Top Computer Science & AI Universities in UK (2026)
Top universities offering Computer Science, Software Engineering and AI/ML masters programs in UK. We rank 211 universities by QS standing, fees, scholarships and post-study work outcomes for international students.
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Computer Science & AI shortlist
For UK applicants
Abertay University
📍 Dundee, United Kingdom
Aberystwyth University
📍 Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
Alliance Manchester Business School
📍 Manchester, United Kingdom
Anglia Ruskin University
📍 Cambridge, United Kingdom
Arden University
📍 Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Arts University Plymouth
📍 Plymouth, United Kingdom
Bangor University
📍 Gwynedd, United Kingdom
Bangor University International College
Bath Spa University
📍 Bath, United Kingdom
BCUIC
📍 Birmingham City University, United Kingdom
Bellerbys College
Birkbeck
📍 London, United Kingdom
Birmingham City University
📍 Birmingham, United Kingdom
Bishop Grosseteste University
📍 Lincoln, United Kingdom
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
📍 Brighton, United Kingdom
Brighton College
📍 Brighton, United Kingdom
British School of Fashion
📍 Glasgow, United Kingdom
Brunel University London
📍 Uxbridge, United Kingdom
Cambridge College
📍 Cambridge, United Kingdom
Cambridge Judge Business School
📍 Cambridge, United Kingdom
Cardiff Metropolitan University
📍 Cardiff, United Kingdom
Cardiff University
📍 Cardiff, United Kingdom
CEG ONCAMPUS Loughborough University
CEG OnCampus University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) – UK North
📍 Preston, United Kingdom
City St George’s
📍 London, United Kingdom
More top courses in UK
An MS in computer science in the UK is a 12-month MSc costing £17,000–£48,300 (about ₹21.6–61 lakh) for 2026-27 and 2027-28 entry, from Teesside to Imperial. Indian applicants need a 4-year BTech/BE or a 3-year BSc/BCA with enough computing, IELTS 6.0–7.0 or a university waiver, and no GRE. The Graduate visa then allows 18 months of work.
What does an MS in computer science in the UK actually look like?
The UK does not award an "MS"; what Indian students call MS in CS is a 180-credit MSc taught over 12 months: two taught semesters and a summer project. Three types sit under that phrase. An "Advanced Computer Science" MSc (Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield) is for graduates who already hold a computing degree. A conversion MSc (Imperial's MSc Computing, Birmingham) is for graduates of other subjects: Birmingham admits "any subject other than computing" and Imperial asks for a first-class degree "in a subject without substantial computing content". The third is the specialist MSc in AI: Manchester's MSc Artificial Intelligence costs the same £41,400 (about ₹52.6 lakh) as its Advanced CS course, and Edinburgh's wants IELTS 7.0 plus 30 ECTS of mathematics.
MS in CS UK cost: 2026-27 and 2027-28 international fees at seven universities
Fees read from each university's own course page on 26 September 2026, with the fee year as the page labels it. Fees for September 2027 can sit a few percent above the September 2026 figure.
| University and course | International fee | Approx. INR | Fee year shown | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College London — MSc Computing (conversion) | £48,300 | ₹61.3 lakh | 2027 entry | October | First outside computing; no ATAS |
| University of Manchester — MSc Advanced Computer Science / MSc AI | £41,400 | ₹52.6 lakh | 2027 entry (Sept 2027) | September | UK first (India: 65%+), ≥50% CS; IELTS 7.0 |
| University of Southampton — MSc Computer Science | £36,800 | ₹46.7 lakh | Sept 2027 intake page | September | 2:1 incl. two programming modules |
| University of Glasgow — MSc Computing Science | £34,815 | ₹44.2 lakh | 2027-28 | September | 2:1 with Computing major |
| University of Leeds — MSc Advanced Computer Science | £34,600 | ₹43.9 lakh | 2027 entry (total) | September | 2:1 in CS; IELTS 6.5 |
| Coventry University — MSc Computer Science | £19,500 a year | ₹24.8 lakh | 2026-27 | Six starts a year | 2:2; IELTS 6.5; +£1,900 placement year |
| Teesside University — MSc Computer Science | £17,000 | ₹21.6 lakh | 2026-27 | Jan (16 months), May, Sept | 2:2 in CS, IT or AI; IELTS 6.0 |
Sources: the seven course pages, read 26 Sep 2026. £1 = ₹127. Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield publish international fees through a separate fee-lookup tool, so they are not tabulated.
