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Tuition & Course Fees

Tuition Fee Status

Like other conservatoires, RCS charges different fees depending on the tuition fee status of students. Fee status is determined by nationality, immigration status and where you are ‘ordinarily resident’ and is decided in accordance with Scottish Government legislation. The relevant fees regulations are the Education (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (No 156), as amended.

Detailed information on how fee status is calculated can be found on the UKCISA and the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) websites.

Your tuition fee status may be:

  • Scotland Fee (Scot)
    • Scotland
    • EU-EEA Pre/Settled Status
  • Rest of UK Fee (RUK)
    • England, Wales and Northern Ireland
    • Republic of Ireland*
  • International Fee (OS)
    • EU/EEA
    • International

*Because of a long-standing agreement between the UK and Republic of Ireland, new students from the Republic of Ireland (IRpb) starting their studies will be eligible to pay the rest of UK (RUK) fee.

Your tuition fee status will be automatically decided based on the information you supply about yourself in your UCAS Conservatoires application.

If there is any uncertainty over your fee status based on your application information, you will be sent a Tuition Fee Assessment Form by the Recruitment and Admissions team. Once completed it will be reviewed by the Assistant Registrar (Recruitment and Admissions) and an outcome communicated to you by email.

We will advise you of your fee status in your offer letter. Once you start studying, your fee status applies for your entire programme and cannot be changed even if your circumstances change, or the fee status criteria change.

If you disagree with your fee status classification on your offer letter, you should contact the Conservatoire to request a review. This must be requested within 30 days of receiving your offer letter. This can only be requested in writing by emailing admissions@rcs.ac.uk. Reviews after this point cannot be considered and we will ask that you reapply for a future intake with complete information regarding your nationality, ordinary residence and immigration status.

If you wish to appeal a fee status decision made following a fee status questionnaire or the outcome of a fee status review, you should request this in writing to the Assistant Registrar – l.stirrat1@rcs.ac.ukwithin 14 days of receiving the decision.

You can find specific tuition fees on each degree programme page. They are also listed below by year.


Tuition Fees 2024/25 – New Students

If you are a new student interested in starting with us in September 2024 the following tuition fees apply. Please note all tuition fees per year are subject to an annual review. Fees for 2025 entry are still to be confirmed.

All Undergraduate programmes

  • Scottish full-time: £1,820 (for most full-time, Scottish-domiciled undergraduate students, this will be paid by SAAS)
  • RUK (including ROI*) full-time: £9,250
  • International (including EU) full-time: £27,968

PGDE

  • Scottish full-time: £1,820
  • RUK (including ROI*) full-time: £9,250
  • International (including EU) full-time: £27,968

Postgraduate programmes

MMus (Performance / Accompaniment / Chamber Music / Composition / Conducting / Jazz / Performance and Pedagogy / Piano for Dance / Repetiteurship / Traditional Music)

Full-time:

  • Home: £12,870
  • International: £27,467

Part-time:

  • Home: £6,435

MA (Performance / Accompaniment / Chamber Music / Composition / Conducting / Jazz / HIPP / Performance and Pedagogy / Piano for Dance / Repetiteurship / Traditional Music)

  • Home: £17,875
  • International: £35,090

MMus (Opera) and MMus (Vocal Performance)

Full-time:

  • Home: £13,954
  • International: £28,760

Part-time:

  • Home: £6,977

MA (Opera) and MA (Vocal Performance)

  • Home: £19,338
  • International: £36,960

Artist Diploma

  • Home: £7,079
  • International: £13,995

Advanced PG Diploma (Performance)

  • Home: £12,760
  • International: £27,968

Advanced PG Diploma (Vocal and Opera)

  • Home: £13,954
  • International: £28,760

MA Musical Theatre Directing

  • Home: £19,415
  • International: £28,038

Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Theatre Directing

  • Home: £11,118
  • International: £17,609

MA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (1 year)

  • Home: £17,688
  • International: £28,038

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (16 months)

  • Home: £23,583
  • International: £37,387

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (4 months)

  • Home: £5,895
  • International: £9,349

MEd (Learning and Teaching in the Arts)

Part-time:

  • Home: £5,386
    International: £5,386

PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching in the Arts

Per 30 credits:

  • Home: £2,691
  • International: £2,691

Research (PHD/MPhil)

Full-time:

  • Home: £9,362
  • International: £21,787

Part-time:

