Tuition fees should not be an immediate consideration when choosing which university to study, claims Employment4students, with several top 20 UK institutions matching cost of living with “cheapest” universities.
An analysis of studies from the UK University League Tables and Rankings 2014, the Telegraph, Ukash and Employment4students reveal that several top 20 universities offer similarly low cost of living as a number of the 10 cheapest universities in the UK.
Although universities including Staffordshire, Teesside and Buckinghamshire New University offer an average annual cost of degree beneath the widely adopted limit of £9,000, when excluding tuition fees average annual living expenses including SU events, local takeaway meals and rent shows that a number of top 20 institutions boast similar, and occasionally cheaper, cost of living.
Institution |
Average annual cost of living ex/ tuition fees |
Average annual cost of degree |
League table rankings |
|
Staffordshire University |
£4,398 |
£6,433 |
113 |
|
Teesside University |
£3,855 |
£6,470 |
97 |
|
Harper Adams University College |
£3,510 |
£6,783 |
89 |
|
Leeds Trinity University |
£4,050 |
£6,955 |
108* |
|
University of Cumbria |
£3,348 |
£6,960 |
108* |
|
London Metropolitan University |
£7,276 |
£6,982 |
121* |
|
University of Bolton |
£3,186 |
£6,990 |
121* |
|
Buckinghamshire New University |
£4,120 |
£7,053 |
104 |
|
Coventry University |
£3,726 |
£7,238 |
104 |
|
York St John University |
£3,565 |
£7,253 |
99 |
Below is a list of the top 10 universities, as ranked by the UK University League Tables and Rankings 2014, and it is noticeable that cost of living for the majority is far and above that of the 10 cheapest universities, with Warwick being the clearest aberration.
Institution |
Average total annual cost of living ex/ tuition fees |
Average annual cost of degree |
League table rankings |
|
University of Cambridge |
£5,685 |
£9,000 |
1 |
|
University of Oxford |
£6,744 |
£9,000 |
2 |
|
London School of Economics |
£9,183 |
£9,000 |
3 |
|
Imperial College London |
£7,621 |
£9,000 |
4 |
|
University of Durham |
£4,786 |
£9,000 |
5 |
|
University of St Andrews |
£4,691 |
£9,000 |
6 |
|
University College London |
£7,545 |
£9,000 |
7 |
|
University of Warwick |
£3,699 |
£9,000 |
8 |
|
University of Bath |
£4,896 |
£9,000 |
9 |
|
University of Exeter |
£4,947 |
£9,000 |
10 |
However a number of top 20 institutions including Loughborough and Birmingham not only match average annual cost of living with the cheapest universities but are in many cases more affordable.
Institution |
Average total annual cost of living ex/ tuition fees |
Average annual cost of degree |
League table rankings |
|
University of York |
£4,056 |
£9,000 |
12 |
|
University of Surrey |
£4,621 |
£9,000 |
13 |
|
University of Loughborough |
£4,321 |
£9,000 |
14 |
|
University of Leicester |
£4,009 |
£9,000 |
16 |
|
University of Birmingham |
£3,588 |
£9,000 |
17 |
|
University of Edinburgh |
£4,072 |
£5,140 |
20 |
Local takeaway food and university/student union gym membership saw considerable variety, although categories including average tuition fees and contents insurance saw consistent figures across universities.
Rent is the largest variable in the table regardless of tuition fees, and pushed the average cost of living at London Metropolitan far above those among its table peers. Unsurprisingly, studying in London (average annual rent approx. £7,612) and Oxford (£7,349) is significantly more expensive than comparable institutions in Loughborough (£3,808) and even Cambridge (£6,360).
Chris Eccles, founder and managing director of Employment4students, commented: “While we would urge caution in placing too much stock in university ranking tables, it is reassuring to see that the average cost of living at some of the country’s top institutions is not prohibitively expensive.
“With tuition fees paid in arrears for first-time undergraduates, the cost of living is a more pressing consideration when studying. The average annual living costs excluding tuition fees at a number of top 20 institutions is actually cheaper than at some of the UK’s institutions that do not charge the maximum £9,000 annual tuition fees, so make sure you factor in living costs when comparing the costs of studying at different universities.
“Other important considerations include the availability of local part-time work and public transport, as these are important factors to a flexible student lifestyle.”
Employment4students comparison included data from Ukash, the Telegraph and internal investigations, and featured the following categories: average tuition fees, annual rent, contents insurance, local takeaway food, university/student union gym membership, and cost of SU hoodie.
