student in library using laptop

How Much will your degree cost?

Get a better understanding of how much you'll pay for tuition, rent and other living costs, before you apply

Once you've decided which postgraduate degree course you want to study, there's one important question that needs answering – how much will my postgraduate studies cost?

We've broken down the 2 main costs – study costs (including tuition fees) and living costs.

Your study costs

Your main cost will be tuition fees. These vary depending on what you're studying. You can find the cost of tuition for your chosen subject by visiting the course page.

Your tuition fees cover:

  • The cost of your postgraduate degree at the University as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, and examinations
  • Your graduation ceremony
  • The facilities and equipment you need to complete your studies, such as computer rooms, access to laptops, the Library and laboratories
  • Access to resources including electronic journals, alternative guide to funding, and thousands of hours of educational videos on LinkedIn Learning
  • University support services including academic, financial, careers and wellbeing support and personal tutors
  • Membership of the Students' Union (giving you the right to vote in elections, join clubs and societies, and get free independent advice)
  • Access to software such as Microsoft Office, SPSS and Adobe Creative Suite (this includes Photoshop, InDesign, and Adobe Premiere Pro)

You should also budget for course-related costs – things like books, specialist equipment and optional field trips. Find details of these additional course costs on the course page

You can pay your postgraduate tuition fees online by credit or debit card. Alternatively, during the registration process you can choose to pay in instalments by recurring credit/debit card arrangement or by Direct Debit. Fees are due as follows:

  • In full at the beginning of each academic year.

Instalments for international and EU students

  • In 2 instalments. The first instalment is due at registration each academic year with the second instalment due at the beginning of January (September starts) or the beginning of April (January starts). When the Easter break falls in April, the second instalment for January starts is due at the beginning of May.

Instalments for home students

  • In 4 instalments. The first instalment is due at registration each academic year, followed by an instalment on the 4 December, 4 February and 4 April (September starts) or 4 April, 4 June and 4 August (January starts).
  • In 3 instalments (for students who are using their Student Finance England postgraduate loan to pay fees). If students choose to pay by recurring credit or debit card, an initial instalment of £50* is due at registration to register the card details, followed by an instalment at the start of each term on a date to coincide with the receipt of the loan instalments. The initial payment of £50 is not required when choosing the Direct Debit arrangement.

Instalments for students from America with a US Federal loan or similar which covers the payment of fees

  • In 3 instalments. Students may select this option during the registration process.

*The £50 instalment is paid as part payment of fees, not in addition to.

If you have questions about funding your study, or need help sourcing funding, please get in touch with us: email student.finance@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0)23 9284 3014. For questions on how to pay your fees, please email income@port.ac.uk.

Your living costs

For some postgraduate students, starting your studies means moving to the city too. If you're planning on living here while you're studying with us, the good news is that Portsmouth is one of the most affordable places in the UK for students.

Here are some approximate weekly costs that'll help you plan how much money you'll need.

Item Cost
Rent  £75£85
Bills (gas/electricity/water/internet)  £15£20
Food/housekeeping  £35£40
Travel  £5£10
Phone  £5£10
TV licence  £3
Contents insurance  £2£3
Social costs  £30£40
Total per week  £170-£211
Total per academic year (40 weeks)  £6,800 – £8,440