How much should tutoring cost in the UK? An honest guide
Tutoring prices are confusing by design. Some platforms advertise a rock-bottom headline rate, others quote far more for what looks like the same thing, and almost nobody explains where the money actually goes.
Here is what parents are typically paying in 2026, why the range is so wide, and how to judge whether a price is fair.
How much is a tutor per hour in the UK?
Most private tutors in the UK charge between £35 and £52 an hour, with around £40 being typical. Rates start near £16 for a student tutor and reach £160 for an examiner in a shortage subject. Level matters less than experience: a specialist charges more at every level.
What do tutors charge per hour?
Across the UK tutoring sector, tutors charge anywhere from £16 to £160 per hour. What a specific tutor charges depends far more on their experience than on the level they teach — so treat the figures below as a range to orient yourself, not a price list.
These are not industry estimates. They are the actual advertised rates of the 94 tutors currently bookable on Sessioned, read straight from the platform on 8 October 2026. We are showing the median rather than the mean because a handful of specialists at £120–£160 drag an average upwards and describe nobody’s real experience.
Tutoring rates per hour by level
| Level | Tutors | Typical (median) | Full range | You pay (median + 20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary / KS2 | 36 | £37 | £16–£90 | £44.40 |
| 11+ | 21 | £40 | £16–£90 | £48 |
| GCSE | 82 | £45 | £16–£160 | £54 |
| A-Level | 71 | £45 | £16–£160 | £54 |
| Adult / Professional | 28 | £45 | £25–£75 | £54 |
| University | 32 | £46 | £25–£80 | £55.20 |
Tutoring prices by subject
Only subjects with at least eight bookable tutors are listed — below that a single unusual rate moves the median and the number stops meaning anything.
| Subject | Tutors | Typical (median) | Full range | You pay (median + 20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 21 | £35 | £16–£60 | £42 |
| Economics | 9 | £35 | £16–£80 | £42 |
| Chemistry | 21 | £36 | £16–£80 | £43.20 |
| English | 30 | £37.50 | £16–£70 | £45 |
| Maths | 43 | £40 | £16–£160 | £48 |
| 11+ | 11 | £45 | £16–£160 | £54 |
| Physics | 20 | £45 | £16–£75 | £54 |
One honest caveat on that second table: these are the rates of tutors who happen to have joined one platform. They are real, and they are ours to publish, but 94 tutors is not a census of British tutoring. Treat them as a well-evidenced sample, not a national statistic.
For typical rates and what to expect subject by subject, see our guides to GCSE maths, A-Level maths, English, A-Level biology, A-Level chemistry and 11+ preparation — each with tutors whose rate you see in full before you book.
Tutoring cost calculator
Pick a level and a subject to see what a term typically costs. Figures use the median rates above and include the 20% service fee, so the total is what you would actually pay, not a headline rate.
Why do tutoring prices vary so much?
Experience and qualifications. A qualified teacher who examines for an exam board charges more than a university student — often justifiably, sometimes not. What you are paying for is the ability to diagnose problems quickly; experience compresses the time that takes.
Level. A-Level costs more than primary because the pool of people who can teach it well is smaller.
Location. In-person tuition in London and the South East costs more than the national average. Online tuition flattens this — a strong tutor in Newcastle costs the same wherever your child lives, which is quietly one of the best arguments for online sessions.
Format. Group classes and pre-recorded courses are cheaper per hour, and considerably less effective per hour, for the simple reason that none of the hour is shaped around your child.
Where does the money actually go?
Two tutors both charging you £40 an hour can be earning very different amounts, and it affects who you get.
Most marketplaces take their cut from the tutor’s side: a tutor listed at £40 may keep £25–£30 of it, with commission rates commonly between 25% and 50%, sometimes on a sliding scale the parent never sees. Agencies at the premium end can take more still.
Why should a parent care? Because platform economics shape tutor behaviour. Heavy commission pushes experienced tutors off platforms entirely, or pushes them to reserve their best availability for private clients. Structures that pay tutors properly tend to keep better tutors.
For transparency: Sessioned works the other way round. Tutors set their rate and keep all of it; you pay their rate plus a 20% platform fee, shown in full before you book. A tutor listing £35 receives £35, and you pay £42. We would rather show you that arithmetic than hide it.
Why be wary of a very cheap headline rate?
Headline low prices usually mean one of four things: group sessions, very inexperienced tutors, large prepaid bundles, or introductory rates that step up after the first month. None of these is necessarily bad — but none of them is what the headline implies, which is a skilled one-to-one tutor at a rock-bottom price.
How much should I pay a tutor for my child?
Weekly and sustained beats occasional and expensive. A steady weekly session across a term will do more than an occasional session with a pricier specialist. If budget forces a choice, choose consistency.
Match seniority to the situation. A confident Year 8 needing homework structure does not need an examiner. A Year 13 chasing a top grade for a medicine offer might. Paying for firepower you do not need is the most common way parents overspend.
Judge the first month honestly. Ask what changed: is homework happening, is confidence shifting, can your child explain something this month that baffled them last month? Grades move slowly, but those signals move fast — and no tutor at any price should be promising specific grades anyway.
Count the real total. Check for booking fees, cancellation windows, and whether you must buy blocks upfront. A clean per-session price you can stop any time is worth a few pounds over a discounted bundle you are locked into.
Questions that reveal a fair operator
- What does the tutor actually receive from what I pay?
- Are there any fees beyond the advertised rate?
- Can I book a single session before committing?
- What happens if we need to cancel or switch tutors?
Anyone offering fair value answers these easily. Hesitation is data.
Frequently asked questions about tutoring costs
How much does a private tutor cost in the UK?
In 2026, one-to-one private tutoring in the UK typically costs between £35 and £52 an hour, with around £40 being the most common rate. Prices start near £16 for a student tutor and reach £160 for an experienced examiner in a shortage subject.
How much does a GCSE tutor cost?
A GCSE tutor typically charges around £45 an hour, or about £54 once the service fee is added. Across the 82 GCSE tutors bookable on Sessioned, rates run from £16 to £160 — experience and subject shortage move the price far more than the level does.
How much does an A-Level tutor cost per hour?
An A-Level tutor typically charges around £45 an hour, roughly £54 once the service fee is added. What pushes a rate higher is genuine subject depth and exam-board familiarity, so an experienced specialist or examiner sits well above a recent graduate teaching the same syllabus.
How much does 11+ tutoring cost?
11+ tutoring typically costs around £40 an hour, about £48 with the service fee added. Price tends to reflect how well a tutor knows the specific exam and region your child is sitting. Because it is usually a longer engagement, consistency matters more than paying a premium.
Is online tutoring cheaper than in-person?
Online tutoring removes the location premium — a strong tutor costs the same wherever your child lives — so it is usually better value than in-person tuition in London and the South East, at the same or lower rates.
How much of what I pay does the tutor actually receive?
It varies a lot: many marketplaces take 25–50% commission from the tutor’s side. At Sessioned the tutor keeps 100% of their rate, and you pay that plus one clear 20% platform fee, shown before you book.
What we would say if you never book with us
Pay for one-to-one, verified, and consistent — in that order of priority. Everything else, including price, matters less than those three.
Ready when you are: