TutorLab Research · Updated July 2026

Private Tutor Rates UK 2026

The average private tutor rate in the UK is around £29/hr for primary, £38/hr for GCSE and £52/hr for A-Level (2026 estimates). London rates run 20–30% higher than the national average, and online tutoring is typically £5–£10/hr cheaper than in-person.

Estimated private tutoring costs across the United Kingdom, covering 30+ cities, 15+ subjects and all educational levels, based on analysis of publicly advertised tutor rates across the UK.

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 1041 tutors currently published on TutorLab, listed hourly rates start at £10 and average £34. 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
2.1×
London premium vs UK regional average
For A-Level
£5–10
Saving per hour online vs in-person
All levels
15–25%
Typical agency commission per session
When booking via agencies

Average UK tutor rates by level

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.

LevelTypical rangeAverage
Primary (KS1–KS2)£22–£38£29
11 Plus preparation£28–£55£38
GCSE (Year 10–11)£28–£55£38
A-Level (Year 12–13)£38–£75£52
Degree / undergraduate£40–£80£58
Online tutoring£5–£10 less than in-personvaries

Average UK tutor rates by subject

GCSE and A-Level hourly rates by subject. Ranges cover in-person tutoring in regional UK cities (not London). Add 30–50% for central London rates.

SubjectGCSE rateA-Level rate
Maths£28–£52£40–£68
English£25–£48£35–£62
Biology£28–£50£40–£68
Chemistry£30–£55£42–£72
Physics£30–£55£42–£72
Further MathsN/A£45–£75
Economics£28–£48£40–£70
History£25–£48£35–£65
French£28–£50£35–£65
Spanish£28–£50£35–£65
Latin£30–£55£40–£70
Psychology£25–£45£35–£60
Computer Science£28–£50£38–£65
Mandarin£35–£60£45–£75
UCAT preparationN/A£50–£100

Average UK tutor rates by city

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.

CityPrimaryGCSEA-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

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?+
In 2026, UK private tutors typically charge £22–£38 per hour for primary, £28–£55 for GCSE, and £38–£75 for A-Level. The average rate is around £29/hr for primary, £38/hr for GCSE and £52/hr for A-Level. Rates in central London run 20–30% higher than the national average.
Why are tutor rates higher in London?+
London tutor rates run roughly 2.1× the UK regional average for A-Level, driven by higher living costs, stronger demand from selective and independent school families, and a concentration of specialist and ex-examiner tutors. Outer London and commuter towns such as St Albans, Guildford and Cambridge also carry a premium.
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

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.

Data was last reviewed May 2026. Rates tend to increase 3–5% per year in line with professional services inflation.

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.

More TutorLab research

UK private tutor rates 2026 (live directory data)

Real hourly rates computed directly from the TutorLab directory, updated daily.

UK tutoring statistics 2026

18 cited data points: live directory data, market estimates and Sutton Trust polling.

GCSE pass rates by subject 2024

Official grade 4+ and grade 7+ pass rates for every major GCSE subject.

A-Level pass rates by subject 2024

A*-E and A*-A grade rates across 25 A-Level subjects.

11 Plus pass rates by area

Grammar school acceptance rates by county and local authority.

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

Compare tutor profiles, qualifications and rates directly.