Course Costs

This information is designed to provide you with an idea of possible course costs you may need to factor in if you are deciding to apply as an undergraduate to The University of Nottingham. It is not an exhaustive list; costs can change from year to year, and not all costs apply to all courses so we would advise you check with individual schools and departments for more specific information about the course you are considering.

Books

• New textbooks for most courses cost approximately £40 on average and you might expect to pay approximately £200 for all your recommended textbooks over a three year degree. However, students don’t have to buy all their books new and can find textbooks cheaper on the web (e.g. Amazon or EBay) or from student book-sales. Remember, a great option for any student is to borrow books from the University libraries for free!
• Blackwell’s book store, located on all three Nottingham campuses, also offers deals if you’re buying three or four text books, ranging from £90-£150.

Field Trips

• With some courses field trips are compulsory in the first year. Generally costs range from approx £20 (e.g. theatre trip) to approx £250 for a week abroad. Students will often find that compulsory course trips are subsidised by their department, although students may be expected to pay for their own flights or travel, but please check with the individual school or department.

Some courses involve a two week trip abroad in the first year, but this is often subsidised by the department and can cost approximately £500 including tuition, excursions, food and accommodation.

• For other non-compulsory course-related field trips, for example those arranged by students’ union societies, students are expected to pay the full cost themselves. 

Professional Memberships

• These don’t apply to all courses so check with your school or department if they require you to purchase any student memberships to professional organisations.
• Normally membership is not often compulsory but advisable and costs can range from £10-£80 a year and often offered at a student discount. Some memberships are paid for by your school or department.

Entrance Exams

Most courses don’t require any specific tests that you would need to pay for. Exceptions are:

• English proficiency tests (run by the Centre for English Language Education), about £100
• LNAT pre-applicant test for Law courses costs £40 and UKCAT pre-applicant test for Medicine course costs £65, but bursaries are available so ask about this before you sit them.
• Some courses requiring a pre-registration year can incur exam costs of up to £200 – please check with your school or department.

Study Abroad

• When studying abroad, students generally find that day to day living costs are no more expensive than if they had stayed in Nottingham, in some countries it may be much cheaper. However the University does advise students to also consider costs such as flights, visa costs and insurance when budgeting for their year abroad. We would generally advise that you estimate the cost of a year or semester abroad as the same as living in UK, as although in many cases living expenses can be cheaper than the UK, the costs of your flights and visas may add up, equating to a similar sum.
• Tuition fees when studying abroad for a semester or a short course remain the same as when students stay in Nottingham, however if a student undertakes a full year of studying abroad fees are generally reduced by 50% of the normal fee charged by Nottingham, and for UK students undertaking a full year on the Erasmus scheme there are no fees to pay at all for the year abroad.
• Although tuition fees when studying abroad are often considerably lower, it’s worth bearing in mind that some students report that their costs can still mount up if they take the opportunity to travel around the country they are visiting.
• The University operates a number of schemes to help students to apply for internal and external funding to help support their study abroad period. This may be through Erasmus grants, which is provided with the support of the Commission of the European Communities, through external scholarships such as the British Council Scholarships for Excellence in Hong Kong, or through local authorities offering extra assistance to students through local funding mechanisms.
• Grants are available from Erasmus and local LEAs to help with study abroad costs so it’s worth looking into these.

Other Items

• For some courses you may be required to purchase new or second-hand equipment such as lab coats, artwork cases and drawing instruments, dissection kits, stethoscopes, eye goggles and uniforms. Please check with individual schools or departments as some of these items can be claimed back or subsidised. Many of these items are available from the students’ union shop, on EBay or through student sales.