  • Home: £4,683
  • International: £10,896

Research (Doctor of Performing Arts)

Full-time:

  • Home: £9,637
  • International: £22,428

Part-time:

  • Home: £4,818
  • International: £11,216

Research continuation fee

Full-time (year 4 onwards):

  • Home: £350
  • International: £350

Part-time (year 7 onwards):

  • Home: £175
  • International: £175

MA Psychology in the Arts (Music)

  • Home: £8,077
  • International: £8,077

Continuing Education

Home: £2,026
International: £3,234

*Because of a long-standing agreement between the UK and Republic of Ireland, new students from the Republic of Ireland will be eligible to pay the rest of UK (RUK) fee.


Tuition Fees 2024/25 – Continuing Students

If you are a continuing student returning in September 2024 the following tuition fees apply. Please note all tuition fees per year are subject to an annual review.

All Undergraduate programmes

  • Scottish full-time: £1,820 (for most full-time, Scottish-domiciled undergraduate students, this will be paid by SAAS)
  • RUK (including ROI*) full-time: £9,250
  • International (including EU) full-time: £22,113

PGDE

  • Scottish full-time: £1,820
  • RUK (including ROI*) full-time: £9,250
  • International (including EU) full-time: £22,113

Postgraduate programmes

MMus (Performance / Accompaniment / Chamber Music / Composition / Conducting / Jazz / Performance and Pedagogy / Piano for Dance / Repetiteurship / Traditional Music)

Full-time:

  • Home: £11,367
  • International: £22,479

Part-time:

  • Home: £5,685
  • International: £11,241

MA (Performance / Accompaniment / Chamber Music / Composition / Conducting / Jazz / HIPP / Performance and Pedagogy / Piano for Dance / Repetiteurship / Traditional Music)

  • Home: £15,414
  • International: £27,021

MMus (Opera) and MMus (Vocal Performance)

Full-time:

  • Home: £12,447
  • International: £27,021

Part-time:

  • Home: £6,225
  • International: £13,512

MA (Opera) and MA (Vocal Performance)

  • Home: £17,046
  • International: £ 30,294

Artist Diploma

  • Home: £6,822
  • International: £13,491

Advanced PG Diploma (Performance)

  • Home: £11,367
  • International: £22,479

Advanced PG Diploma (Vocal and Opera)

  • Home: £12,447
  • International: £27,021

MA Musical Theatre Directing

  • Home: £17,046
  • International: £27,021

Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Theatre Directing

  • Home: £10,713
  • International: £16,968

MA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (1 year)

  • Home: £17,046
  • International: £27,021

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (16 months)

  • Home: £22,728
  • International: £36,027

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (4 months)

  • Home: £5,685
  • International: £9,006

MEd (Learning and Teaching in the Arts)

Part-time:

  • Home: £5,190
  • International: £5,190

PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching in the Arts

Per 30 credits:

  • Home: £2,595
  • International: £2,595

Research (PHD/MPhil)

Full-time:

  • Home: £9,027
  • International: £20,994

Part-time:

  • Home: £4,512
  • International: £10,497

Research (Doctor of Performing Arts)

Full-time:

  • Home: £9,288
  • International: £21,615

Part-time:

  • Home: £4,644
  • International: £10,809

Research continuation fee

Full-time (year 4 onwards):

  • Home: £350
  • International: £350

Part-time (year 7 onwards):

  • Home: £175
  • International: £175

MA Psychology in the Arts (Music)

  • Home: £7,782
  • International: £7,782

Continuing Education

  • Home: £1,953
  • International: £3,117

* Because of a long-standing agreement between the UK and Republic of Ireland, new students from the Republic of Ireland will be eligible to pay the rest of UK (RUK) fee.


Tuition Fees 2023/24

All tuition fees per year are subject to an annual increase.

