Private tutoring in the UK has never been more in demand. With teachers navigating cost-of-living pressures, GCSE and A-Level exams growing more competitive, and new ways to learn outside the classroom emerging, the market has grown and changed significantly since the pandemic.
So what does this mean for your tutoring rates in 206? This is your go-to guide to up-to-date tutoring rates for 2026, so you can set fair and reasonable prices for your tutoring business.
The size of the UK tutoring market today
For many students, private tuition is the key to getting the grades they want and need throughout their education. Many students use tutoring to help them catch up on missed lessons, cram for big exams, or learn something new outside of the curriculum. There are so many reasons to hire a private tutor.
Students looking for private tutors are spoilt for choice, with hundreds of privately owned agencies offering a variety of tutoring services. There are also thousands of independent tutors available who can teach in person or using online tutoring software.
In fact, tutoring is so widespread that, according to The Sutton Trust, 45% of young people in London and 29% of secondary school students in England and Wales will receive some form of private tutoring during their academic career.
The rise of AI tutoring tools has also shifted expectations; parents are increasingly aware of what's available and want to understand what human tutors offer that algorithms don't.
With the help of technology and software companies such as TutorCruncher, people today can hire a tutor with the click of a button, whether it is a one-off online tuition session or weekly face-to-face meetings.
What does private tutoring cost in 2026?
It’s clear that private tutoring is a lucrative business. So what should you be charging?
The honest answer is that it depends on a few factors, including location, level and subject. That said, most private tutors in the UK charge between £30 and £50 per hour, with the average sitting around £35–40/hour.
Tutoring cost by level:
Level and typical hourly rate
Primary school: £20–40
GCSE: £30–55
A-Level: £35–70
University/degree level: £50–100+
Tutoring cost by region:
Location remains one of the biggest pricing factors. Urban areas, particularly London, command a significant premium, typically 15–25% higher than the national average.
Region and average hourly rate
London: £50–65
Surrey & Home Counties: £45–60
Manchester: £40–55
Hampshire: £40–55
Oxfordshire / Buckinghamshire: £38–52
West Midlands: £35–48
Yorkshire: £32–45
North East: £28–40
Tutoring cost by subject:
Subject continues to drive premium pricing, particularly in STEM and less commonly taught languages.
Subject and average hourly rate
Maths: £38–55
Physics: £40–58
Chemistry: £40–56
Biology: £36–52
English Literature: £35–50
French / Spanish: £35–50
German: £38–54
Mandarin: £45–65
Psychology: £35–50
Computer Science: £40–58
What’s a fair tutoring rate per hour?
Tuition fees vary on a wide range of aspects, from the level of a child’s education to the tutor’s experience and whether a child is having individual in-person tutoring or group tutoring sessions.
Local and online tutors charge different rates for varying reasons, including the following:
- Tutor’s qualifications: If you have certifications or extra diplomas, you could charge more per tutoring session to reflect your expertise.
- In-person vs. online tuition: In general, online tuition costs less than in-person tutoring, as you don’t have to pay for fuel, travel time, or physical materials.
- Student's education level: Tutors can charge more the further a student is in their educational journey. For example, tutoring for university students can cost as much as £100 per hour, whereas primary school tuition will be much lower.
- Private tutoring vs. tutoring agencies: As a private tutor, you’ll keep 100% of your fees and set your own rates. Whereas, being part of an agency will mean you pay a cut to your agency per lesson. Find out more about the difference between private and agency tutoring.
Try our Tutoring Calculator to help you set the right prices for your tutoring business.
Are AI tutors worth it?
AI tutoring tools have arrived in force, and parents are paying attention. Free and low-cost AI platforms now offer on-demand homework help, practice questions, and explanations across most school subjects. This provides a solid, low-cost option to support learning.
But it’s important to remember that human tutors offer something AI can't replicate: the ability to build a relationship, read a student's confidence and emotional state, adapt in real time, and provide the accountability that keeps students engaged. As a tutor, it’s important to be able to articulate this clearly and back it up with results.
The affordability gap
Tutoring has many benefits; on top of helping pupils academically, tutors can help students gain new tools for learning and widen their scope of knowledge.
Despite the growth of the market, access to private tuition remains unequal. The Sutton Trust has consistently found that students from higher-income households receive a disproportionate share of private tuition compared to those from lower-income families.
The National Tutoring Programme (NTP), which ran from 2020 to August 2024 and funded over 5 million tutoring courses, was the government's primary mechanism for addressing this. Now that it’s ended, no direct replacement has been introduced. Schools are encouraged to use Pupil Premium funding to continue supporting disadvantaged pupils with targeted academic support, but with Pupil Premium budgets under pressure, provision is patchy.
Organisations like Action Tutoring, The Tutor Trust, and The Access Project continue to provide free or subsidised tutoring for eligible students, funded through philanthropic sources. For parents looking for help with tutoring, it's worth checking what's available in your area through your child's school, local authority or local charities.
Setting the right rate: A note for tutors
If you're a tutor trying to set competitive rates, the key is to benchmark against your local market and your specialism, not just the national average.
Key considerations:
- Your qualifications and experience level
- Whether you're offering in-person, online, or both
- The level and subjects you teach
- Your results and testimonials
Use our Tutoring Rate Calculator to model your potential earnings based on your hours, rate, and weeks worked, and see how small changes to your hourly rate affect your annual take-home.
Are you running a tutoring business or agency? TutorCruncher helps you manage billing, scheduling, payroll, and more, so you can focus on teaching. Start your free two-week trial today!
