Cost of living

As a postgraduate student at Cranfield, you will need funds to pay your tuition fees, living and other incidental expenses. Tuition fees vary, depending on the course you intend to study.

The minimum monthly amount suggested by the UK Borders Agency to cover living expenses outside of London is £600 (£5,400 per annum). Along with other UK universities, we and our students suggest that the following should be used as a more realistic indication of annual living expenses:

Single student: £11,000 per annum

Couple: £15,000 per annum + £3,000 per child.

Food and drink

Whatever your tastes, we have various options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You'll find a number of coffee shops, bars, shops and dining areas serving a variety of food. We estimate that a basket of food/household shopping will cost an average of £35 per week for one student. Lunch costs between £1.40-£2.70 for sandwiches. Hot food is also available starting from £2-£5 and an evening or lunchtime three-course meal is available costing approximately £17. Coffee and tea from £1, a pint of beer £2-£2.70 and soft drinks £0.90-£1.50.

Social

Social activities include comprehensive shopping facilities which can be found in nearby Milton Keynes and Bedford. Activities include skiing, snow boarding, theatre, bowling, cinema, places to eat and bars and clubs. Further information and costs can be found by visiting the following websites:

Activities on campus focus around the Cranfield Students’ Association which offers you ample opportunities to socialise with your fellow students either in the bar or in an alcohol-free café. Entertainment includes games nights, bands, discos, karaoke, quizzes and film nights. There is also a wide variety of clubs and societies available to you which range from the African-Caribbean Society to the Astronomical Society, for further information please visit: www.cranfield.ac.uk/csa/clubssocieties/

For sports-lovers there is a Fitness Centre, a new purpose-built Sports Hall and outdoor courts and pitches. The cost for Cranfield University students to join the Fitness Centre is £75 per year (£6.25 per month). Fitness classes start at £3.50 per class.

Transport

Buses

Cranfield to Bedford £5 return
Cranfield University to Cranfield village £1.50 return
Cranfield to Milton Keynes £5 return

A free shuttle service is available for use, which includes regular journeys which run from the campus and connect you to local sites in Milton Keynes.

Trains – trains run from Bedford to London from £18 return and from Milton Keynes to London from £14.50 return. For further information on train times and costs please visit www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/EMTrains*

Car tax – further information on vehicle tax costs can also be found at www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk*

Petrol – petrol costs fluctuate regularly; for up-to-date petrol prices please visit: www.petrolprices.com*

You can budget for your costs by using a budget planner, such as The British Council’s which can help you work out how much you are going to spend at the University each year.

Further information about living in the UK can be found at: www.educationuk.org*

Due to the intensity of our programmes we recommend that you do not rely on part-time work to help finance your studies.

* Please note that Cranfield University can not be held responsible for any content within the external websites provided above. Prices are for indication only.