TutorLab Research · Updated August 2026

Private Tutor Rates UK 2026

In 2026, UK private tutors typically charge £22–£38 per hour for primary, £28–£55 for GCSE, and £38–£75 for A-Level. The modelled national averages are around £29/hr for primary, £38/hr for GCSE and £52/hr for A-Level.

These are modelled estimates from publicly advertised UK tutor rates. Live TutorLab directory figures, recalculated daily, appear separately below; full methodology is at the bottom of this page.

Journalists and researchers: these estimates are free to cite. Please attribute as “TutorLab estimate (2026)” and link to this page. For press enquiries, visit our press page.

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TutorLab live data

Across the 1415 tutor profiles listed in the TutorLab directory, listed hourly rates start at £10 and average £35. These are live figures from real tutor listings, updated continuously, not estimates.

Key findings 2026

£38/hr

Average UK GCSE tutor rate

2026

£52/hr

Average UK A-Level tutor rate

2026

£29/hr

Average UK primary tutor rate

2026

£5–10

Saving per hour online vs in-person

All levels

15–25%

Typical agency commission per session

When booking via agencies

How much does a tutor cost by level?

In 2026, UK tutor rates span £22–£38/hr for primary up to £40–£80/hr for degree-level tuition, rising with each stage of education.

Typical range and average hourly rate. Represents the middle 70% of tutors: very low-cost undergraduate tutors and high-end Oxbridge specialists are excluded from averages.

Level	Typical range	Average	Notes
Primary (KS1–KS2)	£22–£38	£29	Year 1–6. Includes SATs prep and 11 Plus foundation.
11 Plus preparation	£28–£55	£38	Grammar and independent school entry. London/Home Counties tutors often charge significantly more.
GCSE (Year 10–11)	£28–£55	£38	Core subjects. Specialist or ex-examiner tutors command premium rates.
A-Level (Year 12–13)	£38–£75	£52	Subject specialists from relevant degree backgrounds. Medicine/Oxbridge prep at premium end.
Degree / undergraduate	£40–£80	£58	University module support and dissertation guidance.
Online tutoring	£5–£10 less than in-person	varies	All levels. Online tutors have lower overheads and typically charge £5–£10/hr less.

How much does a tutor cost by subject?

In 2026, UK GCSE tutor rates span £25–£55/hr depending on subject; A-Level rates span £35–£75/hr for most subjects, rising to £50–£100/hr for UCAT preparation.

Modelled GCSE and A-Level hourly ranges for in-person tutoring in regional UK cities. London estimates are shown separately in the city table below.

Subject	GCSE rate	A-Level rate	Notes
Maths	£28–£52	£40–£68	Most popular subject. Highest volume, competitive rates.
English	£25–£48	£35–£62	GCSE Language and Literature. A-Level essay-focused.
Biology	£28–£50	£40–£68	High demand from pre-medicine applicants.
Chemistry	£30–£55	£42–£72	Specialist knowledge commands premium.
Physics	£30–£55	£42–£72	Engineering applicants drive A-Level demand.
Further Maths	N/A	£45–£75	Specialist subject; limited tutor supply drives rates up.
Economics	£28–£48	£40–£70	PPE and finance applicants common.
History	£25–£48	£35–£65	Essay technique and historiography focus.
French	£28–£50	£35–£65	Native speaker tutors command higher rates.
Spanish	£28–£50	£35–£65	Growing demand; native speakers preferred.
Latin	£30–£55	£40–£70	Limited supply; specialist classical subject.
Psychology	£25–£45	£35–£60	AQA most common board.
Computer Science	£28–£50	£38–£65	Growing demand; industry-background tutors common.
Mandarin	£35–£60	£45–£75	Native speaker premium; specialist subject.
UCAT preparation	N/A	£50–£100	Specialist medical school entry exam coaching.

How much does a tutor cost by city?

In 2026, UK tutor rates by city range from £18–£30/hr for primary in Hull and Sunderland up to £55–£100/hr for A-Level in central London.

In-person tutoring rates. Cities marked Premium have rates significantly above the national average. Online tutoring is typically £5–£10/hr lower in each city.

