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Tuition fees

Tuition fees cover aspects of study such as registration, tuition, supervision and examination. They are paid each year as part of registering on a degree programme.

The back of a graduating ICR student's head

Image: The back of a graduating ICR student's head at an ICR award ceremony. Credit: Jan Chlebik for the ICR

This page is updated each spring, once we have set our tuition fees for the upcoming academic year. The fees shown are of most relevance to self-financing students. Fees for previous years are shown toward the bottom of the page.

Fees for the 2024/25 academic year

Our full tuition fees are shown below, and should be read in conjunction with the 'Further information' section that follows.

Research degree students

Full-time students studying for the degrees of PhD, MPhil, or MD(Res) will pay the following tuition fees:

Fee status Full-time*
Home £4,786
Overseas £28,500
Overseas (continuing) † £26,875

* For part-time fees, see the 'Reduction in fees' section below.
† Overseas students who commenced their programme prior to 1 September 2024 pay a reduced rate, as shown.

The vast majority of our science PhD students competitively win fully-funded studentships, which cover all elements of their tuition fees and experimental running costs, and also provide a tax-free stipend for living expenses. Where a student instead applies with their own funding in place, a bench fee may be charged to cover the cost of experiments. The amount and due date of this bench fee would be made clear before any offer was made.

Applicants for clinical PhDs are able to apply for fellowships that pay for tuition fees, research expenses, and a clinical salary.

Affiliate research degree students pay the same fee as students who are registered with the ICR.

 

Taught course students

Students on our MSc in Oncology degree programme will pay the following fees:

Fee status Part A/B Part C
Home £2,730 £1,855
Overseas £12,170 £3,505

 

Further information

The following sections give more detail about the way that our tuition fees are calculated and billed, and how they will change over time. If you have questions after reading these notes, please contact the Registry.

Reductions in fees

The following reductions are routinely applied.

  • Tuition fees for part-time research degree students – those with a study pattern that is less than 90% of the full-time equivalent (FTE) – are pro-rated by activity.
    • For example, a part-time student with an activity level of 70% FTE will be charged 0.7 of the full-time fee each year.
    • Over the entire course of their study, part-time students will pay the same total tuition fees as full-time students (adjusted for inflation), but this cost will be spread over their whole period of registration.
    • Part-time students with an FTE of 90% or above are treated as full-time students for the purposes of tuition fee charges.
  • Self-financing PhD or MD(Res) students who are also members of staff at the ICR or The Royal Marsden receive a 50% discount on their research degree tuition fees.
  • For students who commence their studies before 1 September 2024, research degree tuition fees for studentships/fellowships that are fully-funded by Royal Marsden internal funds (rather than by an externally-awarded grant) benefit from a 50% discount.

Fee increases

We currently charge the same fees for new and existing students. However fees usually increase each year, and we understand that it is important to have financial certainty when planning to undertake a degree programme. With this in mind, we make the following assurances.

  • With the exception of home research degree students (see below), tuition fees for existing students will increase each academic year by no more than the 12-month retail prices index (RPI) percentage change for the previous December.
  • Fees for existing home research degree students will increase annually by RPI, or to the indicative fee set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – whichever is the greater. However, fee increases for self-funded students will be capped at RPI as above.

All fees are usually rounded up to the nearest £5 after any increase has been applied.

Classification

We charge a different fee if a student is classified as home or overseas, because the fees for home students are subsidised by UK government funding. Each student's classification is determined on first registration in accordance with the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007, as amended.

Individuals assessed as EU students will continue to pay home fees throughout their course, if this started before 1 August 2021.

If you are unsure of which classification you fall into, please refer to the UKCISA website for more detailed information. Other than where funding restrictions apply, your fee classification plays no part in the result of your application for a student place at the ICR.

Payment and refunds

Where a student is not in receipt of a studentship that is managed by the ICR Finance department, the payment of fees is the responsibility of the student.

The student will receive an invoice from the ICR that will state the fees payable. Tuition fees are due by the dates specified, unless special arrangements have been previously agreed in writing with the Registry.

Students are normally expected to pay the full fee at the point of registration or re-registration (usually at the start of the academic year). In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Registrar, the ICR may agree to a student paying in two instalments: 50% at the start of the year and the remaining 50% after six months. A fee of £25 will be added to the amount owed, to cover the cost of administering an instalment plan.

Where relevant, any student who does not pay tuition fees owed to the ICR may have their registration terminated after written notice. Until this debt has been settled, such students will not usually be permitted to re-enrol, informed of the results of any examinations taken, or awarded any degree or other qualification.

A student who withdraws from their course during the academic year may be eligible for a partial refund. Please see our Refunds and Compensation Policy for details.

Previous tuition fees (2023/24)

Research degree students

Tuition fees for full-time students studying for the degrees of PhD, MPhil, or MD(Res):

Fee status Full-time
Home £4,712
Overseas £25,545
 

Taught course students

Tuition fees for students on our MSc in Oncology degree programme:

Fee status Part A/B Part C
Home £2,595 £1,760
Overseas £11,565 £3,330

 

Affiliate students

Affiliate research degree students paid the same fee as students who were registered with the ICR. 

 

Previous tuition fees (2022/23)

Research degree students

Tuition fees for full-time students studying for the degrees of PhD, MPhil, or MD(Res):

Fee status Full-time
Home £5,270
Overseas £22,525
 

Taught course students

Tuition fees for students on our MSc in Oncology degree programme:

Fee status Part A/B Part C
Home £2,400 £1,625
Overseas £10,695 £3,080

 

Affiliate students

Affiliate research degree students paid the same fee as home/EU students who were registered with the ICR.

The affiliate fee for LCA trainees was £110.