How to Pursue Free PhD in UK for Indian students? [2025]

Why Study in UK?

There are many reasons to study in the UK, whether UG, PG, or PhD. The UK has always been a great choice for Indian students.

1. Several Scholarships

There are a lot of financial awards for Indian students who excel in academics.

Suggested Read: UK Scholarships for Indian Students in 2025-26

2. Quality Education

The UK is house to some of the world's best universities with highly qualified professors.

3. High Living Standards

The residents in the UK experience comfort and security. They also get hygiene and basic facilities.

4. Employment Opportunities

There has been an increase in the number of employers in the UK. Moreover, there is growth in the number of job roles.

5. A Large Variety of Courses

The UK has a vast range of subjects and fields to study. It offers UG, PG, and PhD courses for Indian students. But why should an Indian consider pursuing PhD from the UK?

Advantages of Pursuing a PhD in the UK

1. Increased Research Opportunities
There are several research labs, and the infrastructure for research scholars is very helpful.

2. Employment Opportunities
Students get an enhanced industry experience from leading companies. Top employers hire scholars from universities.

3. Competitive and Cooperative Peers
The UK welcomes students from all over the world to take part in research programs. These scholars create a healthy place for learning, failing, and succeeding.
Now, let us talk about the various PhD programs offered in the UK.

Best PhD Programs in the UK

PhD is a valuable degree. The one who earns it has to research well in a particular field. Here are a variety of PhD programs in the UK that Indian students can choose from:

PhD PROGRAMS	AVG. ANNUAL FEE IN UK
Applied Psychology	20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (20-50 Lakh INR)
Engineering	20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (21-30 Lakh INR)
Art and Design	21,000 GBP(22 Lakh INR)
Computer Science	20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (20-30 Lakh INR)
Medical Science	20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (22-29 Lakh INR)
PhD in Management	18,000 GBP- 35,000 GBP (18-37 Lakh INR)
Economics	20,000 GBP- 55,000 GBP (20-57 Lakh INR)
Law	20,000 GBP- 50,000 GBP (17-24Lakh INR)

These are the most famous PhD programs in the UK. However, the universities in the UK offer a huge variety of other courses for all degree levels. Besides, universities in the UK also have foundational courses which you can find using our Course Finder Tool.
Now, let us talk about top UK universities offering fully funded PhD courses.

Top UK Universities Offering PhD Courses

The UK has some of the world's best universities. These institutes offer research scholars a variety of courses. The table below will help you understand

S.No	PhD UNIVERSITIES IN UK	GLOBAL QS RANKING (2025)	AVG. ANNUAL FEE
1.	University of Cambridge	5	INR 32.6 Lakhs
2.	University of Oxford	3	INR 27.4 Lakhs
3.	University College London (UCL)	9	INR 29 Lakhs
4.	University of Edinburgh	27	INR 22.4Lakhs
5.	University of Manchester	34	INR 22.9 Lakhs
6.	King’s College London	40	INR 34.2 Lakhs
7.	University of Warwick	69	INR 24.2 Lakhs
8.	University of Southampton	80	INR 28.7 Lakhs
9.	Newcastle University	129	INR 23.3 Lakhs
10.	University of Bath	150	INR 27 Lakhs

These are some of the top universities that offer PhD courses to Indian students in UK. The table above also has the global QS ranking for 2025.
In addition, these are the top universities offering fully-funded PhD in the UK.

Let us move on to the next section. It will discuss the various scholarship options available for research scholars. The section below has the amount of the scholarship and other details.

Scholarships for PhD in UK for Indian Students

Yes, PhD can be fully funded in the UK for Indian students. These are the various PhD scholarships for Indian students:

Indeed, the world recognizes the talent of Indian research scholars. Thus, there are several financial aid options to support the dreams of such students. PhD scholarships UK are one of those few ways using which they can fly abroad to study. Refer to the table below for the details on each of these scholarships:

