Fees and funding for research students

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Fees and funding for research students

Find out how much a PhD or Professional Doctorate will cost and the funding options available, including PhD studentships, stipends, loans and doctoral awards.

Once you’ve decided to study a research degree, the next step is figuring out how you're going to fund it. There are many different types of PhD funding, including studentships, external grants, and loans.

Explore this page to see what’s available and how much a research degree will cost.

How much does a PhD or Professional Doctorate cost?

Our tuition fees are set and reviewed on an annual basis and the amount you pay will depend on the length of your course and mode of study. For some Science and Technology projects, an annual bench fee may also be payable.

Postgraduate Research fees for 2025/26 entry (1 September 2025 - 31 August 2026)

Course | UK tuition fee per year | International tuition fee per year

PhD full-time | £5,006 | £17,500, or £18,650 for PhDs in Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, or Science and Technology courses.

PhD part-time | £2,503 | £8,750, or £9,325 for Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, or Science and Technology courses.

At-distance PhDs | £4,000 | £10,450

Completion fee | £695 | £695

Professional Doctorate | £3,700 | £13,450

Postgraduate Research fees for 2026/27 entry (1 September 2026 - 31 August 2027)

Course | UK tuition fee per year | International tuition fee per year

PhD full-time | £5,238 | £17,900, or £19,100 for PhDs in Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, or Science and Technology courses.

PhD part-time | £2,619 | £8,950, or £9,550 for Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, or Science and Technology courses.

At-distance PhDs | £4,150 | £10,700

Completion fee | £720 | £720

Professional Doctorate | £3,850 | £13,800

PhD funding

There are many different ways to fund a PhD, including university studentships, funding from research councils, charities or businesses, and doctoral loans. PhD funding falls into three main categories:

Search current PhD opportunities and projects .

• Fully-funded – your PhD tuition fees are covered in full along with an amount for living costs and other expenses (usually called a PhD stipend).
• Partially-funded – part of your fees or living costs are covered, but not both. You will usually need to top up this funding with your own money or other grants.
• Self-funded – you are financing your own PhD fees and living costs through a combination of savings or earnings and loans.

What is a PhD stipend?

Some funded projects may be eligible for a PhD stipend – a grant to help cover living expenses that you don't have to pay back.

Find out the current minimum stipend rates set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

PhD funding for international researchers

Many of our funded PhD projects are open to international students. Check the specific project details to see who is eligible.

FindaPhD also provides a guide to funding for international students looking to study a PhD in the UK.

Other funded opportunities at NTU

We’re pleased to participate in funded projects that improve access to research and benefit local communities.

Fully Funded Studentships at NTU

Applications for our latest round of Strategic Research Theme PhD studentships closed on Friday 13 February 2026. Information about the next round of studentships can be found here in the autumn.

EM-SLAM Studentships

Fully funded PhD studentships supporting research around the intersection of mental health and sustainable living, funded by the AHRC.

Equality and Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI)

A funded programme for NHS workers, created to tackle barriers to doctoral education for racially minoritised groups.

ESRC Studentships

Funding and further support for doctoral candidates in a range of subjects and pathways.

EPSRC Studentships

Funding for sustainable chemistry research.

BBSRC Funding

BBSRC funds to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future.

Doctoral loans

Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales provide a non-means-tested Doctoral loan of up to £28,673 to help with course fees and living costs for a postgraduate research course, such as a PhD or Professional Doctorate.

These are available on full-time, part-time and distance learning courses if you are living in the UK and you’ll only start to repay when your income is over £21,000 a year.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) helps to cover the extra costs you might incur because of a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental health condition, physical disability, or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Alumni discount

We offer an exclusive 20% discount to NTU alumni who enrol on an eligible postgraduate course.

External funding

A variety of research councils, governmental agencies and charities can provide funding for your research degree. Take a look at some of the opportunities available below.

Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences

• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge transfer in the environmental sciences.

Science and Technology

• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - funding provider for research into biological systems
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - funding for Information Systems and Mathematics research.

Social Sciences (including Arts and Humanities)

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - small, large, and project-based grants for students in humanities and social sciences
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues
• Ford Foundation - provides grants to support research into social change and development
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation - endowed charity that funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme focussing on social policy issues
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - supporting researchers in health and social care
• Nuffield Foundation - fund research and innovation in education and social policy
• Social Science Research Council (SSRC) - an independent non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of social science research and scholarship
• Wellcome Trust - grants for human health-related research.

Situational

• Commonwealth Scholarships - offers opportunities to Commonwealth citizens to study in the UK
• Leverhulme Trust - funding for cross-disciplinary research.

Budgeting and money management at university

How we can support you, and how you can make your funding go further.

Financial support

We provide a range of support and resources to help you manage your finances while you're studying at NTU.

Need advice on how to fund your studies?

Our student finance team can offer guidance on postgraduate fees, loans, and money management.

For advice on making secure international payments, please visit our international scholarships and fees pages .

• Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 2494 .

Research areas