University Tuition Fees in England to Rise in 2026
Image Credit: FreePik
Following last year’s increase in English university tuition fees to £9,535, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced further tuition fee increases in line with inflation. These increases are confirmed for the next 2 years, but the Government will seek to increase tuition fee caps automatically each year to make them indefinite.
Whilst it’s not yet clear what English university fees in 2026 will be, the BBC estimates that, if calculated at the current interest rate, fees would rise to over £9,900 per academic year.
Phillipson also revealed that universities can only charge the full tuition amount subject to high quality teaching. Therefore, if universities fall short of the quality threshold set by the Office for Students, they’ll be unable to charge the new maximum tuition fee.
These changes are part of the Labour government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. This also proposed limiting student numbers to ensure high-quality student experiences, the re-introduction of means-tested maintenance grants and the regulation of ‘access and participation plans’ by the Office for Students.
Will you be impacted?
Both new and continuing undergraduate students will be impacted by the 2026 increases in tuition fees.
The government is also introducing a 6% levy on international student fees, which is likely to cause an increase in fees for students themselves, to fund their means-tested maintenance grants.
Why are these measures being introduced?
Universities across the country are in financial crisis, and are having to make ‘operational cutbacks to deal with growing financial pressures’, according to Universities UK.
This financial turmoil is impacting the student experience, with data showing that 49% of universities have closed courses; 46% have removed module options, and 18% have closed departments.
The increases in university fees are intended to help universities achieve and maintain financial stability, which will allow them to support research and teaching, and deliver a better student experience.