It’s hard to give a precise figure for the living costs of your postgraduate studies, since it depends on your needs and lifestyle.
However, we suggest you should think in terms of a minimum of £12,500 for a single person on campus, per year, to cover accommodation, food, personal expenses, study-related costs and some limited travel.
International students will also need to take into account various settling-in expenses, including travel to and within the UK, visas and travel and health insurance.
Where does your money go?
We estimate that you’ll need £12,500-£15,800 per year in living expenses. This figure can be roughly broken down into:
- Accommodation - £6,925-£8,800 for a contract of up to 50 weeks in our halls of residence. Costs for private off-campus accommodation will vary.
- Transport – This depends on where you choose to live. From a residence in Staines-upon-Thames, it’ll cost £20 a week to get to campus. You can buy a daily travelcard for classes in London. For discounted fares, buy a student railcard.
- London - Some MA students have regular classes in London, while virtually all postgraduate students will need to use London libraries and visit exhibitions and museums.
- Food – You can expect to spend around £40 to £60 a week on basics, to which can be added occasional treats, such as a shop-made sandwich or takeaway.
- Social life - Students’ Union tickets at Royal Holloway normally cost £5. Most students spend around £50 a week.
- Books – This depends on the field and type of study. Science books can be more expensive than books in the humanities. Therefore, it can be anything from £300 to £500 per year, with MA students usually towards the lower end of the scale.
- Tuition fees cover all academic-related costs such as teaching and supervision, use of library and computing facilities, examinations (excluding re-sit examinations) and administration.
