Fees, funding & expenses

Find out about tuition fees, funding opportunities and living expenses in Edinburgh.

Fees

Fees are set by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and differ for home and overseas students.

Postgraduate research tuition fee rates

Funding 

The School of Economics PhD candidates can benefit from a range of funding opportunities, from within and outwith the University of Edinburgh. We encourage all applicants to consider the various opportunities available.  

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarships and Studentships

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Award (CRA) is designed to attract high quality students applying for PhD research. In Economics, the award provides full tuition fees with an annual stipend. The stipend will be set to UKRI levels for 2026/27. For reference, the UKRI minimum stipend in 2025/26 is £20,780 for full-time students, or the pro rata equivalent for part-time students.

These awards are competitive and you will be considered purely on the basis of academic merit. Factors such as nationality and financial status will not be taken into account.

Applications for 2026/27 are now open. Please see the below link for information on eligibility and how to apply.

Further information on the CRA award is available on the University’s Scholarship and Student Funding webpage:

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Awards

The University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without notice.

Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships

The Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship (EDCS) is designed to attract high quality students applying for PhD research. In Economics, the award provides full tuition fees with an annual stipend. The stipend will be set to the UKRI level for 2025/26. . For reference, the UKRI minimum stipend in 2025/26 is £20,780 for full-time students, or the pro rata equivalent for part-time students.

These awards are competitive and you will be considered purely on the basis of academic merit. Factors such as nationality and financial status will not be taken into account.

Applications for 2026/27 funding will open shortly. Please see the below link for further updates.

Further information on the EDCS is available on the University's Scholarships and Student Funding webpage:

Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships

 

China Scholarships Council

These awards are for Chinese citizens who will return to China after their PhD.

Further information on these awards is available at: China Council Scholarships

 

Minto Scholarship


This scholarship has been established with a bequest from the estate of Mr Brian Dickinson for the purpose of promoting postgraduate research in Economics at the University of Edinburgh. A number of scholarships are available for the 2026-2027 academic year to applicants who are residents of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark).

The scholarship provides a stipend at the UKRI minimum level (currently £20,780) for each year of study plus tuition fees, and is awarded for four years, subject to satisfactory progress. 

Applicants must be residents of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or Scandinavia(Norway, Sweden and Denmark). Candidates must possess a distinction grade MSc in Economics from a UK University, or an equivalent overseas qualification. The Scholarship is awarded to eligible candidates solely on the basis of academic merit and fit with the research interests of the School of Economics.

Interested candidates are advised to contact the School of Economics Postgraduate Office in the first instance via EconPGRenquiries@ed.ac.uk  for further information and application guidance.
 

The University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without notice.
 

Related Links

Find funding using the Scholarships searcher

Living expenses

The University has calculated the average living costs while studying at Edinburgh including accommodation, food and bills. Monthly costs for couples and families are detailed at the foot of the page. 

Estimated living costs