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Parent guide · Cost

How much does a tutor cost in the UK?

Hourly rates vary widely by level, subject specialism, and location — from around £20/hr at KS2 to £150/hr+ for top-end A-level Oxbridge-track work. This guide covers what drives the spread, what to budget for a typical course, and how platform fees can inflate the rate you actually pay.

Quick reference

KS2 / SATs prep
£20-£35/hr typical · £40-£60/hr for premium / former-headteacher tutors
GCSE
£25-£50/hr typical · £55-£90/hr for high-grade specialist or selective-school tutors
A-level
£35-£70/hr typical · £75-£150/hr for top-end / Oxbridge-track subject specialists
11+ prep
£30-£60/hr typical · £70-£120/hr for high-track grammar / private school prep
University admissions
£50-£200/hr · UCAT, LNAT, Oxbridge specialists at the top end
London + South East
~20-40% premium over national rates

UK tutor rate benchmarks

These are typical hourly rates for what tutors charge directly. On commission-based platforms, the rate students pay is often 25-49% higher because the platform takes a cut.

By level

  • KS1 / KS2 (primary) — £20-£35/hr typical. Premium tutors (former primary headteachers, tutors with strong selective-exam track records) £40-£60/hr.
  • 11+ entrance prep — £30-£60/hr typical. Tutors with measurable track records at top-track grammars or selective independents charge £70-£120/hr.
  • KS3 — £25-£40/hr typical. Subject-specialist tutors with stretch / scholarship-track experience higher.
  • GCSE — £25-£50/hr typical. £55-£90/hr for grade-7-9-target specialists, particularly in shortage subjects (Triple Science, Higher Tier Maths).
  • A-level — £35-£70/hr typical. £75-£150/hr for Oxbridge-track subject specialists, A-level Further Maths, MFL with native-speaker fluency.
  • University admissions / aptitude tests — £50-£200/hr. UCAT, LNAT, Oxbridge interview prep, Personal Statement coaching all at the top end.

Regional variation

London and the South East run 20-40% above national rates. Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol broadly track London. The North, Midlands, and most of Wales / Scotland (outside Edinburgh / Glasgow) sit at or slightly below the national typical range. Online tutoring has flattened this somewhat — students in London can hire a Manchester-based tutor online and pay closer to Manchester rates.

What drives the spread within a level

Specialism scarcity

A-level Further Maths tutors charge more than A-level Biology tutors because the supply of qualified people is smaller. Same for: Oxbridge admissions advisers, UCAT specialists, Latin and Classical Greek tutors, A-level Computer Science with strong programming background. Subjects with abundant tutor supply (GCSE English, Year 6 SATs) sit at the lower end of the band.

Track record

Tutors with measurable outcomes (most students reaching grade 8/9 at GCSE; high A*/A rate at A-level; consistent grammar / private school placements at 11+) charge what the market will pay. This is most visible at the top end — a 1:1 Oxbridge-Maths-track Further Maths tutor commanding £150/hr is doing so because their results justify it to the parents who pay.

Format

In-person tutoring carries a small premium over online (typically 10-20%) reflecting travel time / cost. Group tutoring (2-4 students) carries a 30-50% per-student discount vs equivalent 1:1.

Total course cost vs hourly rate

Hourly rate matters less than total spend. A few worked examples (using mid-range national rates):

  • Year 11 GCSE Maths weekly tutoring (autumn through May) — ~32 weeks × £40/hr = £1,280 over the academic year.
  • Year 12-13 A-level Chemistry weekly tutoring (autumn-spring of Y13) — ~28 weeks × £55/hr = £1,540.
  • 11+ prep across Year 5 and autumn of Year 6 — ~30 sessions × £45/hr = £1,350.
  • Targeted weak-topic burst (4-6 sessions on a single subject area) — 5 × £50/hr = £250.

