Your Guide to UK Graduate Careers

Expert career tips for UK and international students seeking internships, graduate schemes and sponsorship-friendly roles, with guidance on CVs, interviews and employability skills. Brought to you by UKey, your key to the UK

How much does a UK MBA cost in 2026? A full, all-in breakdown

cambridge accommodation costs cambridge judge mba fees gmat cost graduate visa uk gre cost how much does a uk mba cost immigration health surcharge ihs international students uk london business school mba fees london rent for students mba admissions consultant mba application fees mba budgeting mba finance planning mba hidden costs mba living costs uk mba opportunity cost mba social tax mba tuition fees uk oxford accommodation costs oxford saïd mba fees student visa uk cost uk mba cost uk mba fees 2026 uk postgraduate study costs uk student life costs Feb 23, 2026

Last updated: February 2026

A full-time UK MBA in 2026 can cost close to £100,000 on a tight budget and between £180,000 to £300,000+ in a "London, all-in" scenario.

If you’re asking “how much does a UK MBA cost”, the real answer depends on tuition, visa and healthcare charges, rent, and your lifestyle choices.

This guide breaks the total cost into practical buckets so you can budget before you commit.

How much does a UK MBA cost in 2026 in total?

Most students should plan for a six-figure total even when they try to spend carefully.

Tuition is the visible cost, but the stealth costs are immigration charges, accommodation, and the “pay-to-play” parts of MBA life.

A realistic “all-in” MBA budget has 9 moving parts:

Tuition fees (the largest single item)
Application costs (GMAT/GRE + application fees)
Optional admissions support (consultants, coaching)
Student visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Flights and relocation (including deposits and upfront rent)
Accommodation (usually the second-biggest item after tuition)
Day-to-day living costs (food, bills, gym, basic social life)
Transport (particularly expensive in London)
Hidden extras (travel treks, conferences, formal events, graduation costs, trips home)

One useful way to think about it is “fixed vs flexible”.

Fixed costs are tuition and immigration charges, while flexible costs are rent, travel, and social spending.

What are the tuition fees for LBS, Oxford Saïd and Cambridge Judge for 2026 entry?

The tuition fee sets your baseline, but it does not set your total cost.

Tuition is also the easiest number to compare because it is published and predictable.

These are the published tuition fees for 2026 entry for the three most commonly researched UK full-time MBA programmes.

Business school (programme)	Published tuition fee	Typical programme length (approx.)	What the fee usually does NOT cover
London Business School (MBA)	£123,950	15–21 months	Programme-related travel and associated costs
Oxford Saïd (Oxford MBA)	£88,800	12 months	Living costs and most travel
Cambridge Judge (Cambridge MBA)	£80,000	12 months	Living costs and any travel linked to optional activities
London Business School (One-year MBA)	£77,950	12 months	Programme-related travel and associated costs

A simple comparison trick is to “annualise” tuition for different programme lengths.

A longer programme can look expensive upfront but may be closer to other schools when viewed per year.

A tuition fee is a gate fee, not a finish line.

Even if you pay “only” £80,000-£90,000 in tuition, your all-in total usually climbs quickly once you add rent and immigration costs.

What extra costs should you budget for before you even arrive in the UK?

Before you book a flight, you will usually pay several costs that sit outside tuition.

These costs matter because they are often due early, and you cannot “spread them out” the way you might with living expenses.

Admissions consultant fees (optional)

Admissions consulting is not required, but it is common among applicants who feel they need sharper positioning.

MBA admissions consultants typically charge roughly £3,000 to £6,000 depending on the provider and number of schools.

GMAT/GRE costs (partly required)

The test fee is a required application cost for many MBA applicants, and would be around £150 to £250, depending on the type of exam.

Prep spend is optional but common, and can range from £0 to about £2,000 depending on your approach.

Application fees (required)

Application fees are paid per school and are non-refundable.

For example, published 2026 figures include £200 (LBS), £75 (Oxford Saïd), and £165 (Cambridge Judge).

Student visa fee and IHS (required for many international students)

Student visa fee (definition): the Home Office fee you pay to apply for permission to study in the UK.

Immigration Health Surcharge, IHS (definition): the upfront charge that gives you access to the NHS during your visa period.

As of February 2026, a Student visa application costs £524.

As of February 2026, the student IHS rate is £776 per year, and the amount you pay depends on the length of your visa.

You will be told the total IHS amount during your online application.

Check immigration guidance and requirements on gov.uk website.

Dependants rule (important for MBA planning)

Many taught postgraduate courses no longer qualify for bringing dependants.

If your course starts on or after 1 January 2024, dependants generally require a PhD/doctorate or a research-based higher degree, unless you are a government-sponsored student.

Check immigration guidance and requirements on gov.uk website.

Flights and arrival costs (required)

Flights vary wildly, but many international students should expect a meaningful upfront expense.

Arrival costs also include airport-to-city travel, temporary accommodation, and rental deposits.

A practical planning rule is to expect a heavy “cash-out” month before term starts.

That is the month when tuition payments, visa fees, IHS, flights, and deposits can stack up.

How much do living costs add in London vs Oxford vs Cambridge during an MBA?

Accommodation is usually the second-biggest cost after tuition.

Your postcode can move your total budget more than your school choice.

London (LBS)

London rent is the main driver.

A central one-bedroom flat near Marylebone can sit roughly in the £2,300-£4,000 per month range, with studios often lower but still expensive.

A reasonable mid-range London accommodation budget for many students is around £1,700 per month.

Transport is also a real cost in London, and a Zones 1–2 monthly Travelcard is £171.70.

Oxford and Cambridge (Saïd and Judge)

Oxford and Cambridge students often use college accommodation.

College accommodation can be roughly £600-£1,200 per month depending on college and room type.

A rough mental model is around £1,000 per month for a room or around £2,000 per month for a flat.

Transport can be lower because the cities are smaller, with typical local transport costs often more like £30-£70 per month, as you would also need to account for any travel into London (recruitment events and leisure).

Baseline living expenses (food, leisure, bills)

Living costs are personal, but a practical budgeting floor helps.

A conservative monthly estimate many students can use as a starting point is just over £1,000 per month once you include food, basic leisure, and bills.

Food: £350-£500 per month for groceries and basic meals
Leisure: £200-£500 per month depending on what “normal life” means for you (gym, socials)
Miscellaneous: £100+ per month for unpredictable costs (clothes, laundry, one-off university requirements)
Bills: £150 per month is a sensible placeholder if utilities are not included in rent

If you are choosing between London and Oxford and you plan to live alone, rent is the swing factor.

A £1,500 per month difference in rent across 12 months is £18,000, which is more than many people spend on GMAT prep, application fees, and flights combined.

What are the hidden costs beyond money (opportunity, social, emotional, mental)?

A UK MBA has costs that do not show up on a tuition invoice.

Some of these costs change outcomes because they shape your energy, confidence, and career momentum.

The social tax or FOMO tax (definition): the optional-but-pressured spend on trips, events, and experiences that shape your MBA network.

Many MBA experiences are pay-to-play, and that can create a quiet pressure to keep up.

Industry “treks” or field trips to global hubs (often thousands per trip)
Global experiences where travel and accommodation are paid by the student (curriculum add-ons)
Conferences and competitions where you pay travel and hotels
Ticketed university events (balls, dinners, speaker series)
Trips home during breaks
Weekend travel around Europe

This category can be £0 if you opt out, or £15,000+ if you say yes often.

The cost is not only financial; it can also become decision fatigue.

Opportunity cost (definition): the salary, bonus, and career momentum you give up by stepping out of work.

Opportunity cost is usually the largest hidden cost for people who were earning well before the MBA.

Emotional cost (definition): the strain from leaving your support system and rebuilding a routine in a new country.

International students often underestimate how tiring relocation is when it coincides with intense networking.

Mental cost (definition): the energy drain from constant events, constant introductions, and constant career pressure.

An MBA can be socially and cognitively loud for months at a time.

A self-funded student who skips most international trips may still graduate with a strong outcome if they use campus recruiting well.

A sponsored student who says yes to every trip may have an incredible experience, but they also take on more fatigue and distraction risk.

A practical way to plan for hidden costs is to choose your “yes list” before term starts.

Decide which 2–3 experiences matter most to your career goal, and treat the rest as optional.