Annual fee (2025)
£9,535
tuition only
First introduced 1998
9.3× higher than first fee
3-year fee debt (2025)
£28,605
tuition alone
vs £0 for Boomers
Before living costs
Typical Gen Z debt
£48,000
fees + maintenance
vs £40,000 Millennials
On graduation day
Years of free tuition
8
1990–1997
vs 28 years of paid fees
1998 onwards
Annual Tuition Fee 1990–2025
Annual tuition fee in England per academic year. Three step-changes: £1,025 in 1998, £3,000 in 2006, £9,000 in 2012. Boomers and early Gen X paid nothing.
The Cost of a Degree by Generation
Typical total debt on graduation day, including maintenance loans (living costs). Repayment plan determines what portion you actually pay back before write-off.
| Generation | Birth years | Annual fee | Total fees (3 yr) | Typical total debt | Repayment plan | % who fully repay | Write-off after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928–1945 | Free | £0 | £0 | No fees | 100% | N/A |
| Baby Boomers | 1946–1964 | Free | £0 | £0 | No fees | 100% | N/A |
| Generation X | 1965–1980 | £200 | £600 | £8,000 | No fees / Plan 1 (late cohort) | 90% | 25 years |
| Millennials (early) | 1981–1989 | £2,200 | £6,600 | £18,000 | Plan 1 | 70% | 25 years |
| Millennials (late) | 1990–1996 | £8,500 | £25,500 | £40,000 | Plan 2 | 25% | 30 years |
| Generation Z | 1997–2012 | £9,250 | £27,750 | £48,000 | Plan 2 / Plan 5 | 35% | 40 years |
Typical Graduation Debt by Generation
Combined tuition and maintenance debt at graduation. Most Gen Z graduates will never repay in full — the loan acts as a 9% tax on earnings above the threshold for up to 40 years.