Fazlur Rahman
UK Online MSc Machine Learning programmes in 2026/27 range from £12,996 at the University of Bath (online, 2 years 3 months minimum) to £17,850 at Imperial College London's Machine Learning and Data Science Online (part-time, 2025 cohort fee). Bath's fee structure is per-credit at £722 per 10 credits. Imperial's £17,850 PT fee is for the 2025 cohort; the 2026 cohort is expected to be slightly higher. Most UK Online MSc ML programmes cluster between £13,000 and £20,000 (Bath + Imperial admissions, September 2026).
The right comparison for UK Online MSc ML is BCS (Chartered Institute for IT) accreditation, completion duration in part-time mode, and the depth of supervised learning, deep learning, or reinforcement learning modules.
Last verified: Sep 15, 2026.
At a glance
- Bath Online MSc AI/ML £12,996 (180 credits, BCS accredited)
- Imperial MSc ML and Data Science Online £17,850 PT (2025 cohort)
- Bath £722 per 10 credits + £2,166 x 2 dissertation instalments
- Bath 10 percent alumni discount available
- Imperial fees charged by year of entry, not year of study
- Postgraduate Master's Loan up to £12,167 from Student Finance England
UK Online MSc Machine Learning programmes and what each costs
UK Online MSc Machine Learning programmes split into three cost bands based on provider brand and delivery mode. The lower band (£12,000 to £15,000) covers fully online programmes at established universities like Bath, where fees are calculated per credit. The mid-range band (£15,000 to £20,000) covers part-time online ML/AI MScs at Imperial. The premium band (£20,000+) covers full-time Russell Group programmes that include on-campus components (Bath + Imperial admissions, 2026).
| Programme | Mode and duration | Total fees | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Online MSc Artificial Intelligence (incl. ML) | Fully online, 2y 3m minimum | £12,996 (180 credits) | Working professionals seeking BCS accreditation |
| Imperial MSc Machine Learning and Data Science Online | Fully online, 2-3y PT | £17,850 (2025 cohort) | Mid-career ML engineers targeting London research roles |
| Bath Online MSc Computer Science (with ML electives) | Fully online, 2y 3m minimum | £12,996 (180 credits) | General computer science with ML depth |
Bath Online MSc AI/ML is the strongest value for working professionals seeking BCS accreditation and a fully online pathway. Imperial's £17,850 PT fee delivers the strongest brand recognition for graduates targeting PhD or research positions, but requires self-discipline to complete in part-time mode alongside full-time work (Bath + Imperial admissions, 2026).
Bath Online MSc AI/ML module structure and credit pricing
Bath's per-credit pricing structure is unique among UK Online MSc ML programmes. The total programme fee is £12,996 paid per unit, with £722 per 10-credit unit, £1,444 per 20-credit unit, and two instalments of £2,166 for the 60-credit dissertation. A 10 percent alumni discount is available for University of Bath graduates. Fees are reviewed annually in January with an 8 percent maximum rise per year, providing cost predictability over the 2 to 3 year programme duration (Bath Online admissions, September 2026).
The core curriculum covers AI fundamentals, machine learning foundations, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, AI ethics, and a 60-credit dissertation project. The programme also offers electives in reinforcement learning, generative AI, and AI applications for specific industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing). The minimum duration is 2 years 3 months, but most part-time working professionals complete in 30 to 36 months (Bath Online admissions, September 2026).
Imperial MSc Machine Learning and Data Science Online details
Imperial's online ML and Data Science MSc combines machine learning with the data science pipeline. The programme covers supervised learning, unsupervised learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, natural language processing, and AI ethics, plus the data engineering skills needed for production ML systems (data pipelines, model deployment, MLOps). The 2025 cohort fee is £17,850 for part-time study. Imperial charges fees by year of entry rather than year of study, which means the cohort fee you start at remains locked for the standard programme duration (Imperial College admissions, September 2026).
The programme is delivered fully online via Coursera platform with Imperial faculty instruction and Imperial degree award. Entry requirements are an upper second-class UK honours degree or equivalent in a quantitative subject (mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, physics, economics) plus quantitative work experience. IELTS 7.0 overall with no subscore below 6.5 is required for international applicants (Imperial College admissions, September 2026).
Worked cost examples at three ML career stages
The realistic cost calculation compares the programme fee against the post-graduation salary uplift. The table below uses UK 2026 ML practitioner salary benchmarks from ONS and Stack Overflow UK developer survey (ONS 2026 + Stack Overflow UK 2026 + Bath + Imperial admissions, 2026).
| Career stage and current salary | Programme and total cost | Target salary and uplift | Payback period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer moving to ML £50,000-£70,000 | Bath Online MSc AI/ML £12,996 (2-3y PT) | ML engineer £75,000-£100,000, +£25,000/yr | 6 months post-graduation |
| Junior ML engineer £55,000-£75,000 | Imperial MSc ML and Data Science Online £17,850 (2y PT) | Senior ML engineer £90,000-£120,000, +£25,000/yr | 9 months post-graduation |
| Mid ML engineer £75,000-£100,000 | Imperial MSc ML and Data Science Online £17,850 (2y PT) | Principal ML engineer £120,000-£160,000+, +£35,000/yr | 6 months post-graduation |
The payback math is most favourable for working professionals whose employer sponsors the MSc. Most large UK employers in finance, consulting, and tech sectors offer 50 to 100 percent tuition coverage for staff pursuing ML qualifications. Self-funding students targeting mid-level ML roles see the fastest payback at Bath's £12,996 price point (ONS 2026 + Stack Overflow UK 2026).
Hidden costs and application timing
Three line items routinely push the real first-year cost above the headline fee. Application fees for UK Online MSc ML programmes typically run £25 to £75 per application. Course materials and software licences (Python environments, RStudio, GPU cloud compute credits for coursework) add £200 to £600 per year. International applicants add IELTS or TOEFL fees (£185 to £240). Students should budget approximately £300 to £800 in ancillary costs in Year 1, on top of the headline tuition (Bath + Imperial admissions, 2026).
Application timing matters for international applicants. Bath offers three start dates per year (January, May, September), so international applicants have multiple opportunities per year to begin. Imperial's online programmes typically run with September intake, with application deadlines 8 to 12 weeks before start date. UK applicants should target applications 12 to 16 weeks before the intended start date to allow time for the offer letter, deposit, and Student Finance England postgraduate loan application (Bath + Imperial admissions, September 2026).
