Most bachelor's degrees in England and Wales last three years, and the taught master's degrees in this list last one year, so you pay for fewer years of study. Teaching is in English. Some of these universities apply scholarships automatically, with no separate form. After your degree, you can apply for the Graduate Route visa to stay and work. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027, that visa lasts 18 months instead of two years. Applications made before that date still receive two years.
Factors To Consider
Tuition is only part of the cost. For your visa, you must show your first year's tuition (less anything you have already paid) plus living costs of £1,171 a month for up to nine months if you study outside London. That comes to £10,539. For London, the figure is £1,529 a month. The money must stay in your account for 28 days in a row. The visa application fee from outside the UK is £558, and the Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 for each year of your visa.
Fees can change. Wrexham keeps its undergraduate fee the same throughout a degree, but check the fee for the year you start. Chester has announced a rise of £925 a year from 2028/29, linked to the government's planned international student levy, which is due to begin in August 2028. UWTSD says its international fees may rise with inflation each year.
Check your entry route early. Several of these universities do not accept WAEC or NECO alone for direct undergraduate entry. Leeds Trinity asks Nigerian applicants for A-levels, the IB or a recognised foundation year. Liverpool Hope asks for WAEC or NECO plus a recognised foundation year. Chester offers a foundation route for WAEC holders.
Table of the 10 cheapest universities and their fees (undergraduate, per year, 2026/27)
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Wrexham University: £11,750
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Leeds Trinity University: £12,000 (nursing £14,500)
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Birmingham Newman University: £12,500 (£11,000 after an automatic £1,500 scholarship)
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University of Chester: £14,950
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Liverpool Hope University: £15,225
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University of Wales Trinity Saint David: £15,600
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University of Cumbria: £16,000 (nursing and other health courses £17,800)
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University of Bedfordshire: £16,800
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Teesside University: £17,000
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University of Sunderland: £17,500
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Wrexham University
Wrexham University in North Wales was formerly known as Glynd?r University. Its fee page lists £11,750 for undergraduates in 2026/27, £12,500 for MA and MSc courses and £13,000 for the MBA.
Tuition fee: £11,750
Admission requirements
For undergraduate and taught postgraduate study, Wrexham asks for IELTS for UKVI Academic 6.0 overall with no skill below 5.5. Applicants from Nigeria with a Higher National Diploma and a GPA of 2.8 out of 4.0 can be considered for advanced entry to an undergraduate degree. A bachelor's degree classified 2.2 or above is accepted for direct master's entry.
How to apply
Contact the international office at [email protected], or follow the application steps on the international pages of the Wrexham University website.
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Leeds Trinity University
Leeds Trinity is a small university in Horsforth, Leeds. For 2026/27 it charges £12,000 for undergraduate courses (nursing £14,500) and £3,000 for a work placement year. Most master's courses cost £15,000, a few cost £12,000, and the MBA costs £15,250. Undergraduate fees stay the same for every year of the course. International nursing students receive a £2,000 scholarship in their first year, applied automatically.
Tuition fee: £12,000
Admission requirements
Applicants from Nigeria need A-levels, the International Baccalaureate or a recognised foundation year for undergraduate entry, and a bachelor's degree at 2.2 for postgraduate entry. English language requirements are listed on the university's English language page.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS, using the institution code L24. Applications for September 2026 have closed, so check whether the January 2027 intake is open.
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Birmingham Newman University
Newman lists £12,500 for international undergraduates in 2026/27, with an automatic International Excellence Scholarship of £1,500, which brings the fee to £11,000. Postgraduate taught courses cost £13,500 with a £5,500 scholarship, bringing the fee to £8,000. Some individual course pages show different figures, so check the amount on your offer letter.
Tuition fee: £12,500 (£11,000 after the scholarship)
Admission requirements
Requirements depend on the course. Check the course page, or email [email protected].
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Postgraduate students apply through the university's application portal.
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University of Chester
Chester's international fee page lists £14,950 for undergraduates and £15,500 for postgraduates in 2026/27. A foundation route costs £11,250 in the first year and £14,950 in later years. The undergraduate fee is frozen for the length of your degree.
Tuition fee: £14,950
Admission requirements
Applicants from Nigeria can enter a foundation year with WAEC or the Senior School Certificate, with grades 1 to 8 in four relevant subjects. Direct entry to year one is available through the International Foundation Programme from GEC Academy, with 55% or above.
How to apply
Use the Nigeria page on the Chester website to reach the admissions officer for your country.
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Liverpool Hope University
Liverpool Hope charges £15,225 for international undergraduates in 2026/27. Postgraduate taught courses start from £15,250.
Tuition fee: £15,225
Admission requirements
Applicants from Nigeria need SSCE, WAEC or NECO plus a recognised foundation year. For postgraduate study you usually need a good honours degree.
How to apply
Email [email protected] with your qualifications and the university will advise you.
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University of Wales Trinity Saint David
UWTSD charges £15,600 for BA, BEng and BSc courses in 2026/27, and the same for its International Foundation Programme. Most master's courses cost £17,500, and online master's courses cost £11,000. The university reviews international fees every year, and they may rise with inflation. It teaches at campuses in Carmarthen, Lampeter, Swansea, Cardiff, London and Birmingham.
Tuition fee: £15,600
Admission requirements
These vary by course, so check the course page before you apply.
How to apply
Choose your course and campus on the UWTSD website, then follow the international application steps.
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University of Cumbria
Cumbria charges £16,000 for bachelor's degrees in 2026/27, up from £14,900 the year before. Social work and pre-registration health programmes cost £17,800. Master's courses cost £16,000, and the MBA costs £17,500. The university teaches at campuses including Carlisle, Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow-in-Furness, Workington and London.
Tuition fee: £16,000
Admission requirements
Entry requirements are listed on the university's international entry requirements page.
How to apply
Before the university issues your CAS, you pay a deposit of up to 50% of the fee. It is non-refundable unless your visa is refused for exceptional reasons. For questions about applying, email [email protected].
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University of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire's schedule of standard fees lists £16,800 for international undergraduate courses, including the foundation year.
Tuition fee: £16,800
Admission requirements
These vary by course, so check the course page.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS.
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Teesside University
Teesside charges £17,000 for undergraduate degrees in 2026/27 and £1,350 for a placement year. Your fee stays the same for every year you study on the same course. Self-funded international students pay a £4,000 deposit before they receive a CAS.
Tuition fee: £17,000
Admission requirements
These vary by course, so check the course page.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS.
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University of Sunderland
Sunderland charges £17,500 for international undergraduates in 2026/27, up from £16,500 in 2025/26.
Tuition fee: £17,500
Admission requirements
These vary by course, so check the course page.
How to apply
Follow the international admissions steps on the University of Sunderland website.
Conclusion
The lowest fees on this list start at £11,750 a year, but your real yearly cost is higher once you add visa funds, the visa fee and the health surcharge. Confirm the fee for your intake on the university's own page, check that your qualification is accepted for direct entry, and read your offer letter before you pay any deposit.
Before you post, two things I could not pin down are the UCAS application fee and the 2027 UCAS deadlines, because the sources I found disagree. I left both out of the article, so you can add them from ucas.com. I also left out Bolton, York St John and Queen Margaret because I could not find a clear official 2026/27 fee for them.
