Fees & Funding

The tuition fee for participants beginning their studies in September 2026 is £42,200. This can either be paid in full after the start of the programme or via a payment plan. 

To secure your place, successful applicants are asked to pay a £1,500 pre-registration fee. This fee is deducted from your first tuition installment and is due either by early June or within two weeks of receiving your offer, if your offer is made after June. 

Payment Plans

We understand that financing your education is a significant commitment. That’s why LSE offers a flexible, interest-free payment plan for all self-funded participants. Tuition is charged after the programme begins in October, and the remaining balance is split into four equal payments over the first 12 months.

There are no additional fees for using the payment plan. If your financial circumstances change, our Finance, Fees, and Credit Control team is available to help you explore alternative arrangements.

Please note: Payment plans are not available to participants funded by sponsors.

You can find out more about Payment Plans here.

Employer Sponsorship

Many participants on the Executive MSc in Cities receive financial support from their employers. Sponsorship can be a valuable way for organisations to invest in the development of their staff while gaining fresh insights into urban challenges and solutions.

If you're currently employed, we encourage you to explore whether your organisation offers professional development funding or tuition support. The programme’s structure, designed for working professionals, makes it particularly well-suited for employer sponsorship. Participants continue working full-time while applying new knowledge directly to their roles, creating immediate value for their organisations.

Sponsorship can take many forms:

• Full or partial tuition coverage
• Support for travel and accommodation during study weeks
• Paid time off for study or research

We recommend discussing the programme with your line manager or HR department early in the application process. To support these conversations, our brochure contains a sponsorship information page outlining the programme’s benefits to employers, including its impact on leadership, strategy, and innovation in urban contexts. If you’d like help preparing a case for sponsorship, or need materials to share with your employer, please contact Nermin Abdulla, Programme Manager, at emc.lsecities@lse.ac.uk directly.

Discounts

Participants who completed undergraduate study at LSE and are beginning Executive MSc study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction of around 10 per cent of the fee. 

This does not apply to participants who have completed the short course Cities: Planning, Governance, and Design. 

Loans

The UK Government offers a postgraduate loan for eligible students studying for a first master’s programme. This is designed to help with fees and living costs. Some other governments and organisations also offer tuition fee loan schemes.

Find out more about tuition fee loans.

If you require any documents to support your loan application, please contact Nermin Abdulla, Programme Manager, at emc.lsecities@lse.ac.uk.

Scholarships

While Executive MSc students are not eligible for the LSE Graduate Support Scheme (GSS), LSE Cities offers exclusive scholarships to help reduce financial barriers for talented professionals.

We offer two types of scholarships:

• Full Scholarships: Cover the entire tuition fee.
• Partial Scholarships: Provide up to £10,000 toward tuition.

To be considered, you must submit separate applications for both the programme and the scholarship by the relevant deadline. We cannot review scholarship applications without a corresponding programme application. To learn more about the programme application process, head to our How to Apply page. The scholarship application forms can be found at the bottom of this page. 

Please note: Application forms for both full and partial scholarships will open in November

Scholarship Application Deadlines

• 1 April 2026 – Bloomberg Philanthropies Scholarship for Public Service 
• 1 June 2026 – LSE Cities Scholarship and LSE Alumni Scholarships

Scholarship decisions are based on a combination of academic and professional merit and financial need. Your programme application will be used to assess merit, while your scholarship application will help us understand your financial circumstances.

Scholarships cover tuition only. Recipients are responsible for securing additional funding for living expenses, travel, and accommodation during live teaching weeks should they opt to study in-person.