UK Medical School Fees For International Students (2026 Update)

Studying medicine in the UK is one of the best investments an international student can make, and also one of the most expensive. For 2026/27 entry, international tuition fees for medicine range from around £30,150 to £70,554 per year, so across a five or six year degree most overseas students pay between roughly £230,000 and £420,000 in tuition alone.

This guide gives you the full, up-to-date picture: the international medicine fees at every UK medical school for 2026/27 entry, the cheapest and most expensive options, what a complete degree actually costs, how MBBS fees work, and the living costs and funding you need to plan for. Every figure below comes from the same official data that powers each medical school profile on our site, verified in June 2026.

How much does it cost to study medicine in the UK as an international student?

In short, international students pay roughly £30,150 to £70,554 a year in tuition for medicine in the UK, with an average of about £47,700 per year across the schools that admit overseas students. The lowest published fees start at around £30,150 a year (note these "from" figures rise sharply in the clinical years), and the single most expensive is the University of Cambridge at £70,554 a year, before its separate college fee.

Here is the picture at a glance for 2026/27 entry:

• Typical range: £30,150 to £70,554 per year.
• Average annual fee: about £47,700 per year.
• Cheapest: Leicester, Birmingham and Southampton (from roughly £30,150 to £32,000 in the early years).
• Most expensive: Cambridge (£70,554), Glasgow (£62,730) and Imperial College London (£58,600).
• Full degree (5 to 6 years): roughly £230,000 at the cheaper schools to over £420,000 at Cambridge.

Unlike home students, international students cannot access UK government tuition fee loans or the NHS bursary, so these fees are paid up front or through private and family funding. We cover scholarships and funding lower down.

International medicine tuition fees at every UK medical school (2026/27)

The table below lists the headline international (overseas) tuition fee for medicine at all 50 UK medical schools for 2026/27 entry, sorted from cheapest to most expensive. Fees marked with a plus sign are "from" figures that increase in the clinical years. Select any university to see its full entry requirements, UCAT cut-offs and interview format on its medical school profile.

Source: official university fee pages, triangulated and verified June 2026 (the same data behind every medical school profile) on our site. Always confirm the exact figure on the university’s own website for your entry year, as fees are reviewed annually and clinical-year fees are often set separately.

Cheapest medical schools in the UK for international students

If budget is your main concern, these are the cheapest UK medical schools for international students by published 2026/27 fee. A few schools (Leicester, Birmingham, Southampton, Warwick and Manchester) quote a low "from" fee for the pre-clinical years that rises in the clinical years, so read the small print before you rank them purely on the headline number.

Most expensive medical schools for international students

At the other end, these are the priciest UK medical schools for international medicine, led by Oxbridge and the big Scottish and London schools. Several of these are also six-year courses, which compounds the total cost (see the next section).

What does a full medical degree cost over 5 to 6 years?

A UK medical degree is normally five years, but Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, Imperial and Edinburgh run a compulsory six-year course (three pre-clinical plus three clinical years, with a built-in intercalated degree). That extra year, combined with their higher annual fees, makes them by far the most expensive option overall. The table shows indicative total tuition (annual fee multiplied by course length, excluding college fees and inflation).

Two things inflate the real total beyond the table. First, many schools raise the fee each year and charge a higher rate in the clinical years, so a "from" figure can understate the back half of the course by tens of thousands of pounds. Second, an optional intercalated year (common outside Oxbridge) adds a sixth year of fees if you take one. Budget for the upper end rather than the headline figure.

MBBS fees in the UK explained

MBBS stands for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (from the Latin), the primary UK medical degree. You will also see MBChB, BMBS and MB BChir: these are the same qualification under different university naming traditions, and they cost the same for international students at a given school. So "MBBS fees in the UK" simply means the international medicine tuition fees in the tables above.

Why do the figures vary so much between schools? Three factors drive it:

• Clinical teaching is expensive. Fees usually step up once you reach the clinical years (hospital placements, smaller groups, equipment), which is why so many schools quote a lower "from" fee for the early years.
• Reputation and demand. The highest-ranked schools (Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, the big Scottish schools) command the highest fees because international demand far outstrips their limited overseas places.
• Course length. A six-year MBBS at Cambridge or UCL costs far more in total than a five-year MBChB elsewhere, even before the higher annual rate.

For how the course itself is structured and how to choose between schools, see our guide to studying medicine in the UK as an international student and the full UK medicine UCAS guide.

International medicine fees by nation: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland

Scotland’s medical schools are among the most expensive in the UK for international students. Glasgow (£62,730), Dundee (£55,900), Edinburgh (£54,650) and Aberdeen (£50,100) all sit at the top end, and Edinburgh is a six-year course. St Andrews is the most affordable Scottish option at £39,620, but it is a pre-clinical-only course that feeds into other schools for clinical training.