Total cost of a one-year MSc Computer Science in the UK, in rupees
Add 12 months of living at the Home Office maintenance figure (£1,171 a month, about ₹1.49 lakh, outside London; £1,529, about ₹1.94 lakh, in London), the £558 Student visa fee (about ₹70,900) and the £1,164 Immigration Health Surcharge (about ₹1.48 lakh) for a 16-month visa.
| Scenario | Tuition | Living (12 months) | Visa + IHS | Total GBP | Total INR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teesside MSc CS, Middlesbrough | £17,000 | £14,052 | £1,722 | £32,774 | ≈ ₹41.6 lakh |
| Leeds MSc Advanced CS (Glasgow and Southampton within £2,200) | £34,600 | £14,052 | £1,722 | £50,374 | ≈ ₹64.0 lakh |
| Manchester MSc Advanced CS or AI | £41,400 | £14,052 | £1,722 | £57,174 | ≈ ₹72.6 lakh |
| Imperial MSc Computing, London | £48,300 | £18,348 | £1,722 | £68,370 | ≈ ₹86.8 lakh |
Living = 12 × £1,171 or 12 × £1,529 (GOV.UK, 26 Sep 2026). £1 = ₹127. Flights, TB test and the funds you must hold for the visa are separate.
Eligibility for MS in computer science in the UK with an Indian degree: BTech, BSc, BCA, backlogs and GRE
A 4-year BTech or BE in CSE, IT, AI/ML or electronics with strong programming modules is the standard route into Advanced CS and AI courses. A 3-year BSc Computer Science, BSc IT or BCA is accepted by most universities because English bachelor's degrees are also three years; tutors check the module list. Manchester and Glasgow ask for at least 50% computing content, Leeds wants programming, systems, data structures and algorithms, and Southampton a 2:1 in two programming modules. Manchester states a UK first (70% average) or the overseas equivalent, and its Advanced CS page gives India as a minimum of 65% in a BSc Eng, BEng or BTech; other universities publish their own India pages, so check each rather than assuming a percentage-to-class conversion. Cleared backlogs are tolerated once the degree is awarded.
English runs from IELTS 6.0 at Teesside, 6.5 at Coventry, Leeds, Southampton, Glasgow and Birmingham, to 7.0 with 6.5 sub-tests at Manchester and Edinburgh; Imperial applies its "higher" requirement. No UK computer science MSc page checked asks for GRE, GATE or any entrance test; admission rests on transcripts, a statement of purpose, a CV and, at some universities, references (Sheffield and Southampton do not require them). Universities can assess your English themselves, which is how medium-of-instruction waivers work; the visa rule is only CEFR B2.
Intakes and deadlines for MS in computer science in the UK: September 2027
Deadlines read from the course pages on 26 September 2026:
- Manchester (Advanced CS and AI): staged deadlines of 6 November 2026, 1 January, 26 February and 21 May 2027, if places remain.
- Imperial (MSc Computing): Round 2 closes 6 January 2027 for October 2027 entry.
- Leeds: international applicants by 30 July 2027. Southampton: 18 August 2027 at midday UK time, offers to be accepted within 30 working days.
- Coventry: six start dates a year. Teesside: January (16 months), May and September. Birmingham opens September 2027 applications on 1 October 2026.
How to apply for MS in computer science in the UK from India: step-by-step timeline
There is no central portal for UK postgraduate courses; you apply to each university directly. Imperial charges £90 (about ₹11,400) for MSc Computing; Manchester's Advanced CS and Southampton's MSc state no fee, and the other pages checked showed none. The timeline is for September 2027 entry.
September–October 2026: shortlist by type and budget
Pick 5–7 courses across three fee bands: £39,000–£48,000, £34,000–£37,000 and £17,000–£20,000. Note the ATAS CAH3 code on each course page.
October 2026: documents and SOP
Scan every semester marksheet, the degree or provisional certificate, passport and CV. Write a 600–900-word statement of purpose per course naming modules, a project and a career target.
November 2026–January 2027: apply in the first stage
Submit to Manchester by 6 November 2026 or 1 January 2027 and Imperial by 6 January 2027. Leeds, Glasgow and Southampton can close by spring.
December 2026–March 2027: English evidence
Book IELTS Academic (or TOEFL/PTE) only if needed. Ask admissions in writing whether a medium-of-instruction letter is accepted.
