Top Universities in UK for Masters 2027: Ranks, Fees and Entry Bars

  • Last Updated on: October 6, 2026 by
  • Shiva Sai Bejawada
Top Universities in UK for Masters
Top Universities in UK for Masters

The top universities in UK for masters start with Imperial College London (joint 2nd), Oxford (4th), Cambridge (6th) and UCL (joint 8th) in the QS World University Rankings 2027, according to QS. Rank isn’t what decides your shortlist, though. A 65% from a state university still meets the entry requirement at Warwick, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and two universities below charge under GBP 20,000. Below, you’ll find what each one costs, the marks you need and the dates for a September 2027 start. Our study in UK guide covers the rest of the country.

Written by
Shiva Sai Bejawada
Senior Counsellor (British Council Certified) -UK & Ireland
Shiva Sai Bejawada is a British Council Certified overseas-education counsellor at AOEC India who guides Indian students through UK and Ireland university selection, admissions, and student visa documentation.
6 Years, 96% visa approval rate
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • QS 2027 ranks Imperial joint 2nd, Oxford 4th, Cambridge 6th and UCL joint 8th, from 93 ranked UK universities.
  • Master’s fees below run from GBP 18,700 at Greenwich (INR 23.75 lakh) to GBP 51,084 at Cambridge (INR 64.88 lakh).
  • Your 2:1 bar depends on where you studied: Warwick asks 60%, 65% or 70% by institution category.
  • Oxford’s MSc Advanced Computer Science and Imperial’s Round 2 both close on 6 January 2027.
  • The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship pays GBP 1,712 a month (INR 2.17 lakh); its UK deadline is 20 October 2026.
  • Visa maintenance rises to GBP 1,570 a month in London (INR 1.99 lakh) and GBP 1,203 outside (INR 1.53 lakh) from 30 November 2026.
Table of Contents
Top universities in UK for masters: QS 2027 ranks and master’s fees Scroll here ↓ Entry requirements for Indian students at top UK universities Scroll here ↓ Application deadlines for a September 2027 UK master’s Scroll here ↓ Scholarships and costs beyond tuition for a 2027/28 UK master’s Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓
8.5+/10 or IIT/NIT
Aiming at Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial
 
Oxford’s MSc and Imperial’s Round 2 close 6 January 2027; Cambridge’s funding deadline is 8 December 2026.
State or central university, 65%
Bars a 65% clears outright
 
A 65% from a state or central university clears Warwick Category 2 (65%), Bristol (60%), Edinburgh (60%) and Glasgow (55-63%).
Loan-funded, under about GBP 25k (INR 31.75 lakh)
Shortlist by fee
 
Greenwich GBP 18,700 a year (INR 23.75 lakh); Sheffield Hallam GBP 19,530 whole course (INR 24.80 lakh); Glasgow’s India award cuts GBP 12,500 (INR 15.88 lakh).
Scholarship-dependent or working
Funding before admission
 
Commonwealth Master’s closes 20 October 2026 in the UK, and India’s Ministry of Education round closes earlier; the GREAT 2027 India list comes later.

Top universities in UK for masters: QS 2027 ranks and master’s fees

Master’s fees across the 13 universities below run from GBP 18,700 (INR 23.75 lakh) a year at Greenwich, for 2026-27, to GBP 51,084 (INR 64.88 lakh) at Cambridge, for 2027 entry. Ranks come from the QS World University Rankings 2027. A higher rank doesn’t mean a higher fee; each course sets its own price.

QS 2027UniversityCityCUG 2027Representative master’sInternational fee (INR)Fee basis
=2Imperial College LondonLondon5MSc Computing (AI and ML)GBP 48,300 (INR 61.34 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
4University of OxfordOxford2MSc Advanced Computer ScienceGBP 46,350 (INR 58.87 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
6University of CambridgeCambridge1MPhil Advanced Computer Science (9 months; Cambridge fee tracker)GBP 51,084 (INR 64.88 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
37King’s College LondonLondon16MSc Data ScienceGBP 40,450 (INR 51.37 lakh)Per year, 2026/27
=40University of ManchesterManchester24MSc Advanced Computer ScienceGBP 41,400 (INR 52.58 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
57University of BristolBristol17MSc Computer Science (Conversion)GBP 37,300 (INR 47.37 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
62London School of Economics (LSE)London3MSc Management (12-month)GBP 44,900 (INR 57.02 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
=68University of WarwickCoventry7MSc Computer ScienceGBP 37,460 (INR 47.58 lakh)Per year, 2026/27
80University of GlasgowGlasgow29MSc Data Analytics (12 months)GBP 34,815 (INR 44.22 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
=111University of SouthamptonSouthampton15MSc Data ScienceGBP 36,800 (INR 46.74 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
=158University of YorkYork20MSc Accounting and FinanceGBP 34,500 (INR 43.82 lakh)Per year, 2027/28
791-800University of GreenwichLondon102=MSc Advanced Chemical EngineeringGBP 18,700 (INR 23.75 lakh)Per year, 2026/27
1001-1200Sheffield Hallam UniversitySheffield81=MSc Data Science and AIGBP 19,530 (INR 24.80 lakh)Whole course, 2027/28

INR figures use the live Google-published rate captured on 2026-10-02 (£1 ≈ ₹127) and are indicative. CUG is the Complete University Guide (CUG) 2027, a UK-only league table; “=” means a tied rank.

