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The lowest ranked university in the country will charge tuition fees of more than £8,000 a year.
London South Bank university, which is rated as 113th in league tables, said it needed to charge the high amount just to break even after the Government removed almost all its teaching funding.
It means a degree from London South Bank will cost just £550 less a year than a course at Oxford or Cambridge.
The move also suggest the vast majority of universities will charge the highest rate of fees, despite ministers saying it would only happen in "exceptional circumstances." So far about 30 universities have announced their fee levels, and 22 have opted for the maximum amount.
Universities minister David Willetts has repeatedly warned university vice-chancellors against automatically going for the higher fee level.
The Government based its plans to increase fees on the assumption that the average fee level would be £7,500.
Professor Martin Earwicker, vice-chancellor of London South Bank university, said a full time undergraduate degree course will cost £8,450 from next year, while the average price of a qualification from South Bank will be £8,390.
He said: "In the cuts the Government has imposed the university lost 92 per cent of its teaching grant, 60 per cent of its capital grant and half of its innovation fund. This fee level does no more than put us to slightly less than we had before. The university is not gaining at all.
"Nearly every university is charging about £8,500 or £9,000. It is simple arithmetics."
He added: "We would be losing money if we went lower... I don't think I will have to defend this figure."
He said that students will not be put off from applying to London South Bank when they understand they will not have to pay the money up front, and that monthly repayments will be lower than they are now.
He added: "The more they understand the more they know it's not such a terrible thing. It shouldn't put them off at all."
London South Bank university, which specialises in vocational and professional qualifications, is ranked at the bottom of 113 universities in this year's Times Good University Guide. The league table uses eight measures, including the views of recent undergraduates, entry requirements, completion rates and leading academics' verdicts on the quality of research.
But Professor Earwicker said the university is in the top 25 per cent for "adding value" to students, according to the 2011 Guardian University League Tables, and the starting salary of graduates is among the highest in the country.
Meanwhile, Derby University today announced it will charge less than £7,500 for most of its courses.
Reader views (14)
I am about to finish studying at LSBU University and if I am honest, I couldn't be happier about leaving. The course is so unorganised and unstructured. 2nd year results we're given out a month after the deadline for re-applying to the University and I had to fight not to pay a late re-application fine; which was completely absurd considering I do not control when South Bank decide how they get things done.
I've been refused my bursary countless times due to not paying a higher fee for my course when, due to the year of starting my course my tuition fee's per annum would never reach that specific fee level.
South Bank doesn't deserve a place on the league tables for universities, students who chose to go there and study really are brave and don't know what they're letting themselves in for.
Any people applying to South Bank, I completely advise against it. A majority of staff are rude and highly uncompetant, the best thing to come of the University is getting to know fellow students; other than that the degree of teaching facilities and help is less than that I would give to a rat running around the streets of London.
- Melissa, London, 11/05/2011 20:30
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I am about to finish studying at LSBU University and if I am honest, I couldn't be happier about leaving. The course is so unorganised and unstructured. 2nd year results we're given out a month after the deadline for re-applying the University and I had to fight not to pay a late re-application fine which was completely absurd considering I do not control when South Bank decide how they get things done.
I've been refused my bursary countless times due to not paying a higher fee for my tuition fees when, due to the year of starting my course my tuition fee's per annum would never reach that specific fee level.
South Bank doesn't deserve a place on the league tables for universities, students who chose to go there and study really are brave and don't know what they're letting themselves in for.
Any people applying to South Bank, I completely advise against it. A majority of staff and rude and highly uncompetant and the best thing to come of the University is getting to know fellow students; other than that the degree of teaching facilities and help is less that I would give to a rat running around the streets of London.
- Melissa, London, 11/05/2011 20:28
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I'm a current LSBU student. I studied at Anglia Ruskin for a year in 2008 and I was paying £3,000+ for a grand total of 5 hours a week of lecture time and I could NEVER get hold of my tutor for questions and support. My course was terribly structured as we were being graded on things in the first semester that we weren't even taught until the second semester (it doesn't take a genius to figure out that that makes no sense!). Needless to say, I left! I'm now in my second year at LSBU and I can honestly say that I get so much support from my teachers, I have brilliant opportunities offered to me and I am given EMPLOYABILITY skills.
I've gained so much hands-on experience that has made me so much more confident in getting a career when I graduate (which is the main thing!). League tables for universities are ridiculous - experiences and quality vary from course to course and it also depends on the students' input as well. You can't possibly put unis in any kind of order and think it's legit.
Yeah £8,000 is a lot of money, don't get me wrong, I think it's extortionate. But why shouldn't LSBU charge as much as any other uni? A degree is still a degree, regardless of where it came from, and it's worth no less than any other university degree. Besides, if you're serious about bettering yourself and you've found the right course and put the effort in, you'll get your money's worth and be able to get a good job and pay back the money in no time. So what's the problem?
