How many UK students have a part-time job?

65% of full-time undergraduates were in paid work during term time in the 2026 Student Academic Experience Survey by HEPI and Advance HE, down slightly from 68% in 2025 but up from 42% in 2020.

How many hours should a student work during term time?

There is no legal limit for home students, so it comes down to what your studies can absorb. In the 2026 HEPI survey around one in ten students worked more than 20 hours a week. International students on a Student visa at degree level are usually limited to 20 hours a week in term time.

What is the minimum wage for university students in 2026?

There is no student rate. From April 2026 it is £10.85 an hour at 18 to 20 and £12.71 an hour at 21 and over.

Can international students work in the UK?

Yes, within visa limits. Degree-level Student visa holders can usually work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full-time in official vacations, but cannot be self-employed or work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.

Great Jobs for UK Uni Students: Earn, Learn, and Thrive

Introduction

Hey there, fellow UK uni students! Juggling lectures, coursework and a social life is tough enough. Adding a job? That's a whole new level of adulting.

But you're not alone. 65% of full-time undergraduates were in paid work during term time in 2026, according to the Student Academic Experience Survey from HEPI and Advance HE. As recently as 2020 it was 42%.

Full-time undergraduates in paid work during term timeThe 2025 and 2026 surveys each sampled more than 10,000 full-time UK undergraduates.Source: HEPI / Advance HE Student Academic Experience Survey 2025 and 2026

Full-time undergraduates in paid work during term time
Item	Value
2020	42%
2023	55%
2024	56%
2025	68%
2026	65%

This guide is the hub for all our job guides. It covers what's out there, what it pays, and how to fit it around your degree.

What You'll Earn in 2026/27

From April 2026 the National Minimum Wage is:

Age	Hourly rate	10 hours a week	15 hours a week
21 and over	£12.71	£127.10	£190.65
18 to 20	£10.85	£108.50	£162.75
Under 18	£8.00	£80.00	£120.00

All before tax. You only pay Income Tax on earnings above £1,048 a month on average, and National Insurance above £242 a week (GOV.UK). If you've overpaid tax after leaving a job, you can claim it back.

Pick Your Type of Job

Type	Best for	Typical examples	Our guide
Part-time, near campus	Steady income all year	Bar work, retail, cafés, uni jobs	Part-time jobs near UK unis
Weekend work	Keeping weekdays clear for study	Hospitality, retail, events	10 great weekend jobs
Online	Flexibility, no commute	Tutoring, freelancing, research studies	Online jobs for UK students
Summer	Saving up a lump sum	Seasonal work, internships, festivals	Summer jobs for uni students
Selling stuff	Zero-commitment cash	Old textbooks, clothes	Sell your textbooks · Sell your wardrobe

Part-Time Jobs Near Campus

Pulling pints at the local, stacking shelves at the supermarket or making lattes at a café: there's no shortage of work between lectures. Uni jobs (library, SU, student ambassador) are worth chasing because they're on your doorstep and understand exam season.

Weekend Work

Want weekdays free for lectures and study? Retail and hospitality are busiest at weekends, so that's when they need you most. Two shifts can bring in a decent sum at the new rates.

Online Jobs

You don't even have to leave your room. Online tutoring, freelance writing or design, and paid research studies all fit around your timetable (just put a proper shirt on for those Zoom calls).

Summer Jobs

Summer's the time to bank some cash. Festivals, tourist attractions, summer schools and internships all hire students. Internships in your field are especially valuable, and many big employers open applications in the autumn before.

Jobs for International Students

Studying in the UK is a big opportunity, and an expensive one. You can work, within your visa rules:

Degree-level Student visa holders can usually work up to 20 hours a week in term time, and full-time during official vacations. Your exact limit is on your eVisa.
You can't be self-employed, so freelancing and gig apps like delivery riding are out. You also can't work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach (GOV.UK).
On-campus jobs and employers that already hire international students are a good place to start. Your uni's careers service will know which local employers understand the visa rules.
Thinking of staying after graduation? The Graduate visa lasts two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027.

Undergraduate Jobs and Internships

It's never too early to think about your career. Many employers run internships, placement years and insight days specifically for undergraduates. They're great experience, often paid, and sometimes lead to graduate offers. Check your careers service and apply early: deadlines for big schemes can be months before the start date.

Balancing Work and Study

The 2026 survey found students' independent study time at historically low levels as paid work has grown, and around one in ten students working more than 20 hours a week (HEPI/Advance HE). So be honest with yourself:

Set a weekly hours cap and stick to it, especially around deadlines.
Tell your employer about exam periods at interview.
Track your marks. If your grades are slipping, our degree classification calculator shows what you need to hit the class you want.
Cut costs as well as earning more. Every pound you don't spend is one you don't have to work for. Second-hand textbooks are a quick win, and the textbook savings calculator shows what you'd save.

At UniBookTrade, we get the money pressure. That's why we built a marketplace where students buy and sell textbooks from each other, so more of your hard-earned cash goes on rent, food and the occasional cheeky pint with your mates.

So there you have it: a guide to the best jobs for UK uni students. Prioritise your studies, look after yourself and have a bit of fun along the way. Cheers!

More ways to earn & save: part-time jobs near UK unis · online jobs for students · 10 great weekend jobs · summer jobs · buy & sell textbooks on UniBookTrade