UniCost
What a UK degree really costs — and what it leaves in the payslip
Debt at graduation
£57,924
3 years, interest at 1.1%
Monthly repayment, year 1
£12
9% of £26,600 assessed income above £25,000
Written off after
40 yrs
£26,705 written off, incl. £2,843 unpaid interest
Total actually repaid
£54,602
£20,541 of it interest · £34,062 principal
Unsaved model — your assumptions are kept on this device automatically.
Your assumptions
Everything below feeds the charts. All figures are in today's money.
Student & course
Age 18 when the course starts in 2026.
All figures are in today's money, so the fee cap stays flat unless you expect above-inflation rises.
Maintenance loan
Take a maintenance loan
Turn off to model tuition-only borrowing
Away, outside London (2026/27 rates): full rate £10,830 up to £25,000, minimum £7,039 from £62,343.
Means-tested entitlement for this combination: £9,307. Override if you know the exact award.
Career & salary
Illustrative UK graduate averages — adjust as needed.
Paying it off faster
Set to £0 to model the mandatory deduction only.
For example a gift, inheritance or savings pot put straight against the loan.
Overpaying only pays off if the loan would otherwise be cleared before the write-off date. The comparison below shows interest saved against the extra money actually handed over.
Plan 5 loan terms
£25,000 under current Plan 5 rules. Kept in today's money so it stays comparable with the salary you enter.
Illustrative model only, not financial advice. Plan 5 applies to English undergraduates starting from August 2023. Actual maintenance entitlement, interest, thresholds and tax rates are set by the government and change over time — every assumption here is editable.