Student finance

Cost of living

This page is to help students who are thinking about the cost of living while at University. 

Undergraduate

For an undergraduate student living on the University campus for the 39 week academic year, a student will need in the region of £6,000 to £7,500 to cover living expenses.  The table below gives a sample budget, per term, for an undergraduate student at the University of Essex.

Taught Masters and research degrees require attendance on campus for 50 weeks of the year, so the living costs will be higher for postgraduates. An estimate of likely living costs for a single student living in a single room on campus is provided below:

For applicants accompanied by dependants, the costs of housing will be considerably higher. The following are examples of the typical total costs we would expect to be incurred in a 52 week period by various family units.

Based on our and our students’ experience, The University of Essex believes that, to study at one of our campuses, students will need between £6,000 and £7,500 for a 39-week course or between £7,600 and £9,500 for 50 weeks.  

For students who will require a student visa the UK Border Agency is currently quoting £600 per month or £5,400 per year for living expenses in the UK and therefore student visa applicants will be required to show availability of this level of funds in making a visa application.