Study in the UK in 2027: Student Visa, Costs and the Graduate Route

The UK is still one of the fastest places to get a recognised degree: most master's courses take one year, and undergraduate degrees in England take three. It is also expensive, and the rules around students have tightened every year since 2024.

This guide is for anyone planning to start a UK course in 2027, whether you are applying from Lagos, Lahore, Manila or already living abroad. It covers the Student visa, the money you must show, what tuition really costs, what you can earn while studying, and what happens after you graduate.

The short version: you can still study in the UK and stay to work afterwards, but most 2027 graduates will get 18 months on the Graduate Route rather than two years, and only PhD students can bring family.

Start with the CAS

Nothing happens until a licensed university gives you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). This is an electronic reference number, not a letter, and it contains your course details, fees, any money you have already paid, and how the university assessed your English.

Universities issue a CAS only after you have an unconditional offer and usually after you pay a deposit, often £2,000 to £5,000 for international students. Many also run a "credibility interview" first, asking why you chose the course and how you will pay for it. Answer in your own words; rehearsed answers are easy to spot.

You can apply for your visa up to six months before your course starts from outside the UK. The CAS must be used within six months of being issued.

What the visa costs on top of tuition

Take a one-year master's starting in September 2027. The visa usually runs about 16 months including wrap-around time, so the IHS is £776 for the first year plus £388 for the extra half-year: £1,164. Add the £558 fee and you are near £1,750 before tuition, flights or rent. Check exact amounts on GOV.UK's Student visa page.

Maintenance funds: London vs the rest of the UK

UKVI wants proof that you can live without working. The current amounts are:

• London (City of London and the 32 boroughs): £1,529 a month
• Outside London: £1,171 a month

You show this for the length of the course, up to a maximum of nine months: £13,761 for London or £10,539 elsewhere. If you still owe tuition for the first year, add the unpaid amount on top.

The money must sit in your account (or a parent's, with a letter and birth certificate) for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that 28-day period must fall within 31 days of your application. A single dip below the required balance on one day breaks the 28 days. Our guide to proof of funds and bank statements explains what caseworkers look for.

Nationals of some lower-risk countries don't have to submit financial evidence upfront, though UKVI can still ask. If you have held a UK visa for 12 months or more, you are exempt from showing maintenance.

Tuition fees for international students

Universities set their own international fees, and they differ widely. These are approximate annual ranges for 2026–27 entry:

Some universities freeze fees for your whole course; others raise them each year in line with inflation. Read the fee terms before accepting. Scholarships help: see our list of fully funded scholarships, though most international students rely on partial awards and family money.

The dependants ban

Since January 2024, most international students can no longer bring a partner or children. You can only bring dependants if:

• you are on a postgraduate research course, such as a PhD or other doctorate, lasting at least nine months, or
• you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than six months.

A taught master's, including an MBA, no longer qualifies. If you do qualify, each dependant needs £845 a month in London or £680 outside London, for up to nine months, on top of your own funds. This rule has hit Nigerian and Indian applicants hardest, and there is no sign of it being reversed.

Working while you study

Degree-level students can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during official vacations. Students below degree level are limited to 10 hours a week in term.

You cannot be self-employed, do freelance work, work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy. Your university's term dates define "vacation", and master's students often have no summer vacation because the dissertation runs through it.

At the April 2026 National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour, 20 hours a week brings in roughly £1,000 a month before tax. That helps, but it won't cover London rent, and the Home Office expects you to have the maintenance money anyway.

The Graduate Route: 2 years or 18 months

The Graduate visa lets you stay and work, or look for work, after completing a UK degree, with no job offer and no salary threshold. The length depends on when you apply:

• Apply on or before 31 December 2026: 2 years
• Apply on or after 1 January 2027: 18 months
• PhD and other doctoral graduates: 3 years

Anyone starting a course in 2027 will finish in 2028 or later, so plan on 18 months. The application costs £937 plus the IHS at the full worker rate of £1,035 a year. GOV.UK's Graduate visa page has the current terms.