England

England has the widest spread, from the "from" fees at Leicester, Birmingham and Southampton up to Imperial, UCL and King’s in London above £56,000 a year. London schools tend to be dearer, partly reflecting higher placement and living costs.

Wales and Northern Ireland

In Wales, Cardiff (£45,450) and Swansea (£48,350, graduate entry) are mid-range. In Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast charges £50,180 for its five-year course.

Private and international-only medical schools

The University of Buckingham is the UK’s main private medical school. Because it receives no government funding, its 4.5-year MBChB relies entirely on tuition (around £45,000 a year), and it is not bound by the cap on international places that limits public universities. That makes it one of the more accessible routes for overseas applicants, and it accepts students without a UK admissions test.

A newer development is the wave of international-only medical schools: St Mary's Twickenham and Greater Manchester were set up to teach overseas students specifically, and they sit outside the home-student cap. They are worth knowing about precisely because they cannot be "taken" by home applicants competing for the same places.

Beyond tuition: the real cost of studying medicine in the UK

Tuition is the biggest number, but it is not the only one. Budget for these on top:

• Living costs: roughly £12,000 to £15,000 a year outside London, and £15,000 to £18,000 in London, covering accommodation, food and transport. The Home Office sets minimum maintenance funds you must prove for your visa.
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): international students pay the IHS (currently £776 per year) to use the NHS, so for a five or six-year course that is roughly £3,900 to £4,700 up front with your visa.
• Student visa fee: the Student visa application fee is payable in addition to the IHS, and you may need to reapply or extend during a long course.
• Course materials and equipment: textbooks, a stethoscope, clinical kit and question banks for exams add up, especially in the clinical years.
• Travel: flights home for Christmas, Easter and summer, plus a deposit and acceptance fee that some schools charge to hold your place.

Scholarships and funding for international medical students

International students cannot use UK government tuition fee loans or the NHS bursary, but there are still ways to reduce the bill:

• University scholarships: many medical schools offer international or merit scholarships worth a few thousand pounds a year. They are competitive and often have early deadlines, so check each school’s scholarship page as soon as you apply.
• External and government scholarships: bodies in your home country, and some global schemes, fund overseas medical study. Commonwealth and country-specific awards are worth investigating.
• Education loans: banks in many countries offer loans specifically for studying abroad, sometimes with a grace period until after graduation.
• Sponsorship: government health ministries in some countries (for example parts of the Gulf and Southeast Asia) sponsor students who agree to return and work.

Because funding is limited and fees are high, a strong, well-targeted application matters even more for international students: winning a place at a school whose fees and entry route fit your budget is itself part of the financial plan.

Applying to UK medicine as an international student: how we help

International applicants face a tougher route than home students: fewer ring-fenced places, the same UCAT and interviews, and far more riding on getting the application right first time. Our International Medicine Programme is built for exactly this. You work one-to-one with doctors and admissions experts across every stage, from UCAT to interview, with a mentor who knows how overseas applications are assessed.

The programme is delivered through our Ultimate Package tiers, with flexible hours you can move between UCAT, personal statement and interview work:

• Ultimate Silver, 35 hours: 1-1 UCAT tutoring, personal statement editing, strategic university choice and full interview coaching, with doctor mentoring throughout. See the programme.
• Ultimate Gold, 50 hours: our most popular international package, with more 1-1 hours for applicants who want end-to-end support and extra interview practice. View packages.
• Ultimate Platinum, 75 hours: maximum support for competitive or Oxbridge applicants, or those reapplying. View packages.

Not sure which route fits your grades, budget and target schools? Book a free consultation with our team, read our Trustpilot reviews, or explore the International Medicine Programme in full.

Is studying medicine in the UK worth it for international students?

For most applicants, yes. A UK medical degree is recognised worldwide, the General Medical Council registration that follows it is highly respected, and graduates can stay to work in the NHS, where pay is competitive and demand for doctors is high, or return home with a globally portable qualification. The fees are substantial, but so is the return on a medical career.

The key is to choose schools whose fees, entry route and chances genuinely fit you, then apply as strongly as possible. Start with our medical school rankings and fees hub, and the country guides below.

Related guides

• Medical schools in the UK: rankings, entry requirements and fees
• International students’ guide to studying medicine in the UK
• UK medicine UCAS application guide
• Applying to medicine in the UK from Hong Kong
• Applying to medicine in the UK from Singapore
• Applying to medicine in the UK from Canada
• Applying to medicine in the UK from the UAE
• International Medicine Programme and application tutoring