Parents, read the Fee basis column before the fee itself, and plan for deposits that fall due before the loan:

  • Sheffield Hallam’s GBP 19,530 for 2027/28 is the whole course, so annualising it inflates the loan request.
  • Manchester asks a GBP 2,500 tuition fee deposit for 2027 entry before the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS, the document your university issues for the visa). Glasgow asks GBP 2,000 to secure a place, often before an education loan from HDFC Credila, Avanse or SBI has disbursed.

Shortlist by department first and rank second. The top universities in UK for masters set fees course by course. A top-10 name is a poor buy for a one-year postgraduate taught (PGT) master’s in a field it doesn’t lead. A lower-ranked department that recruits into your industry is the better buy. In our 2026 UK master’s files, shortlists built subject-first cleared offer conditions with less back-and-forth. A one-year degree also leaves no second year to recover from a wrong pick.

Fees also move with subject. LSE charges GBP 53,600 for its MSc Finance in 2027/28, against GBP 44,900 for its MSc Management, so price the exact course you want.

UCL (=8) and Edinburgh (35) belong on most top-40 shortlists but have no fee row here. Price your own programme at either before it goes into a budget, and use our cost of studying in the UK guide for the rest of year one. Birmingham (=68), Leeds (=77), Sheffield (=82) and Durham (85) are four more QS 2027 top-100 options worth pricing the same way.

Entry requirements for Indian students at top UK universities

One percentage does not clear every upper second-class honours (2:1) bar, the UK grade most master’s ask for. The bar moves with the category of the institution that gave you your degree. A 65% from a state university outside Imperial’s Tier 1 list clears Warwick’s line and misses Imperial’s by five points. Look up your institution’s tier before you shortlist, then apply to bars you clear outright.

University and your institution2:1 bar
Imperial, Tier 1 (Institutes of National Importance (INIs), named universities)7.5/10 or 65%
Imperial, Tier 2 (all others)8.0/10 or 70%
Warwick, Category 1 (IITs, NITs, other national institutes, top NIRF-ranked)60% or 6.0/10
Warwick, Category 2 (state or central)65% or 6.5/10
Warwick, Category 3 (private or deemed)70% or 7.0/10
LSECGPA 7.6/10
Edinburgh60% or 8/10; 55% or 7.0/10 if on its India list
Glasgow55-63% by university
Bristol6/10 or 60%
Manchester60-80%
Queen Mary (QMUL)60-70%

A 3-year degree is accepted at Imperial (both tiers) and LSE; Manchester asks First Class on a 3-year degree; Warwick and QMUL do not consider a B.Voc. Warwick’s bands are a guide and are under review for 2027/28.

English comes next. In 2026, a degree-level Student visa needs upper-intermediate English (CEFR level B2) under the GOV.UK knowledge of English rules. Your university can assess that itself, and our guide to study in UK without IELTS explains that route. Course minimums still apply: for 2027 entry, Glasgow’s MSc Data Analytics asks IELTS 6.5 with no subtest below 6.0.

Meeting the bar doesn’t guarantee a place on the most competitive courses. For 2027-28, Oxford’s MSc Advanced Computer Science has about 65 places against 1,017 applications a year, and both Oxford and Imperial ask for a first-class degree on those computing courses.

From our counselling desk: in our 2026 UK master's files, the applications that stalled had assumed a 60% aggregate cleared every 2:1 bar in the country. Look up your institution's category on each university's India page before you pay an application fee.

Application deadlines for a September 2027 UK master’s

For 2027-28 entry, Oxford’s MSc Advanced Computer Science closes at 12:00 UK time on 6 January 2027, the same day Imperial’s Round 2 closes. Funding dates fall earlier, starting with Chevening on 6 October 2026, so applicants for a September 2027 master’s at the top three need to act in autumn 2026.