Eighteen months is enough if you start job hunting in your first term, not after graduation. The real goal for most graduates is switching to a Skilled Worker visa, and the new entrant rate lets graduate employers sponsor you from £33,400. Read our UK Skilled Worker visa guide before you choose your course, because some fields make that switch far easier than others.

The international student levy

The government has confirmed a levy of £925 per international student per year, charged to English universities from 1 August 2028, subject to parliamentary approval. Each provider's first 220 international students are exempt.

You won't pay the levy directly. But universities facing a cost of nearly £1,000 per student will look for ways to recover it, so expect international fees to rise faster from 2028. If you are choosing between a 2027 and 2028 start, that is one argument for going sooner. Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are outside the English levy.

English language requirements

For degree-level courses, you need English at CEFR level B2. Your university can assess this itself, which is why some accept a strong school grade or an interview. Below degree level, you need B1 through an approved Secure English Language Test. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries and holders of degrees taught in those countries are exempt.

Universities often set higher scores than the visa minimum, especially for law, medicine and journalism.

Student bank accounts and money in the UK

You need a UK bank account to get paid, pay rent and avoid foreign card fees. Open one in your first week.

• High-street banks offer international student accounts. Expect to show your passport, your eVisa share code and a university enrolment or address letter.
• App-based banks can often open accounts within a day using your passport and a UK address. They are useful while you wait for a high-street account.
• Physical BRP cards are gone. Since 2025, your immigration status is an eVisa linked to your passport. Set up your UKVI account before travel so you can generate share codes for banks and landlords.

Bring enough money on a debit card or multi-currency account for your first month. Paying tuition from abroad in pounds can cost a lot in exchange-rate margins; our guide to the cheapest way to send money abroad compares the options. Many universities also accept payment through dedicated international payment services that lock in a rate.

Don't expect a UK credit card early. With no UK credit history, you will usually be offered a basic account with no overdraft for the first few months.

Your application, step by step

1. Accept an unconditional offer and pay the deposit.
2. Receive your CAS and check every detail, including your name, course dates and fees.
3. Get your funds in place and leave them untouched for 28 days.
4. Take a TB test if your country is on the list.
5. Apply online, pay the fee and IHS, and book biometrics or use the ID check app.
6. Decisions usually take about three weeks from outside the UK; priority services are available in many countries for an extra fee.
7. Once approved, set up your UKVI account and eVisa before you fly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do I need to show for a UK Student visa?

You need your unpaid first-year tuition plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months. That works out to £13,761 for London or £10,539 outside it, held for 28 consecutive days.

Is the UK Graduate Route being reduced?

Yes. If you apply on or after 1 January 2027, the Graduate visa lasts 18 months instead of 2 years. PhD graduates still get 3 years.

Can I bring my spouse on a UK Student visa?

Only if you are doing a PhD or other research-based postgraduate degree, or you are government sponsored. Taught master's students, including MBA students, can no longer bring dependants.

How many hours can international students work in the UK?

Degree-level students can work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time during official university vacations. Students below degree level can work up to 10 hours a week in term time.

Will the international student levy increase my fees?

The £925 levy is charged to English universities from August 2028, not to students. Many universities are expected to pass at least part of the cost on through higher fees, so check fee guarantees when choosing a course.

Final Thoughts

Budget for the whole package, not just tuition. The IHS, the visa fee, a deposit, the first month's rent and the maintenance money all have to exist before you fly, and the maintenance money has to sit still for 28 days.

Choose your course with the Graduate Route in mind. With 18 months instead of two years, the courses that lead quickly to sponsored jobs, such as engineering, computing, healthcare and accounting, give you a much better chance of staying. A generic business master's from a university with weak employer links is a risky way to spend £30,000.

If you are on the edge of a 2027 or 2028 start, going sooner avoids the levy-driven fee increases. Whatever you decide, start your CAS and funds planning at least four months before the course begins.