February–April 2027: offers, scholarships, deposit
Pay the deposit (£2,000, about ₹2.5 lakh, at Glasgow and Southampton; £2,500, about ₹3.2 lakh, at Manchester) and apply for scholarships. Remit under the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme and check current TCS rules with your bank.
April–June 2027: ATAS and loan
If the CAH3 code needs ATAS, apply the day the offer is unconditional: free, at least 30 working days. Finalise the education loan (collateral loans from public-sector banks, or non-collateral loans from NBFCs and international lenders).
June–July 2027: CAS and the 28-day rule
Hold the first-year fee balance plus £10,539 (about ₹13.4 lakh) outside London or £13,761 (about ₹17.5 lakh) in London for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the visa application.
July–August 2027: Student visa
TB test, online application, £558 fee plus £1,164 IHS (together about ₹2.2 lakh), biometrics at VFS; decisions usually take 3 weeks.
Scholarships for MS in computer science in the UK for Indian students
Awards named on official pages read on 26 September 2026:
- University of Glasgow World Changers India Excellence Award: £12,500 tuition waiver (about ₹15.9 lakh), up to 12 awards for Indian applicants to taught master's courses including MSc Computing Science.
- University of Southampton ECS Global Scholarship: 12 awards of £5,000 (about ₹6.35 lakh) for international ECS master's applicants. Sheffield's course page lists awards worth up to £7,000 (about ₹8.9 lakh) for international students from selected regions.
- GREAT Scholarships 2026-27: £10,000 (about ₹12.7 lakh) towards tuition for a one-year master's; Indian passport holders can apply at Bristol, Surrey, Reading, Kent and others.
- Chevening Scholarships 2027-28: fully funded by the UK government; the published deadline for the 2027-28 round is 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC, so check chevening.org for the next round once it has passed.
Jobs after MS in computer science in the UK: Graduate visa, Skilled Worker going rates and official pay data
After the degree you apply from inside the UK for the Graduate visa (£937, about ₹1.19 lakh, plus £1,035 a year IHS, about ₹1.31 lakh): 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027, no sponsor needed. To stay longer an employer must sponsor a Skilled Worker visa paying at least £41,700 (about ₹53 lakh) or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher, with a £33,400 (about ₹42.4 lakh) threshold in some circumstances such as new entrants. Going rates are the Home Office's figures from Appendix Skilled Occupations, updated 3 August 2026.
| SOC 2020 code and occupation | Example job titles | Going rate (standard) | Approx. INR | 70% rate (new entrant option) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2134 Programmers and software development professionals | Software developer, programmer | £54,700 | ₹69.5 lakh | £38,300 |
| 2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | Data engineer, solutions architect | £54,900 | ₹69.7 lakh | £38,400 |
| All full-time employees (ONS ASHE, April 2025) | Median gross annual pay, UK | £39,039 | ₹49.6 lakh | — |
Going rates: GOV.UK Appendix Skilled Occupations, Table 1, read 26 Sep 2026; the 70% column is the Skilled Worker option E rate, floored at £33,400. ONS median: Employee earnings in the UK: 2025. £1 = ₹127.
Working during and after the course: what the rules mean for your plan
On the Student visa you can work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in vacations; self-employment, including delivering through apps on your own account, is not allowed. For a September 2027 intake you would apply for the Graduate visa in autumn 2028 and receive 18 months, so your UK working window runs to around March–April 2030 unless sponsored. For postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024 only PhD, research-degree and government-sponsored students can bring a partner or child, so taught MSc students travel alone. A Graduate visa partner must already have been a dependant on your Student visa, so a partner who did not travel with you on a taught MSc generally cannot join on the Graduate route; a Skilled Worker visa has its own dependant rules (see the GOV.UK page cited below).
Do you need ATAS for a computer science masters in the UK?
Frequently asked questions
How much does an MS in computer science in the UK cost for Indian students?
Tuition on the official 2026-27 and 2027-28 pages runs from £17,000 at Teesside and £19,500 at Coventry to £34,600 at Leeds, £41,400 at Manchester and £48,300 at Imperial, about ₹21.6 lakh to ₹61 lakh. With 12 months of living costs, the £558 visa fee and £1,164 IHS, the all-in range is roughly £33,000–£68,000 (₹42–87 lakh).