- Jess, London, 08/04/2011 10:45
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It seems that assessments of universities are of a 'one size fits all' nature, which is crazy. At Oxford many years ago the teaching was mediocre, in my view: if you didn't spontaneously shine nobody was going to put in the heavy digging to help you improve. You were there not to be nurtured, but to reflect glory on the tutors, or else not waste their time. Research may be brilliant, but that may not impinge on the student experience at all: it may well detract from it. SBU has great strengths in language teaching, especially ESOL, I've heard.
I would trust a Rough Guide to courses compiled by students rather more than a formal inspection.
- mdj e10, london uk, 06/04/2011 00:49
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Rule number 1: Be a jock
Rule number 2: Be a Taff
Rule number 3: Whatever you are, don't be English
- Trip Hazard, Cambridge, 05/04/2011 23:04
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Get rid of Education there's little left to live for.
@R Johnson, Newcastle.
Is that because your too lazy to get a job?
- Chris, Rochester, 05/04/2011 19:38
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I am currently completing my BA Marketing at LSBU, and I couldn’t ask for a better standard of education. I previously completed a foundation degree at London college of Fashion, quite high in these apparent "league" tables. The level of teaching was appalling. No support throughout or after my qualification, not to mention the lack of assistance in securing or even looking for employment. I self-funded my foundation degree at LCF whilst in full-time employment, and so expected a high standard for the apparent ranking and my personal investment!
I learnt more in the first few weeks at LSBU than I did in two years at LCF. LSBU is a brilliant university, the lecturers are supportive, knowledgeable and the resources are excellent. I would gladly pay £8k for the education I have received and would recommend the university to any new entrants who want to be rewarded for their hard work and feel ready and skilled to apply for marketing careers.
- Elise, London, 05/04/2011 19:37
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@dhan raj
"Americans have been paying their way through college for years getting jobs as waitresses or barmen. Life is pretty tough out there unless you are a millionaire and well connected and your dad can find you a job in his mates boardroom."
You couldn't be more wrong about American universities if you tried.
Yes, many students work, that's normal. Mostly because their parents have saved for years for their child's education, and they want to lessen the burden, and also because Americans have a very strong work ethic.
American unis have huge programs to attract minorities, and to give scholarships to people from poorer backgrounds. Their upper league unis are very much more egalitarian than ours.
If you're well educated and willing to put in the hours, America is a great place to make a career.
- SarahN, London, UK, 05/04/2011 17:19
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I find this absurd. I went to LSBU this year and the quality of teaching and resources led me to leave after 7 weeks. The tuition fees thing is unfair - well maybe not. But I'm glad that it's going to lead up to a shake up of the lower Universities. That said - I'm sick of tax payer's asking why should they pay for our Education.. The fact is even if you didn't go to University, you went to secondary school and primary school. All this was paid for by taxes - paid for by generations before you. Why should you pay for our education? Because you pay for our health care and other public policies - education is just as important as the NHS. What is the point of having a system that can cure us without a system that can innovate us? Get rid of Education there's little left to live for.
- R Johnson, Newcastle., 05/04/2011 16:44
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So £9K has become the norm, as we all said it would. Unis are not stupid: to charge bucket rate fees would imply a bucket rate uni, just like budget airlines.
There are no ist world countries. Everycontry has psocial problems and poverty.1/3 Americans are poor they don't can't afford proper healthcare. Go to rural America and see the slums, white and black.
So you're better off staying here.
Americans have been paying their way through college for years getting jobs as waitresses or barmen. Life is pretty tough out there unless you are a millionaire and well connected and your dad can find you a job in his mates boardroom.
- dhan raj, basildon, 05/04/2011 15:18
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Dave, feel free to join them.
Otherwise, to bring some facts to the table:
1. The 25% 'lowest income' students will pay less than they do now.
2. All students will repay their debts as a % of their salary, not as a % of the debt regardless of salary.
3. There's a 50% increase in the minimum salary before you have to start repaying, the threshold salary is now £21,000.
4. All uni's charging more than £6,000 have to offer additional bursaries and scholarships to lower income students.
- Steve, London, 05/04/2011 14:58
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I really don't see the problem with investing this amount in oneself and one's future.
- ST, London, 05/04/2011 14:39
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If you cannot afford 8,000 you should not go. Shows you have no initiative. Part time job study - tough but doable. Why should I pay for your education?
- Charly, London, 05/04/2011 14:18
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My advise to all students. Go get your education and once qualified get on a plane and leave showing two fingers to the politicians as you fly of to a first world country.
- dave, london, 05/04/2011 13:26
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