DateWhat closesWhy it matters
6 Oct 2026, 11:00 UTCChevening 2027/2028 deadlineSame date in every country, no extension
20 Oct 2026, 16:00 BSTCommonwealth Master’s, UK deadlineIndia’s Ministry of Education round closes earlier
6 Nov 2026Manchester MSc Advanced Computer Science, round 1Decision by 8 January 2027
8 Dec 2026Cambridge course funding deadlineApply by this date to be considered for funding
6 Jan 2027Oxford MSc Advanced Computer Science (12:00 UK); Imperial Round 2Imperial decides by 3 March 2027
25 Feb 2027Cambridge MPhil Advanced Computer ScienceCourse deadline
10 Mar 2027Imperial Round 3Next round if you miss Round 2
28 Apr 2027Imperial Round 4Little time left for visa paperwork
8 Jul 2027, 17:00 BSTChevening unconditional-offer deadlineYou need one firm offer from your three choices
2 Aug 2027Warwick final postgraduate deadlineFinal date; aim much earlier
12 Aug 2027Bristol MSc Computer Science (Conversion), overseasFinal date with time left for the visa
18 Aug 2027, midday UKSouthampton MSc Data Science, internationalFinal date for this course

Most UK master’s admit in an application round (a batch with its own closing and decision dates) or on a rolling basis. Either way, the funding and round deadlines decide your timeline. Oxford’s January deadline also decides scholarships: for 2027-28 Oxford expects to offer over 1,200 full or partial graduate scholarships, and January applicants are considered automatically.

The top universities in UK for masters fill their most competitive courses early, so at Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, apply by Round 2. At Warwick, Bristol and Southampton, treat the August dates as the final safe moment, not a target. Your CAS, 28 days of money held in your bank and the visa decision all come after the offer. If Chevening’s deadline has passed, the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship is the next national award in the cycle. Our September intake in UK guide maps the wider admission year.

Scholarships and costs beyond tuition for a 2027/28 UK master’s

GBP 1,712 a month (INR 2.17 lakh), or GBP 2,000 (INR 2.54 lakh) in London, is the 2027/28 stipend of the Commonwealth Master's Scholarship. It adds approved tuition and a return airfare. Over a 12-month master's that totals GBP 20,544 (INR 26.09 lakh), or GBP 24,000 (INR 30.48 lakh) in London, and India is an eligible country.

You’ll apply twice for it. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission takes no direct applications, so you also apply in India. India’s nominating agency is the Ministry of Education; it closes before the UK date and nominates by December 2026. Our guide to scholarships to study in UK for Indian students covers university schemes too.

  • GREAT Scholarships 2027: 10 awards for Indian students starting in autumn 2027, each worth GBP 10,000 towards tuition, for a one-year taught master’s only (British Council GREAT Scholarships 2027 notice). The list of universities offering them in India isn’t out yet.
  • Glasgow World Changers India Excellence Award: up to 12 awards of GBP 12,500 off 2027/28 tuition.
  • Chevening: funds a one-year master’s and needs at least two years’ work experience (2,800 hours) after your undergraduate degree.

Build the plan on a university award and an education loan first. Don’t count on the national awards: they’re few, and they close nearly a year before you fly.

Parents: budget these alongside tuition for a September 2027 start:

A September 2027 applicant files well after 30 November 2026, so the higher maintenance figures apply to you. Our guide to UK student visa proof of funds covers which accounts and loan letters count.

Get in Touch

Frequently Asked Questions

No single university wins, because the two main league tables disagree. QS 2027 puts Imperial joint 2nd in the world and Cambridge 6th, while the Complete University Guide 2027 puts Cambridge 1st in the UK and Imperial 5th. Pick the department that leads your subject, then use either table to separate two close offers.

Yes at most top universities, with conditions. Imperial accepts a three-year bachelor’s for master’s entry at both of its Indian tiers, and LSE asks a CGPA of 7.6/10 from a three-year degree. Manchester is stricter: it considers a three-year degree only with First Class from a reputable university. Match each target against the entry table above.

Yes, through an equivalence certificate. The University Grants Commission’s equivalence regulations, notified on 4 April 2025, run applications through an online portal. Where a course is shorter than its Indian counterpart, as a one-year UK master’s is, credits are compared with up to 10% variation allowed. Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Law and Architecture degrees are excluded.

18 months. The Graduate Route (the UK post-study work visa) depends on your application date: anyone applying from 1 January 2027 gets 18 months. Budget the GBP 937 application fee (INR 1.19 lakh) plus GBP 1,035 (INR 1.31 lakh) of health surcharge a year (GOV.UK Graduate visa fees). Our post-study work visa in UK guide covers eligibility.

At Glasgow, about GBP 45,642 (INR 57.97 lakh) before visa fees. That’s the GBP 34,815 (INR 44.22 lakh) fee for 2027-28 plus GBP 10,827 (INR 13.75 lakh), the minimum living funds the visa asks you to show for nine months. The course runs 12 months, so budget real rent and food for all 12 on top.

Sources

Official sources first, then ranking bodies.

Show 36 more sources

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