Is a 3-year BSc or BCA accepted for MS in computer science in the UK?
Yes, if the transcript shows enough computing. Manchester and Glasgow require at least 50% computer science content and Leeds wants programming, systems, data structures and algorithms; a BSc CS or BCA with those modules qualifies. A business-weighted BCA or a non-computing BSc should apply to conversion courses at Birmingham or Imperial.
What IELTS score is needed for MS in computer science in the UK?
It ranges from 6.0 to 7.0: Teesside asks 6.0 overall, Coventry, Leeds, Southampton, Glasgow and Birmingham 6.5, and Manchester and Edinburgh 7.0 with no sub-test below 6.5. Universities can waive the test for a strong English-medium degree; the visa only requires CEFR B2 for degree-level study.
Which UK universities offer an AI masters for Indian students, and what do they cost?
Manchester runs MSc Artificial Intelligence at £41,400 (about ₹52.6 lakh) with the same first-class, 50%-computing and IELTS 7.0 requirements as its Advanced CS course. Edinburgh's MSc Artificial Intelligence asks for a 2:1, 30 ECTS of mathematics and IELTS 7.0. Leeds lists an Advanced Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) MSc and Southampton lets CS students choose AI modules; check each course page.
Can I get a job in the UK after an MS in computer science?
You can work in any job on the Graduate visa (£937, about ₹1.19 lakh, plus IHS) for 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. Staying longer needs a Skilled Worker sponsor paying at least £41,700 (about ₹53 lakh) or the going rate, which is £54,700 for programmers and software developers under SOC 2134, with a £38,300 new-entrant rate.
Is GATE or GRE needed for UK MSc computer science admission?
No. None of the nine UK computer science course pages checked on 26 September 2026 (Imperial, Manchester, Edinburgh, Southampton, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Coventry, Teesside) asks for GRE, GATE or any entrance test.
Which UK universities give fee waivers for MS in computer science to Indian students?
Glasgow's India Excellence Award is a £12,500 fee waiver (about ₹15.9 lakh) with up to 12 awards, Southampton offers 12 ECS Global Scholarships of £5,000 (about ₹6.35 lakh), Sheffield lists awards up to £7,000 (about ₹8.9 lakh), and GREAT Scholarships give £10,000 (about ₹12.7 lakh) at universities including Bristol, Surrey, Reading and Kent. Chevening's 2027-28 deadline is 6 October 2026, so check chevening.org for the next round after that.
Official sources used on this page
- Imperial College London — MSc Computing (2027 entry): fees, entry, deadlines — Imperial College London · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Manchester — MSc Advanced Computer Science: fees (September 2027 entry), entry, staged deadlines — University of Manchester · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Manchester — MSc Artificial Intelligence: fees (September 2027 entry) and entry — University of Manchester · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Southampton — MSc Computer Science: fees, deposit, deadlines, ECS scholarship — University of Southampton · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Glasgow — MSc Computing Science: fees 2027-28, entry, India Excellence Award — University of Glasgow · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Leeds — MSc Advanced Computer Science: fees, entry, deadlines — University of Leeds · checked 26 September 2026
- Coventry University — MSc Computer Science: fees, entry and English 2026-27 — Coventry University · checked 26 September 2026
- Teesside University — MSc Computer Science: fees, entry and English 2026-27 — Teesside University · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Sheffield — MSc Advanced Computer Science: references, international awards up to £7,000 — University of Sheffield · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Birmingham — MSc Computer Science (conversion): entry and English — University of Birmingham · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Edinburgh — MSc Artificial Intelligence: entry and English — University of Edinburgh · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa: overview and fee — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa: money you need — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa: knowledge of English — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa: your partner and children — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Immigration Health Surcharge: how much you pay — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Graduate visa — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Graduate visa: your partner and children — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your partner and children — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job and salary — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations: going rates (updated 3 Aug 2026) — UK Home Office · checked 26 September 2026
- ONS — Employee earnings in the UK: 2025 (ASHE) — Office for National Statistics · checked 26 September 2026
- UKCISA — Student work — UK Council for International Student Affairs · checked 26 September 2026
- Study UK (British Council) — GREAT Scholarships: India 2026-27 — British Council · checked 26 September 2026
- Chevening — Application timeline 2027-28 — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · checked 26 September 2026
- Wise — GBP to INR mid-market rate — Wise · checked 26 September 2026
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