Research degrees fees
Postgraduate research fees are not regulated by the UK government so decisions on UK undergraduate fees do not apply to them. Our postgraduate research fees are set independently and reviewed on an annual basis.
You are classified as either a home or international postgraduate researcher for the purpose of assessing tuition fees. Where your status is not clear from your application, you will enter our fee assessment process.
The following fees listed are meant as a guide only. An annual bench fee may be charged in addition to academic fees where the research projects undertaken require a high expenditure on consumables, equipment or other resources. Please check with the admissions team for your research area for accurate information.
If you are a former student of the University of Leeds you may be eligible for a 10% alumni tuition fee bursary.
You may also need to pay additional study costs in some instances.
UK first year fees
Fees for home rated applicants for the 2025/26 academic year will be confirmed in February/March 2025.
| Students | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| UK students | £4,786 | To be confirmed |
| UK students (part time) | £2,393 | To be confirmed |
The fee quoted is based on full-time study and shows the fee charged for postgraduate researchers studying in that academic year. The fee may increase in future years of your studies in line with inflation.
International postgraduate research annual fees
The following fees for international postgraduate researchers are based on full-time study and apply for each year of the course. These fees are fixed at this level for each year of your course allowing you to plan your finances for the duration of your studies.
| International postgraduate research course | 2024/25 | 2025/2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Schools of English; History; Philosophy, Religion and History of Science; Languages, Culture and Societies; Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies; Media and Communication; Music; Performance and Cultural Industries; Education; Business |
£23,000 | £24,500 |
| Schools of Law; Politics and International Relations; Sociology and Social Policy | £23,000 | £24,500 |
| Schools of Geography; Mathematics; Design | £26,250 | £28,000 |
| Schools of Computing; Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Chemical and Process Engineering; Civil Engineering; Earth and Environment; Transport; Chemistry; Physics and all schools in the Faculty of Biological Sciences | £29,250 | £31,000 |
| School of Food Science and Nutrition | £29,250 | £31,000 |
| Schools of Medicine and Dentistry science based programmes. There are a number of programmes with higher fees, please check with the graduate school. | £29,250 | £31,000 |
| Schools of Medicine and Dentistry clinically based programmes. There are a number of programmes with higher fees, please check with the graduate school. | £41,500 | £44,000 |
| School of Medicine and Dentistry Doctor of Paediatric Dentistry | £60,500 | £60,500 |
| School of Healthcare | £29,250 | £31,000 |
| School of Psychology science based programmes | £29,250 | £31,000 |
| School of Psychology arts/ social science based programmes | £23,000 | £24,500 |
Fees quoted are based on full-time study and apply for each year of the course. If you are studying part-time, the fee is normally 50% of the full rate (with the exception of the overtime fee).
Split-site PhD programme fees
The fees for split-site programmes (see our page on types of research degree for more information) are set as a percentage of the UK or international fees. There are three ways of studying for a split-site PhD at the University that will affect the fees you pay:
- Model A involving a strategic partnership with a commercial/industrial organisation or an international academic or research institution. These are full-time programmes and are normally cohort-based.
- Model B involving individual postgraduate researchers. These are part-time programmes.
- Model C involving another organisation entering into a partnership with Leeds to deliver the PhD research project. These are full-time programmes with a reduced requirement for attendance in Leeds.
| Year of study | Model A - Percentage of full-time fee | Model B - Percentage of part-time fee | Model C - Percentage of full-time fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75% | 75% | 75% |
| 2 | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| 3 | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| 4 | Overtime | 50% | Overtime |
| 5 | N/A | 50% | N/A |
| 6 | N/A | Overtime | N/A |
| 7 | N/A | Overtime | N/A |
Overtime (writing up) fee
There is an overtime registration fee of £320 for 2024/25 and £340 for 2025/26. This fee is chargeable should you need extra time to write up your thesis outside the standard period of study.
If you are still undertaking new research in the overtime period, the full fee may be charged.
Your offer letter will state the end of the standard period of study and also the maximum time limit. The difference is usually the overtime period. Full-time postgraduate researchers normally have one year of overtime and part-time/split site have two years.
Fee status assessment
You are classified as either a home or international postgraduate researcher for the purpose of assessing tuition fees. Only certain categories of students will be charged the home tuition fee.
Where it is not clear from your application form whether you have home or international status, the Admissions Operations team will contact you to carry out a fee assessment. This may be before or after you have received an offer. For further information and advice, see our fee assessment page.
Sponsored postgraduate researchers
If you are supported by your government, employer, or other sponsor, you should provide a letter from them addressed to the University, confirming that the fees will be paid directly. Sponsors cannot pay by instalments.
For more detail, see our information for sponsored postgraduate researchers on our For Students website.
Paying your fees
You need to make arrangements to pay your fees before the start of the academic year or you won't be able to register. Find out more about how to pay your tuition fees and view the tuition fee payment schedule on our website For Students.
You become liable to pay tuition fees when you register on your course. If you leave before the end of your course, we calculate your fees based on your leaving date. Read more about tuition fee liability.