (
each subsequent year)
For a three-year arts course in
Bristol, it will cost roughly 153K SGD.
Evidently, based
on the estimates above, studying in London is more expensive than studying in
other cities. Having broken down the figures, I hope that you would have a
better understanding of how much it costs to study in the UK.
*Do note that the above figures are based on
estimations and information available on the websites of various Universities.
Airfares have not been included in the calculations. Costs will vary depending
on the school chosen, how one controls personal expenditure and changes in the
exchange rate.
