The latest insights on tuition fee rises for 2023/24

Figures from THE Knowledge Partnership’s Courses 360 Databases show that the majority of public universities are raising their full-time undergraduate international fees for 2023/24 entry, but only 18 (12 per cent of the sample) are raising them by more than the average rate of inflation (8.8 per cent*).

The data, which excludes medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine courses, those taught at satellite campuses and dual degrees taught in partnership with overseas institutions, also reveals that around half of institutions are only increasing their fees by just 2-5 per cent.

The average increase in international and home fees for standard postgraduate master courses is 6 per cent, but is higher among the Russell Group, at 8 per cent for international students and 7 per cent for UK students.

Institutions may be worried that trying to keep pace with rampant inflation could be risky in such a competitive market. Additionally, those that set their fees early will have been unaware of the unprecedented high rate of inflation that would persist in the coming months.

This all comes at a time where universities appear to be moving towards more flexibility, with the distance learning market expanding and 29 per cent of distance courses recorded in the database in 2023/24 having multiple start dates outside of the traditional September and January enrolment periods, compared to just 22 per cent in 2022-23.

 You can view more of our analysis graphics in the scroller below. If you would like more information on the THE Knowledge Partnership Courses 360 databases please get in touch with us at fees@theknowledgepartnership.com

* Calculated from the monthly inflation percentages reported by the ONS from April 2022 - March 2023, the period in which most institutions will have been setting their 2023/24 fees.