Fees and funding

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme.

Fees cover registration, teaching, first entry to examinations, the use of the Library and membership of the Students' Union. They also normally cover teaching and the use of student common rooms at other colleges of the University of London, if your programme has intercollegiate arrangements. If you receive an offer, you will be informed of the relevant tuition fee amount in your offer letter.

Tuition fee amounts

Tuition fee amounts are listed on the individual programme pages. You can also refer to the table of fees.

Fee status

In some cases the amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status.

LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Fee reductions

Students who completed undergraduate study at LSE and are beginning taught graduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction of 10 per cent of the fee. Some programmes, such as executive programmes, are excluded from this fee reduction.

Further information

Alumni discount
Fee status classification
Fees and Student Finance
LSE Student Fees Policy

We estimate that you should allow about £1,100-£1,300 per month for all living expenses, including accommodation, travel, food, laundry, study costs, and other personal expenses. This will vary depending on your lifestyle and requirements, so it's important you do your own research.

Please note that if you will be applying for a visa, you will have to provide evidence of sufficient funds, and these amounts may vary.

More details on living costs and making a budget.

LSE offers generous scholarships each year to its graduate students from the UK, the EU and outside the EU.

Approximately 19 per cent of taught master's offer holders are successful in obtaining some form of financial support from the School.

The value of support ranges in value from 10 per cent of the tuition fee to a full fees and maintenance award.

Although the terms of the UK's exit agreement from the EU have not yet been finalised LSE will continue to make funding available to all students regardless of fee status.

Needs-based awards

Please note these pages are being updated for 2021 entry and then as and when new scholarships are confirmed.

We offer a range of needs-based awards for diploma study and taught master's programmes. This includes:

• LSE Access to Education Graduate Scholarships (asylum seekers, refugees or people with humanitarian protection)
• Anniversary Scholarships (UK students)
• Graduate Support Scheme (all UK, EU and overseas students and Dual Degree programmes at LSE year)
• Master's awards (UK, EU and overseas students)
• Awards for Home UK/EU students

Country based and programme related awards for MSc or PhD study

The School also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific programmes or subject areas.

• Programme-related funding (MSc and PhD)
• Country-based awards for taught master's students: A - C
• Country-based awards for taught master's students: D - K
• Country-based awards for taught master's students: L - Q
• Country-based awards for taught master's students: R - Z

How to apply

See Applying for an LSE scholarship

For 2021 entry, LSE will be offering over 80 studentships to new PhD students in the form of LSE PhD Studentships, LSE ESRC Studentships and LAHP AHRC Studentships.

These awards are open to high calibre students of all nationalities studying across all research areas at the School but, in particular, we are seeking to support applications from

• UK students
• Women whose research will be within the field of Economics, Finance, Accounting, Management, Maths, Statistics and Methodology 
• Black, Minority, Ethnic (BME) students, especially from Black African/Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage

LSE PhD Studentships

LSE PhD Studentships are tenable for four years and cover full fees and an annual stipend of £18,000. They are available for UK, EU and international students undertaking research in any LSE discipline, with annual renewal subject to satisfactory academic performance.

These awards will be made solely on the basis of outstanding academic merit and research potential. This relates both to your past academic record and to an assessment of your likely aptitude to complete a PhD in your chosen topic in the time allocated.

Studentships are tenable for four years and cover full fees and an annual stipend, which is £18,000 for students starting in 2021.

ESRC funding

LSE has an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and has ESRC studentships in a number of programmes across 19 departments. These studentships are available for students of all nationalities.

Studentships are tenable for three or four years, depending on the programme of study. They cover full fees (for international students, LSE will cover the difference between UK and overseas fees) and an annual stipend, which for 2020 entry was £17,285.

Individual programme entries detail which programme are eligible for ESRC funding.

AHRC funding

LSE is part of LAHP (London Arts and Humanities Partnership), which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Students of all nationalities can apply for one of these studentships.

Studentships are tenable for three years and they cover full fees (for international students, LSE will cover the difference between UK and overseas fees) and an annual stipend, which for 2020 entry was £17,285. LSE will also cover full fees and stipend for an additional fourth year.

LSE Departments that typically host AHRC studentships are International History, Media and Communications, Philosophy and Law, but students from other disciplines (for example, Anthropology, Gender Studies and International Development), can also apply if their research falls within the remit of AHRC, as explained here.

Department-specific funding

Check the programme-related funding page for PhD funding opportunities.

How to apply

Except for LAHP studentships (see below), academic departments nominate students for the funding opportunity they may be eligible for. There is no separate application for LSE, ESRC and department-specific studentships. To be considered for this funding, you must submit your complete application for admission to LSE by a specific date. This date differs by academic department.

• deadline for being considered for LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding for 2021 entry if you apply to a programme in the Departments of Economics, Geography and Environment and Mathematics: 17 December 2020
• deadline for being considered for ESRC funding for 2021 entry: 14 January 2021
• deadline for being considered for  LSE PhD Studentships for 2021 entry: this can either be 14 January 2021 and/or 29 April 2021 depending on the programme you are applying to. Details can be found on the individual programme page.

To be considered for a LAHP studentship for 2021 entry, students need to have applied for their chosen programme of studies. They will also need to submit a separate funding application to LAHP by 5pm on 5 February 2021. Details of the application process can be found here