All Undergraduate programmes

  • Scottish Full time: £1,820 (for most full-time, Scottish-domiciled undergraduate students, this will be paid by SAAS)
  • RUK Full time: £9,250
  • International including EU Full time: £20,859

PGDE

  • Scottish Full time: £1,820
  • RUK Full time: £9,250
  • International including EU Full time: £20,859

Professional Graduate Diploma in Modern Ballet

  • Scottish Full time: £1,820
  • RUK Full time: £9,250
  • International including EU Full time: £20,859

Postgraduate programmes

MMus (Performance, Composition, Conducting)

  • Scottish Full time: £10,722
  • Scottish Part time: £5,361
  • RUK Full time: £10,722
  • RUK Part time: £5,361
  • International including EU Full time: £21,207
  • International including EU Part time: £10,605

MA (Performance, Composition, Conducting, HIPP)

  • Scottish Full time: £14,541
  • RUK Full time: £14,541
  • International including EU Full time: £25,491

MMus (Opera) and MMus (Vocal Performance)

  • Scottish Full time: £11,742
  • Scottish Part time: £5,871
  • RUK Full time: £11,742
  • RUK Part time: £5,871
  • International including EU Full time: £25,491
  • International including EU Part time: £12,747

MA (Opera) and MA (Vocal Performance)

  • Scottish Full time: £16,080
  • RUK Full time: £16,080
  • International including EU Full time: £28,578

Artist Diploma

  • Scottish Full time: £6,435
  • RUK Full time: £6,435
  • International including EU Full time: £12,726

Advanced PG Diploma (Vocal Performance and Opera)

  • Scottish Full time: £11,742
  • RUK Full time: £11,742
  • International including EU Full time: £25,491

Advanced PG Diploma (Performance)

  • Scottish Full time: £10,722
  • RUK Full time: £10,722
  • International including EU Full time: £21,207

MA Musical Theatre (Performing and Directing)

  • Scottish Full time: £16,080
  • RUK Full time: £16,080
  • International including EU Full time: £25,491

Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Theatre (Directing)

  • Scottish Full time: £10,107
  • RUK Full time: £10,107
  • International including EU Full time: £19,314

MA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (1 year)

  • Scottish Full time: £16,080
  • RUK Full time: £16,080
  • International including EU Full time: £25,491

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (16 months)

  • Scottish Full time: £21,441
  • RUK Full time: £21,441
  • International including EU Full time: £33,987

MFA Classical and Contemporary Text Acting/Directing (4 months)

  • Scottish Full time: £5,361
  • RUK Full time: £5,361
  • International including EU Full time: £8,496

MEd (Learning and Teaching in the Arts) (over and above fully funded places)

  • Scottish Part time: £4,896
  • RUK Part time: £4,896
  • International including EU Part time: £4,896

PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching in the Arts

  • Scottish Part time: £2,448
  • RUK Part time: £2,448
  • International including EU Part time: £2,448

Research (Performance/Composition)

  • Scottish Full time: £8,514
  • Scottish Part time: £4,257
  • RUK Full time: £8,514
  • RUK Part time: £4,257
  • International including EU Full time: £19,806
  • International including EU Part time: £9,903

Research (Doctor of Performing Arts)

  • Scottish Full time: £8,760
  • Scottish Part time: £4,380
  • RUK Full time: £8,760
  • RUK Part time: £4,380
  • International including EU Full time: £20,391
  • International including EU Part time: £10,197

MA Psychology in the Arts (Music)

  • Scottish Part time: £7,341
  • RUK Part time: £7,341
  • International including EU Part time: £7,341

Continuing Education

  • Scottish Part time: £1,842
  • RUK Part time: £1,842
  • International including EU Part time: £2,940

Because of a long-standing agreement between the UK and Republic of Ireland, new students from the Republic of Ireland starting their studies in 2022-23 will be eligible to pay the rest of UK (RUK) fee.

Associated Programme Costs

Our programmes also have a range of associated costs related to the specific activities required and advised by the programme team. You can find an indication of these costs for each programme below and on the specific degree pages they pertain to:

Cost of Living

In addition to tuition fees, it is estimated that you will need between £11,200 and £15,300 per year to live in Glasgow, plus programme costs. Much will depend on your lifestyle and whether your course runs for three or four terms.

Once you are a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, you may be eligible to apply for assistance from a Discretionary Fund if you find yourself experiencing financial difficulty. More information is available on our financial advice page

Higher Education Childcare Fund (UK students only)

All eligible full-time UK undergraduate and postgraduate students can apply for support from the Childcare Fund, which alongside the Discretionary Fund, is administered by the International and Student Experience team in the Academic Administration and Support Office (Gillian Mackenzie and Pauline McCluskey.) This fund provides assistance with the cost of formally registered childcare expenses for dependent children. If you are a student who has a child (or children), in the care of a registered child-minder, nursery or official after-school club while you are studying at the Conservatoire then please get in touch as soon as you commence your studies.