Study in UK
Study in Australia
Study in Canada
Study in New ZealandWhat It Actually Costs to Study in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand in 2026
Tuition, living-cost evidence, visa fees and health cover compared side by side — including the numbers agencies tend to leave out of the brochure.
Why brochure numbers mislead
Most cost comparisons quote tuition and stop. The number that actually determines whether you can go is tuition plus the living-cost funds you must evidence to the visa office, plus the visa fee, plus mandatory health cover. Here is all of it.
United Kingdom
Tuition £14,000–£38,000 per year for most international programs. Living-cost evidence £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London for up to 9 months, rising to £14,130 and £10,827 respectively from 30 November 2026. Visa fee £558. Immigration Health Surcharge £776 per year. One-year master’s degrees mean you pay all of this once rather than twice.
Australia
Tuition A$25,000–A$55,000 per year. Living-cost evidence A$29,710 for twelve months. Visa fee A$2,500 for the primary applicant — the highest student visa fee of the four. Overseas Student Health Cover is mandatory for the full visa duration. Offsetting this: 48 hours of work per fortnight during study and unlimited hours during breaks.
Canada
Tuition C$18,000–C$45,000 per year, with public colleges at the lower end. Proof of funds approximately C$20,635 for twelve months for a single applicant outside Quebec. Study permit C$150 plus C$85 biometrics — by far the cheapest application fee. Provincial health cover varies.
New Zealand
Tuition NZ$26,000–NZ$45,000. Living-cost evidence NZ$20,000 per year. Visa fee NZ$850 online including levies. Insurance required for the full stay. Work rights of 25 hours per week are the most generous on this list.
The comparison that matters
Divide total cost by the length of the qualification and then by the post-study work rights you receive. A one-year UK master’s with two years of Graduate Route looks very different from a two-year Australian master’s with a longer 485 — and the right answer depends entirely on whether you want to return home with a qualification or stay and build a career.
A note on these figures
All amounts are indicative and correct to the best of our knowledge as at September 2026. Visa fees and financial thresholds are set by governments and change without much notice. We verify every figure against the official source before you lodge anything.
Verify before you act
Government fees, financial thresholds and visa rules change frequently and often at short notice. Everything in this article is correct to the best of our knowledge as at 16 July 2026. Before you make a financial decision, confirm the current position with us or with the relevant government department.
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