Studying in London While Working: Universities, Costs and Timetables
Whether you can study in London while working rarely comes down to the course — it comes down to where the campus is, how many days you need to be there, and whether the numbers still work. Here is how to judge all three before you apply.
You can study for a degree in London while working — but whether it is realistic for you usually comes down to three practical questions rather than to the course itself: how far the campus is from your job, how many days a week you are expected on site, and whether the money still works once you are studying.
This guide answers all three, with the London campuses you can apply to through UAPP and the delivery models that make studying alongside a job possible.
Can you do a degree in London while working full-time?
Thousands of people do, but not on every course. A standard three-days-a-week daytime timetable is very hard to combine with full-time work. What makes it possible is the delivery model:
• Blended and study-centre delivery, where most learning is online and you attend in person for specific sessions.
• Part-time routes, which spread the same degree over more years with fewer hours each week.
• Concentrated teaching, where a week’s contact hours sit on one or two days rather than spread across five.
• Evening and weekend delivery, which some universities offer on selected courses.
The single most useful thing you can do before applying is to ask how many days a week you need to be on campus, and when. Ask it before you read the module list — it decides everything else.
Where the London campuses actually are
London is not one location, and a course in Uxbridge is a completely different proposition from one on the Isle of Dogs if you work in the City. These are the universities and study centres you can apply to through UAPP, and where they teach:
University | Campus location | Courses through UAPP |
Anglia Ruskin University London | Import Building, 2 Clove Crescent, Poplar E14 | 30 |
Brunel University London | Uxbridge, west London | 20 |
London Metropolitan University | 166–220 Holloway Road, N7 | 18 |
Arden University | Study centres including Holborn, Stratford and Ealing | 32, blended |
University of Sunderland in London | 4 Harbour Exchange Square, Isle of Dogs E14 | 10 |
Bloomsbury Institute London | 7 Bedford Square, WC1B | 9 |
Solent University (QA study centre) | London | 9 |
University of Law | 2 Moorgate, Bunhill Row, EC1Y | 6 |
London College of Contemporary Arts | Sceptre Court, 40 Tower Hill | 5 |
Middlesex University (QA study centre) | St James’ House, 10 Rosebery Avenue, EC1R | 3 |
University of Wales Trinity Saint David | 1 Westferry Circus, E14 | 3 |
Global Banking School | 153–159 Bow Road, E3 | 1 |
Work out your door-to-door journey time from work, not from home — most people studying alongside a job travel in from the office, not from the sofa.
What it costs
There are three cost lines to plan for, and only one of them is tuition.
Tuition. Home tuition fees on UAPP’s London courses sit in a narrow band, mostly between about £9,500 and £9,800 a year, and are covered by a tuition fee loan paid directly to the university. Check the course page for the exact figure.
Living costs. If you are already living in London this changes less than you might think, but the maintenance loan is means-tested on household income, and students studying in London who live away from home qualify for a higher rate than those studying elsewhere. The current rates are published on gov.uk.
Lost income. If studying means dropping hours, that reduction is usually the largest single number in the calculation and the one people forget to put in the spreadsheet. Work it out before you apply, not after.
Which subjects have real choice in London
Not every subject has depth in London. These do, counting the courses available through UAPP:
• Business and management — over 40 courses
• Accounting and finance — around 30
• Computing and cyber security — around 20
• Health and social care — around 14
• Law — around 9
• Marketing — around 9
• Project management — around 7
If your subject is on that list, you have enough choice to be selective about the timetable rather than taking whatever is available.
Routes in if you do not have recent qualifications
A gap since your last qualification is not a barrier in London. Around 35 of the London courses available through UAPP include a foundation year, which adds a year at the start for applicants who do not yet meet the entry requirements. Around 11 are one-year top-ups for people who already hold an HND, foundation degree or DipHE. A further handful are CertHE and foundation degree routes, which are shorter qualifications in their own right.
An Access to Higher Education Diploma is the other common route for adults returning to study, and it is widely accepted by London universities.
How to work out whether it is doable
1. Write down the days and hours you genuinely cannot move.
2. Ask each university how many days a week you must attend, and when teaching happens.
3. Map the journey from work to campus at the actual time of day you would travel.
4. Add tuition, living costs and any lost income, then check what student finance covers.
5. Only then compare the courses themselves.
Most people do this in the opposite order and fall in love with a course they cannot attend.
Yes, and many people do — but the
delivery model decides it. Blended and study-centre delivery, part-time routes
and courses with concentrated teaching days are what make it work. Check the
attendance pattern before the course content.
This varies by course rather than by
university, and it changes from year to year, so the reliable answer is to ask
about the specific course you are interested in. An adviser can check the
current timetable pattern with the university before you apply.
Students studying in London who live
away from home qualify for a higher maintenance rate than students elsewhere in
England, because living costs are higher. The amount is means-tested on
household income, and the current rates are published on gov.uk.
Yes, provided the course runs at at
least a quarter of the intensity of the full-time version. Part-time students
in England can apply for maintenance support as well as a tuition fee loan.
No. Commuting in from the wider
south-east is common, and for some people it works out cheaper than moving.
Because campuses are spread right across the city, your journey time depends
far more on which campus than on which university.
Three routes are open to you: a
degree with a foundation year, an Access to Higher Education Diploma, or a
CertHE or foundation degree. Around 35 of the London courses available through
UAPP include a foundation year.
What it costs to study in London while working?
Three cost lines: tuition, living, and the income you give up. Tuition for Home students across UAPP’s London courses sits between £9,535 and £9,790 a year [VERIFY against the CMS at publication]. Living costs in London are higher than the rest of the UK, and the maintenance loan reflects that with a separate London rate for students living away from home.
Which subjects have real choice in London?
From the current catalogue: business and management 41 courses, accounting and finance 31, computing and cyber security 20, health and social care 14, law 9, marketing 9, project management 7. Link each subject to its London city page once those are live. Check details ->
Routes in if you do not have recent qualifications?
Thirty-five of the London courses include a foundation year, eleven are one-year top-ups and seven are CertHE or foundation degree routes. One short paragraph, three links.
Find a London course that fits your week
Tell an adviser your subject, your postcode and the days you cannot move, and they will come back with the courses that actually work around them. The service is free. 😊
