PANZEEducation planning · 2026 entry
How much does it cost an American to study at Cambridge?
The short answer
$72,000 – $92,000 a year
About $217,000 – $278,000 for a 3-year degree — tuition, the college fee, living costs, visa, the UK health surcharge and flights home.
Today's prices for 2026 entry, converted at $1.28 per £. Before scholarships. Figures checked November 2026.
One year at Cambridge, line by line
Most cost articles stop at tuition. These are all the costs a US student pays, each with its source.
| Cost | In pounds | In dollars | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (overseas fee) | £29,052 – £44,214 | $37,187 – $56,594 | Depends on the subject group; medicine and veterinary medicine cost more. University of Cambridge: Undergraduate tuition fees 2026-27 |
| College fee | £13,245 – £13,860 | $16,954 – $17,741 | Every overseas undergraduate also pays an annual College fee; it varies by college. University of Cambridge: International fees and costs |
| Living costs (9 months) | £11,745 | $15,034 | £1,305 a month: rent, food, study and personal costs. University of Cambridge: Living costs |
| UK health surcharge | £776 | $993 | Required for US students, paid with the visa application. GOV.UK: Immigration health surcharge, how much you pay |
| Flights home | £1,500 | $1,920 | Our planning estimate, not an official figure. |
| Student visa | £558 once | $714 once | Paid once, from outside the UK. GOV.UK: Student visa |
| Total per year | £56,318 – £72,095 | $72,000 – $92,000 | Plus the visa once. |
The whole degree
Most Cambridge undergraduate degrees take 3 years: about $217,000 – $278,000 in today's prices. A 4-year course comes to about $289,000 – $370,000. Some courses take 4 years, and medicine and veterinary medicine cost more. Cambridge fixes the tuition fee for the length of the course.
How much do we need to save each month?
Move the sliders to your family's situation.
Assumes costs rise 3% a year until your child starts at 18, and you save the same amount every month until then. Before tax, fees and any scholarship.
Save each month for the next 10 years
$1,878 – $2,406
to cover a 3-year Cambridge degree costing $217,000 – $278,000 in today's dollars.
Is Cambridge more expensive than Harvard?
For the whole degree before aid, usually not. Harvard's 2026-27 cost of attendance is about $95,134 – $100,134 a year for 4 years: $380,536 – $400,536 in all. Cambridge's 3-year degree comes in lower overall.
After aid, often yes. Harvard is free for families earning under $100,000 and tuition-free under $200,000, assuming typical assets. Compare the price you would actually pay, not the sticker price.
Harvard College: How aid works (2026-27 cost of attendance) · Harvard College: Financial aid expansion
Can we use US federal student loans?
Cambridge has offered US federal Direct Loans to US citizens since 2010, but the amounts are small next to the cost: a dependent undergraduate can borrow $5,500 in year 1, $6,500 in year 2 and $7,500 after that. Clinical and veterinary medicine are not eligible.
Is a UK degree recognized in the US?
A UK bachelor's usually takes 3 years, not 4. Many US graduate programs accept it directly, but some ask for a credential evaluation (for example from WES or another NACES member). If a US graduate degree is the plan, check each program's admissions rules early.
What a cost table can't show
Can your family afford Cambridge — and still retire on time?
PANZE puts the degree into your whole family plan: savings, retirement, the house, the other kids. Pick the university on a globe and see the year-by-year effect.
See it for your family — join the waitlistSources and assumptions
- University of Cambridge: Undergraduate tuition fees 2026-27
- University of Cambridge: International fees and costs
- University of Cambridge: Living costs
- University of Cambridge: US loans
- GOV.UK: Student visa
- GOV.UK: Immigration health surcharge, how much you pay
- Harvard College: How aid works (2026-27 cost of attendance)
- Harvard College: Financial aid expansion
- Dollar figures use $1.28 per £, a planning rate; the rate on the day you pay will differ.
- Flights home are our estimate of £1,500 a year, not an official figure.
- An educational estimate, not financial advice. Fees and rules change; check each source before deciding.