Applicants can use the interactive UCAS Budget Calculator to estimate their monthly living costs and plan their finances before they apply, helping them make more informed decisions about university life.
Students can use the tool, available in their UCAS Hub account, to build a personalised budget. They can see average costs across a range of categories including accommodation, bills, food, transport and everyday lifestyle expenses.
The calculator also shows cost breakdowns by more than 100 UK locations, making it easier for applicants to view different regions across the country.
A recent survey of students who used the budget calculator found that nearly two thirds (63%) said using the tool made them feel more confident about planning for their living costs during their studies.
The calculator is backed by aggregated, anonymised real-world student spend data from Blackbullion and accommodation spend data from StudentCrowd.
UCAS research shows that whilst students generally understand the student loan system, they worry about whether they will have enough to live on when studying, with fewer than one in three (29%) feeling informed about how much money they will need to support themselves at university. Research also highlights the financial considerations shaping applicants’ choices, as well as the importance of planning ahead:
- UCAS survey respondents were likely to seek ways to supplement their income at university through holiday or term-time work; only 10% were not expecting to work/earn money during term-time.
- Almost two thirds (64%) looked for information about accommodation costs pre-application.
Dr Jo Saxton CBE, Chief Executive of UCAS, said: “Every student should be able to choose where and what they study with confidence, knowing the monthly costs are realistic for them – part of my commitment to ensuring everyone who can benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so. This tool will help applicants understand what they’re likely to spend and to plan their finances before they make those decisions, something universities and colleges highlight as important in helping students make informed choices.
“I know financial considerations can be a particular barrier for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Any students concerned about how they will fund their studies can also use UCAS’ scholarships, grants and bursaries tool to help them identify the financial support available.”
Vivi Friedgut, Founder and CEO at Blackbullion, said: “We are so proud to partner with UCAS to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality. We know from our research that 88% of students worry about money, and one of the biggest causes of student stress is the financial gap between expectation and reality. By bringing Blackbullion’s real-world student spending data into the UCAS journey, we’re helping prospective students understand what university life actually costs and how that varies across the country. This gives them the tools to plan ahead with confidence and sets them up for the best chance of success.”
Tuely Robins, Director of Strategic Partnerships at StudentCrowd, said: “Students want an honest view of what university will really cost, and accommodation is a large part of that picture. We've contributed real accommodation cost data across the UK so applicants can plan with confidence. Because we cover the full market and, like UCAS, are independent of any single landlord, operator or university, StudentCrowd can give students, and the sector, an evidence-based view they can trust.”
Andrew Ranger MP, Chair of the APPG on the financial education of young people, said: “The introduction of UCAS' new budget calculator is a hugely welcome step in helping young people prepare for higher education. More than ever, we hear from students who are concerned about the financial realities of university and feel underprepared for managing the costs involved. Providing accessible, practical tools that help prospective students understand and plan their finances will empower them to make informed decisions with greater confidence. This is an important initiative that we are pleased to support.”
Aisha Khan, aged 19, from London, studying Urban Planning, Design and Management, said: “When you’re from a low-income family like mine, and you see everything going up in price, it’s very scary. If you’re 17 or 18, you’re completely new to this. It’s new being at university and managing this style of learning and being independent, but then living out and having to be financially responsible and make smart financial decisions, it can feel difficult.
“Having a tangible tool like this will allow a lot more young people to make smarter financial decisions, because it’ll be easier to predict spending and there’s less uncertainty. With a budgeting tool where you can tangibly type numbers in, get averages, and calculate your outgoings, it’ll be really helpful.”
Roksana Dabrowska, aged 22, a Social Sciences graduate from London, said: “I think I was clueless about my day-to-day living costs before starting uni. The £50 food shop a week I had in mind in first year – that was way too much money to spend, but then lowering it meant way less food. So that was the most difficult thing.
“If a budget calculator had been available when I was applying, I definitely would have used it to see how other students are spreading their income, to get a good idea of the real figures. And that would have been really helpful. I would have felt more confident, and it would have put my mind at ease about the real costs that are involved with being a student.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Access UCAS’ budget calculator here.
UCAS surveyed students who used the tool, and asked 'How helpful did you find the UCAS calculator in understanding the cost of living while studying at university?'. There were 2,087 responses, with 11% answering 'very helpful' and 53% answering helpful.
UCAS findings are from the UCAS Student Finance Research 2026 which surveyed 1,894 UK 16-19 year old applicants who are applying to start a course in 2026.
View UCAS’ scholarships, bursaries and grants tool.
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UCAS
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is an independent charity, and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education.
UCAS’ services support young people making post-18 choices, as well as mature learners, by providing information, advice, and guidance to inspire and facilitate educational progression to university, college, or an apprenticeship.
UCAS manages almost three million applications, from around 700,000 people each year, for full-time undergraduate courses at over 380 universities and colleges across the UK.
UCAS is committed to delivering a first-class service to all our beneficiaries — they're at the heart of everything we do.
Blackbullion
Blackbullion is the expert in student money, combining award-winning financial education, money management tools and insights from over £2.6 billion of real-time student spending data, which has helped over 450,000 students build financial confidence and shape a better future.
Trusted by 100+ universities, colleges and businesses that use Blackbullion’s student money ecosystem to recruit and retain students through scalable, sustainable financial support.
Over £46+ million has been distributed to students through Blackbullion’s hub of scholarships, bursaries, grants and additional funding.
StudentCrowd
StudentCrowd is the decision-making hub for higher education and the student accommodation sector.
Comprising two parts, it has helped over 14 million students make decisions about where to study and live, and provides independent data and insights to the sector, serving universities, investors, developers, operators and property advisers.
The platform holds one of the most comprehensive real-time datasets on the student housing market, with over 4.3 billion data points covering pricing, availability, property details, planning activity and verified student sentiment. Its insights span the UK, Ireland and much of Europe, with further expansion across Europe and into the US planned.