SCHOLARSHIP NAME / APPLICATION DEADLINE	INFORMATION
Leeds Doctoral Scholarships 2025 APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, 1 April 2025	Covers academic fees and maintenance for 3.5 years for full time courses. Student must not have gotten a PhD degree before. This award is for postgraduate researchers. They can take full time or part time study.
Priestley PhD Scholarships APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 13, 2025	Grants tax-free stipend of £25,980 per year. Also includes return trip to study at the partner university (University of Birmingham and University of Melbourne). Any honours UG degree in a related subject is eligible. A student with MSc/MRes in a related subject is also relevant.
Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarship APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th January 2025	It covers tuition fees, international airfare, cost of living and UK visa. You must have a valid passport. You must have a master’s degree. You must be under the age of 35. You must have not applied to or received any other scholarships to study in the UK.
Newton Bhabha Fund APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOT AVAILABLE	Covers visa fee, economy class airfare and travel insurance. Provides staying costs and stipend. It is only for PhD scholars of India, enrolled in high education institutes.
Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships APPLICATION DEADLINE: 28 February 2025	Grants an amount of $100,000 (INR 55,15,559) Merit based scholarship Age should be less than 38 Must have an Indian passport Must hold a first class UG degree Must have 70% (minimum) in the previous academic degree.
Scotland's Saltire Scholarship APPLICATIONS CLOSED	Covers an amount of 8,000 GBP (INR 8,45,308) for one year. The student must be enrolled for one year PG course (full time) at University of Edinburgh. Merit based scholarship.
President's PhD scholarships APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10TH March 2025 and 4TH November 2025	Covers 100% tuition fees. Grants a stipend of 25,150 GBP (INR 26,57,439 ) per year. Consumables fund of 2,000 GBP (INR 2,11,327) per year for first 3 years.
Carnegie PhD Scholarships APPLICATION DEADLINE: Early December 2025	Covers the tuition fee. Annual stipend with a rise every year. 3,000 GBP (INR 3,16,990) worth of expenses covered. The honours degree must be related to the field of the PhD course.
Southampton Presidential Ph.D. Scholarship APPLICATION DEADLINE:  April 22, 2025	Covers 10,000 GBP (INR 10,56,635) from tuition fees. OR Covers 100% of it. Only for university of Southampton. Must not be distance learning.

These are the 10 scholarships that can help you study PhD in the UK. The table also states the expenses covered by the scholarships. Now, let us talk about the generic eligibility criteria to study in UK.

Eligibility Criteria for Studying PhD in the UK

The following pointers are the generic eligibility criteria for studying PhD in UK for Indian students:
1. First, have an upper second-class UG degree or equal to that.
2. Secondly, clear your post-graduation with at least a 70% score.
3. Thirdly, as you are applying for a PhD, you must have significant work experience.
4. You must have English language skills. You can prove it by cracking IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE with minimum scores:

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST	MINIMUM SCORE REQUIRED
IELTS	7 bands
TOEFL	90
PTE	60

5. Lastly, you must be capable enough to financially support your dream of doing PhD in the UK.
These are the eligibility criteria for entering the UK to pursue a PhD. Now, we will discuss the application process. Below, learn how to apply for Ph.D. scholarships in UK for Indian students.

How to Apply for PhD in the UK?

Follow the steps below to learn how to apply for a scholarship in UK for Indian students:

1. Research Well

To begin gathering comprehensive information about universities in the UK, make sure to check the eligibility requirements, available courses, and scholarships you might want to apply for using our University Finder Tool.

2. Apply According to Interest

Secondly, apply to these programs based on your interests. It would be better to choose the ones that match your previous academic profile. For instance, if you did your PG in arts and design, it would be better to choose the same for a PhD degree.

3. Gather and Submit the Documents

Thirdly, collect all your academic records and proof of English skill test scores. Also, organize your LORs before the application deadline gets closer.

4. Submit the Application

Finally, apply and pay the application fee. Then, to complete the application process, attend the university's online interview.
The mode of application will be online. Thus, go to their official websites and government portals. These were the steps to apply for a scholarship for PhD in UK for Indian students. The next section will discuss the jobs you can get in the UK after your PhD.

Also Read: How to Prepare an SOP for UK Study Visa

Conclusion

To conclude, to pursue PhD in UK for Indian students, there are a lot of options. However, financial issues have always been a big hurdle in achieving such dreams. There are a lot of options to aid you in your overseas education. For example, you can take a student loan or get an assistantship at your college. Yet, students tend to choose scholarships as there are many benefits of scholarships. Scholars don't need to repay them, and they also help them get a job. This is because getting PhD scholarships in UK for Indian students is a huge win! It reflects that you excelled in academics and proposed a great research idea. Our Study Abroad Consultants can help you choose what suits you the best according to your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Ques.1 Do PhD Students Get paid in UK?

Yes, if you are a research scholar, the UK PhD stipend averages 18,000 GBP. You may get paid more depending upon various factors. Moreover, many institutes also offer to reduce the tuition fees for research scholars.

Ques.2  Is PhD in UK Fully Funded?

Yes, many universities offer free PhD degrees:
1) University College London
2) University of Leeds
3) University of Nottingham
4) Imperial College London
5) Lancaster University
6) Aberystwyth University
7) Kings College London

Ques.3 Which PhD is in Demand in UK?

The PhD courses in the field of engineering and computer science have a high employment rate. Moreover, the research programs in medicine and healthcare are also very famous.