Where platform fees fit in

How a platform charges substantially affects total cost:

  • Commission platforms typically charge students the tutor's rate plus 25-49% on top, paid per lesson. Over 30 lessons at £40/hr, that's £1,200 to the tutor plus ~£300-£600 to the platform.
  • Subscription platforms typically charge students a recurring monthly fee (~£39/month) for the right to message tutors. Over a year that's ~£470/yr in platform fees on top of lesson costs.
  • Finder's-fee platforms charge a one-off unlock fee. Tutorperch is £20 per unlock; First Tutors charges sliding £9.99-£34.99. After unlock, no further platform cost.

See our platform comparison for the full breakdown.

Setting a budget

A pragmatic approach:

  1. Decide the goal and timeframe first. Year 11 GCSE Maths from October to May, weekly. Year 6 SATs prep from January to May, weekly. A burst of 6 sessions to fix one A-level Chemistry topic.
  2. Estimate the lesson count from the timeframe.
  3. Set an hourly-rate range based on the level / specialism (use the benchmarks above as a starting point).
  4. Multiply for total course cost. Compare to your budget.
  5. Factor in platform fees for any commission-based platform you're considering.

Better to budget realistically and run the course as planned than to under-budget and cut tutoring short partway through. Inconsistent tutoring rarely sustains the gain.

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Common questions

  • Why such a wide range? +

    Three drivers. Level — A-level Further Maths tutors charge more than KS2 SATs tutors because the supply of qualified people is smaller. Specialism — Oxbridge admissions, UCAT prep, top-grade-target work command premiums because relatively few tutors deliver them. Location — London and the South East run 20-40% above national averages, partly cost of living and partly demand density. A solid 'rate floor' for a credentialed UK tutor is around £25/hr at GCSE; below that, you're typically getting tutors with limited experience or in low-cost-of-living regions.

  • Are platform fees and commissions included in those rates? +

    On commission platforms, no — the rates parents see are usually inflated 25-49% above what the tutor receives. The rate quoted to you is the platform's price, not the tutor's earned hourly rate. On finder's-fee platforms (like Tutorperch) and direct-to-tutor arrangements, the rate quoted is what the tutor receives. <a href='/compare'>See our comparison page</a> for how the pricing models stack up.

  • How many lessons does a typical course need? +

    Depends on the goal. For exam-prep tutoring before GCSE or A-level: 15-30 lessons across an academic year is typical (one per week from autumn through to exams). For shorter-term remediation (single weak topic, mock revision push): 4-8 lessons. For 11+ prep: 20-40 lessons across Year 5 and the autumn of Year 6. For sustained foundational support (KS3 catch-up): 30-50+ lessons over a year. Total spend matters more than hourly rate — a £35/hr tutor for 20 lessons is £700; a £55/hr tutor for the same is £1,100.

  • Is more expensive always better? +

    No, but rate is a rough proxy for experience and demand. Tutors who consistently deliver grade lifts at competitive levels can charge what the market bears. That said, fit matters more than rate — a £40/hr tutor your child connects with often outperforms a £100/hr tutor they don't. Use rate to set a budget range, then prioritise interview / first-session fit within that range.

  • Are group sessions cheaper? +

    Yes, typically 30-50% per student. Some tutors run small groups (2-4 students) at a per-student rate noticeably below their 1:1 rate. Trade-offs: less individual attention, less ability to address specific weaknesses, but social motivation and slightly cheaper. Group sessions work well for KS3 and early GCSE; less well for late-Year-11 or A-level intensive prep.

  • How does Tutorperch fit in? +

    We charge a £20 one-off finder's fee to unlock contact details — no commission on lessons. Once you've unlocked, you arrange lessons and payment directly with the tutor at their stated rate. So the tutor's quoted rate on Tutorperch is what they receive (no platform markup), and the only platform cost is the £20 unlock. <a href='/no-commission'>The detail on our pricing model</a>.

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Last reviewed: 2026-04-29