Where the University gets its income

More than half of our income comes from tuition fees. The rest comes from other sources, including:

• grants from funding bodies
• the UK government
  
• donations and investments
• our accommodation and catering services

What your fees pay for

Whether you have Home or Overseas fee status, your tuition fees pay for core costs, including:

• academic and research staff
  
• student services, including wellbeing support and counselling in multiple languages
• support systems for teaching, research, and other activities, including services and support which are particularly relevant for international students
• IT facilities
• the Library
  
• work placements and study abroad
  
• financial support (bursaries)
• teaching support
  
• sports and arts facilities
  
• estates and facilities
  
• utility costs like maintenance, heating, and cleaning
• repaying loans for new buildings
  

Breakdown of University expenditure

These tables and pie charts show the percentages of undergraduate and taught postgraduate tuition fees we spent on core costs during the 2022/23 academic year.

How we spent undergraduate tuition fees¹

How we spent taught postgraduate tuition fees²

Giving you value for money

By choosing to study here, you're making significant financial and time commitments to the University. In return, we're committed to making sure you receive value for money.

How we give you value for money

We give you value for money by providing:

• opportunities and resources to develop the academic and professional skills, expertise, and experience you need for both professional practice and research
• a student experience that draws together academic, pastoral, social, and extracurricular opportunities, with access to excellent facilities and supportive staff
• access to placement opportunities through our longstanding employer relationships, helping you develop personal and professional experience and networks
• support from our global alumni network through mentoring, placement opportunities, and studentships, as well as the chance to join the network when you graduate
• careers support throughout your degree and your working life

You can see the value of these activities through:

• our rankings and reputation in national and international league tables
• your employment prospects after graduating
• our high student-retention rates
• our undergraduate student-satisfaction levels

How we get value for money

We're committed to getting good value for the money we spend on services and supplies.

We do this through our:

• procurement policy and procedures
• Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, which has oversight of our success in achieving value for money
• programme of internal audits, which includes value-for-money considerations

Why Home fees are lower than Overseas fees

If you're an undergraduate student with Home fee status, your tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. If you're an Overseas or postgraduate student, your tuition fees are set by the University.

The income we get from undergraduate students with Home fee status doesn't cover all the costs of running the University or carrying out the research that informs our teaching and helps build our reputation. While tuition fees paid by Home students contribute to these running costs, universities like Bath also depend on funding from other sources. This includes funding from the UK government using taxpayer money, for example, in the form of research grants and other types of investment. This funding helps the UK higher education sector maintain its global reputation for research and teaching excellence.

The UK government also allows universities to earn income from other sources, including tuition fees paid by Overseas students. These fees are set by universities themselves, taking account of market conditions and other factors, including the costs of providing research and education facilities, teaching, and support.

Tuition fees are liable to increase annually for all University of Bath students. We advise all Overseas and postgraduate students to budget for an increase of up to 5% each year for every further year of study; we won't increase your fees each year by more than this percentage and the amount will be set out on our fees pages in December for the following academic year.

In common with many other countries, the way the UK higher education sector is funded assumes that, as an undergraduate student with Home fee status, you're likely to pay taxes in the UK after you graduate. This means you'll contribute to the funding of the UK higher education system through your taxes as well as through the fees you pay while studying. As a taxpayer in the UK, you'll also subsidise the cost of the student finance system, which provides loans to undergraduate and postgraduate students. The government expects that 25% of current full-time undergraduates who take out loans will repay them in full.³

One way to understand the difference between Home and Overseas fees is that, although many students with Overseas fee status do choose to work and pay taxes in the UK, as an Overseas student you're less likely to do this than a Home student. As a result, your financial contribution to the UK in taxes will be less throughout your life. For this reason, as a student with Overseas fee status, you're asked to pay more for the provision of your education through your tuition fees.

Why you pay a fee while on placement

Your placement period significantly enhances your academic, personal, and professional development. This is why the University provides support from placement teams and academic staff to help you find opportunities in high-profile organisations.

Read about how a Bath placement can improve your employability.

If you go on a placement, you'll usually pay a fee during the placement period.

This fee recognises your continued membership of the University community, giving you access to University services and facilities, including:

• the Sports Training Village
• physical and online Library services
• your University email account
• other computing and study facilities

Your fee status stays the same during your placement period.

You’ll also benefit from access to specific support from dedicated placement teams before, during, and after your placement.

Support before your placement

The support you receive before you go on placement includes access to:

• placement-specific career workshops with guidance about searching for jobs, writing a CV and cover letter, interviews, and understanding the UK market and working practises
• one-to-one career support including feedback on your CV, mock interviews, and conversations to explore different options
• competitive placement opportunities and limited exclusive placements
• application reviews
• online career development and management resources, including AI CV and interview tools

On-placement support

The support you receive while on placement includes:

• an in-person or virtual placement visit approximately halfway through your placement
• coordination of the required placement paperwork
• one-to-one support by email and phone when you need it
• regular communication throughout your placement to check on your wellbeing and satisfaction with your experience
• continued access to placement support and learning resources

Support after your placement

The support you receive after your placement includes:

• administration and assessment of relevant post-placement paperwork
• collection of placement employer feedback

These aren't complete lists of the support available and we'll support your individual requirements as far as possible at no extra cost. We also don't change your fee based on the amount of support you request, so you should ask for as much support as you need.

Investment and improvements for the future

As a charity, we don't have any shareholders or owners. This means any surplus income (money left over after everything is paid for) is invested back into the University for improvements to our campus facilities and services.