City	Primary	GCSE	A-Level
London (central)Premium	£35–£60	£45–£75	£55–£100
London (outer)Premium	£30–£50	£38–£65	£48–£80
St AlbansPremium	£32–£50	£40–£62	£50–£80
GuildfordPremium	£32–£48	£40–£60	£50–£80
CheltenhamPremium	£28–£42	£35–£55	£42–£68
BathPremium	£28–£42	£35–£55	£45–£70
HarrogatePremium	£28–£42	£35–£55	£42–£68
CambridgePremium	£30–£48	£38–£60	£48–£80
OxfordPremium	£30–£48	£38–£62	£50–£85
Bristol	£26–£40	£32–£52	£40–£65
Reading	£28–£42	£35–£55	£42–£68
Brighton	£26–£42	£32–£52	£40–£65
Manchester	£24–£38	£30–£50	£38–£62
Edinburgh	£26–£40	£30–£52	£38–£62
Birmingham	£22–£36	£28–£48	£35–£60
Leeds	£22–£36	£28–£48	£35–£58
Liverpool	£20–£34	£26–£44	£33–£55
Sheffield	£20–£34	£25–£45	£32–£55
Newcastle	£20–£34	£25–£44	£32–£54
Nottingham	£20–£34	£25–£44	£32–£54
Leicester	£22–£35	£28–£45	£35–£58
Coventry	£22–£36	£28–£45	£35–£58
Glasgow	£22–£36	£28–£46	£35–£58
Cardiff	£20–£34	£25–£44	£32–£55
Southampton	£24–£38	£30–£48	£36–£60
Portsmouth	£25–£38	£30–£48	£38–£62
York	£23–£38	£30–£48	£38–£62
Derby	£20–£32	£25–£42	£32–£55
Hull	£18–£30	£22–£38	£28–£48
Sunderland	£18–£30	£22–£38	£28–£48

What tutors on TutorLab actually charge

The tables above are market estimates drawn from publicly advertised rates. These are not. Every figure below is computed from the hourly rates that tutors listed in the TutorLab directory set themselves, recalculated daily, showing only cuts with at least 3 tutors so a single listing can never look like an average.

TutorLab directory hourly rates by subject
By subject	Tutors	Range	Average
Maths	333	£10–£100	£35
Piano	60	£24–£65	£31
Music	36	£10–£65	£32
English	32	£18–£165	£41
Physics	32	£10–£100	£40
Chemistry	27	£10–£80	£40
Biology	25	£10–£70	£34
Science	16	£18–£70	£37

TutorLab directory hourly rates by city
By city	Tutors	Range	Average
UK	309	£30–£165	£34
Online	57	£10–£80	£29
London	31	£12–£60	£33
Edinburgh	10	£30–£45	£36
Brighton	8	£35–£40	£36
Manchester	7	£15–£60	£36
Cardiff	6	£20–£50	£33
Oxford	5	£35–£50	£40

Source: TutorLab directory, live. These are rates tutors advertise, not rates paid after any discount, and they cover tutors listed on TutorLab rather than the whole UK market.

Agency fees: what they add to tutor costs

Traditional tutoring agencies take a 15–25% cut from every session. If a tutor charges £50/hr, a family pays £60–£65/hr with the agency markup. Some agencies add this invisibly; others charge the tutor a monthly fee instead.

Direct-to-tutor platforms like TutorLab charge tutors a small listing fee or nothing, and families pay the tutor's listed rate directly. For a family booking 2 sessions per week across a school year, the difference between agency and direct can exceed £500.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a private tutor cost in the UK?+

Why are tutor rates higher in London?+

London rates run above the UK average at every level: around £35–£60/hr for primary in central London (£30–£50 outer), £45–£75/hr for GCSE (£38–£65 outer), and £55–£100/hr for A-Level (£48–£80 outer), against national averages of £29, £38 and £52/hr. The exact premium depends on subject, tutor experience and online versus in-person delivery, so compare each tutor's actual listed rate rather than assuming a fixed London uplift.

Is online tutoring cheaper than in-person?+

Yes. Online tutors typically charge £5–£10 per hour less than in-person tutors at the same level, because they have lower overheads and no travel time. The gap holds across primary, GCSE and A-Level.

How much commission do tutoring agencies take?+

Traditional tutoring agencies typically take a 15–25% cut of every session, so a tutor charging £50/hr means a family pays £60–£65/hr. Booking a tutor directly removes that markup: over a school year of two sessions a week, the difference can exceed £500.

Can an AI tutor replace a private tutor?+

AI tutoring apps are useful for drilling practice questions and quick explanations, and many TutorLab tutors now use AI tools to plan lessons faster. They do not replace a human tutor for what moves grades most: weekly accountability, spotting why a specific student keeps making the same mistake, exam technique and motivation. In 2026 the strongest setup is usually a human tutor who uses AI to work efficiently, not one or the other.

Methodology

What this measures: hourly UK tutor rates in GBP, modelled by level, subject and city. These figures are estimates based on analysis of publicly listed tutor rates across major UK platforms and marketplaces, not a measured TutorLab dataset. The ranges reflect roughly the 25th to 75th percentile of listed tutor rates; “average” figures use the median to reduce distortion from high-end outliers.

Period: model assumptions were last reviewed in May 2026. Check current tutor listings before setting a price or budget. For a measured, first-party figure instead of a modelled estimate, see the TutorLab live data above and the live rate report, recalculated daily from real tutor listings.

Free to use: This research is free to cite and republish with attribution to TutorLab and a link to this page. Contact press@tutorlab.uk for quotes, additional data cuts, or embeddable charts.

Related guides

How much does a private tutor cost in the UK?

Parent guide to understanding tutor rates and what affects pricing.

Private tutor rates UK 2026: complete guide

How to set your rate as a tutor and when to raise it.

How to find a private tutor in the UK

What to look for, how to vet tutors, and questions to ask.

Browse UK tutors on TutorLab

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