No limit on PG tuition fees?

[Onlyhereforthebatshitneighbours]

Why are universities allowed to charge tens of thousands for masters degrees?

First I looked at doing an MBA, but I've seen university charging £60k, £70k and more.

So I looked at others...politics, for example, over £20,000...

Why doesn't the tuition fee limit apply to postgraduate study and how on earth are the majority of people supposed to be able to afford them??

Why are universities allowed to charge tens of thousands for masters degrees?

because they are businesses
and they operate in a free market

Supply and demand

surely you could apply the same “logic” to… car manufacturers?! and indeed any pricey item

Some universities cost far less, simply supply and demand. Also the pt "executive" masters are the expensive ones

Why doesn't the tuition fee limit apply to postgraduate study and how on earth are the majority of people supposed to be able to afford them??

Thank you for the helpful replies...I'm asking why the tuition fee limit doesn't apply to postgraduate degrees

You want to do something then you have to pay for it. Why should a fairly niche qualification that is rarely needed be subsidised.

Because why should it?

For many, many subjects it's impossible for universities to deliver undergraduate courses within the fee cap, so it's not a particularly helpful basis for comparison regarding what it 'should' cost to deliver higher education. And, in that scenario, many universities are reliant on the income from everything other than home undergraduates to subsidise those capped fees - so have to look to make money on the things they can.

Undergrads…. the universities have the high numbers for the tuition cap to be feasible

post grad… much much less numbers . much much less demand. therefore higher prices

clear?

Most are employer or government funded (mine is government funded as an apprenticeship through the nhs). Universities are really struggling financially at the moment so I’d guess that’s why.

Most universities aren't totally private and receive some government funding for undergraduate courses. They won't receive anything for postgraduate courses though so it is supply and demand as with any other business.

Those fees, plus the even higher ones charged to overseas students, are what keeps universities viable. It started with MBAs, which generally add to graduates' earnings, so it's not unreasonable to charge premium fees.

I agree that I would like to see subsidies for poor students, but realistically those would have to be introduced by the government. Most universities use Business Schools and other departments with successful Masters programmes as their milch cows.

It is possible to get loans for Masters degrees.

try to get one thru work….that’s what I did

Because the tuition fees on first degrees has not increased for ages - I think since introduced, so post grad and foreign tuition fees support them.

Many universities are making a loss on undergraduate degrees. If they had to make a loss on postgraduate courses too, they simply wouldn't run them.

It’s because the government doesn’t directly fund postgrad education. At UK universities which don’t take government money for undergraduate education (e.g. University of Buckingham) there is no cap on undergrad course fees either.

The government has never funded postgrad courses the way it did undergrad and so hasn’t been involved in limiting what the courses cost.

As an example op it can cost approx £250,000 for a medical degree. The student will pay £60,000 of that in student fees (rounded up) on a loan most likely.

The universities have to break even, so they counter act this with cheaper courses for some subjects and higher prices for international, post graduate, phds etc........

Universities also get direct grants from the government. In most cases this only amounts to about 1k a place, but for medical degrees the government provide significantly more.

Still doesn't cover the full cost of the course.

Do you have a link with details? I did look for figures but couldn’t find them. It seems unlikely, though, that universities would have been open to the recent expansion in places if there was a significant funding shortfall.

Also, undergraduate degrees have become requirements for many jobs. Masters degrees haven't.

It's a choice to do a Masters for most people.