StepEx

Funding a full-time MBA in the UK

MBA fees of £39,700 to £81,000 for 2027 against a £13,206 loan. Employer sponsorship, school scholarships and what the loan covers.

  • £39,700

    University of Bath MBA, September 2027

  • £41,000

    Durham University MBA, September 2027

Find courses you could afford

The £13,206 Master’s Loan applies to an MBA (GOV.UK lists it as a qualifying master’s), but the fees are far above it: for September 2027 entry Bath charges £39,700, Durham £41,000, Manchester £51,500, Warwick £62,500 and Imperial £81,000. The other sources are an employer contribution, school scholarships and your own savings.

ItemFigure
Master’s LoanUp to £13,206, one per person
University of Bath MBA, September 2027£39,700
Durham University MBA, September 2027£41,000
Alliance Manchester Business School MBA, September 2027£51,500
Warwick Business School MBA, September 2027£62,500 (12 months)
Imperial College Business School MBA, 2027£81,000

Courses for this guide

MBAs in the finder

Enter your details once to see the loan position and the ways to pay for each.

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Our ranking is impartial: whether a course has a StepEx loan is not a factor. All courses are ranked by affordability, then graduate pay at 5 years. Courses with a StepEx loan are also shown in a separate section above.

More about how we rank

Top 5 of 86 courses

49 likely affordable · affordable first, then highest graduate pay at 5 years

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Northampton

MBA Finance

MBA · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£12,650

Fee for 2026/27

The SLC master's loan covers the fee
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 63%

Aston

Executive MBA (Part-time)

MBA · Part time · 2 years

Fee
£20,000

Fee for 2026/27 · whole course, over 2 years

£6,794 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 79%

UCEM

MBA Master of Business Administration

MBA · Part time · 2 years · Online

Fee
£13,500

Fee for 2026/27 · whole course, over 2 years

£294 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Bolton

Fee
£9,720

Fee for 2026/27

The SLC master's loan covers the fee
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 71%

Cumbria

Fee
£14,010

Fee for 2027/28

£804 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Open Affordability or Outcomes on any course for the detail. Courses with a StepEx loan are marked and get no preference in the order. How we work it out

Paying the university directly assumes three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months. Estimates based on the figures shown, not advice. A StepEx loan is subject to identity, affordability and credit checks; approval is not guaranteed.

The loan against the fee

The Postgraduate Master’s Loan from Student Finance England is £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026. It is paid to you, not the university, in three instalments a year (33%, 33% and 34%), and the amount does not depend on your income or your family’s. You repay 6% of what you earn over £21,000 a year (£1,750 a month); interest is currently 6% a year. The 2027/28 amount has not been published.

At Bath, the cheapest of the five, the loan leaves £26,494 of fee before living costs.

Employer sponsorship

Some employers fund part or all of an MBA, usually with a repayment clause if you leave within a period after finishing. The terms are set in a written agreement with the employer.

Part-time and executive MBAs

The part-time and executive routes we checked take two years: Sheffield Hallam’s Executive MBA is £19,150 for the course (2027/28), Manchester’s Global Part-time MBA (January 2027) and the Durham MBA (Online, April 2027) £34,000 each, and Warwick’s Executive MBA £58,220 (March 2027). The Master’s Loan applies to a part-time MBA too, spread across the years of the course.

School scholarships

Warwick, Manchester, Bath and Imperial advertise scholarships, awarded on merit, sector or background; Manchester’s fee page says “scholarships available”. The amounts, criteria and deadlines are on each school’s funding page.

Ways to pay

  • Student loan. Where the course qualifies, the Master’s Loan of £13,206 (England; other UK nations differ, see the nations guide).
  • Pay the university. Ask about paying in instalments across the year; the university’s own page sets the dates.
  • Employer. Some employers pay all or part of a fee, usually with a condition that you stay for a period afterwards.
  • Scholarships and discounts. University scholarships and alumni discounts, see the scholarships guide.
  • StepEx loan. On the courses listed on the finance availability page, credit from StepEx Lender Ltd lets you pay the fee in monthly repayments after a deposit. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

A StepEx loan is credit from StepEx Lender Ltd, available on the courses listed on the finance availability page. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

Ways to pay

  • SLC

    The government SLC master's loan. The amount depends on where you live.

    How the SLC master's loan works

  • Pay the university directly

    Usually in three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months.

Check finance availability

Questions people ask

No. The master’s qualification, which could be an MBA, was removed from the level 7 Senior Leader apprenticeship standard in March 2021, so levy funding does not pay for an MBA. From 1 January 2026, level 7 apprenticeships are in any case government-funded only for people aged 16 to 21 at the start (under 25 for care leavers and those with an EHCP); existing apprentices keep their funding to completion.

No. Holding a master’s degree or an equivalent excludes you from the Master’s Loan.

Related guides

Sources and dates

Checked 7 November 2026. Figures are for UK students and change each year; check the university's page before you apply. Not advice.

Estimates, not advice.

Questions about these guides? Contact us.