How much do student-loan plans change the same salary?
The repayment threshold determines how much income attracts the undergraduate deduction. A postgraduate loan can add a separate deduction. This table holds salary and tax assumptions constant, so you can compare the effect of each plan.
Scope and assumptions
- 2026/27 annual employee estimate, standard Personal Allowance with any income taper; employee NI category A, below State Pension age.
- No benefits in kind, tax-code adjustments, Child Benefit charge, other income or bonus. Pension and loan assumptions are stated in each table.
- Annual thresholds are used. Actual PAYE, NI and student-loan payroll deductions can differ because of pay-period thresholds, rounding and irregular pay.
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland Income Tax; no pension. A loan plan is determined by borrowing history, not selected to minimize deductions.
- Monthly figures are annual estimates divided by 12, not payroll-period calculations. Multiple undergraduate plans use the lowest active threshold; postgraduate repayments can be additional. This study does not model loan interest, balances, repayment terms or write-offs.
Calculated by the AfterTaxCalculator editorial team. This is a modelled comparison, not independently reviewed tax advice. Full methodology · Corrections
Annual loan deductions on £50,000
GBP per year. Bar length shows magnitude; the signed value shows direction.
- None£0.00
- Plan 1£2,079.00
- Plan 2£1,855.35
- Plan 4£1,458.45
- Plan 5£2,250.00
- Postgraduate£1,740.00
- Plan 2 + postgraduate£3,595.35
Comparison data
35 scenarios. Monetary amounts are in GBP, rounded to two decimals after calculation. Each calculator link carries that row’s assumptions.
| Gross salary / year | Loan plan | Loan / year | Loan / month | Take-home / month | Adjust scenario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £30,000.00 | None | £0.00 | £0.00 | £2,093.30 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Plan 1 | £279.00 | £23.25 | £2,070.05 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Plan 2 | £55.35 | £4.61 | £2,088.69 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Plan 4 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £2,093.30 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Plan 5 | £450.00 | £37.50 | £2,055.80 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Postgraduate | £540.00 | £45.00 | £2,048.30 | Calculate |
| £30,000.00 | Plan 2 + postgraduate | £595.35 | £49.61 | £2,043.69 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | None | £0.00 | £0.00 | £2,693.30 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Plan 1 | £1,179.00 | £98.25 | £2,595.05 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Plan 2 | £955.35 | £79.61 | £2,613.69 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Plan 4 | £558.45 | £46.54 | £2,646.76 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Plan 5 | £1,350.00 | £112.50 | £2,580.80 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Postgraduate | £1,140.00 | £95.00 | £2,598.30 | Calculate |
| £40,000.00 | Plan 2 + postgraduate | £2,095.35 | £174.61 | £2,518.69 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | None | £0.00 | £0.00 | £3,293.30 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Plan 1 | £2,079.00 | £173.25 | £3,120.05 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Plan 2 | £1,855.35 | £154.61 | £3,138.69 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Plan 4 | £1,458.45 | £121.54 | £3,171.76 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Plan 5 | £2,250.00 | £187.50 | £3,105.80 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Postgraduate | £1,740.00 | £145.00 | £3,148.30 | Calculate |
| £50,000.00 | Plan 2 + postgraduate | £3,595.35 | £299.61 | £2,993.69 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | None | £0.00 | £0.00 | £3,779.78 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Plan 1 | £2,979.00 | £248.25 | £3,531.53 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Plan 2 | £2,755.35 | £229.61 | £3,550.17 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Plan 4 | £2,358.45 | £196.54 | £3,583.25 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Plan 5 | £3,150.00 | £262.50 | £3,517.28 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Postgraduate | £2,340.00 | £195.00 | £3,584.78 | Calculate |
| £60,000.00 | Plan 2 + postgraduate | £5,095.35 | £424.61 | £3,355.17 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | None | £0.00 | £0.00 | £5,713.12 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Plan 1 | £6,579.00 | £548.25 | £5,164.87 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Plan 2 | £6,355.35 | £529.61 | £5,183.50 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Plan 4 | £5,958.45 | £496.54 | £5,216.58 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Plan 5 | £6,750.00 | £562.50 | £5,150.62 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Postgraduate | £4,740.00 | £395.00 | £5,318.12 | Calculate |
| £100,000.00 | Plan 2 + postgraduate | £11,095.35 | £924.61 | £4,788.50 | Calculate |
Download and cite
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Suggested citation: AfterTaxCalculator editorial team, “Student-loan plans: compare take-home pay”, 2026/27 tax year, version 2026-09-17, https://aftertaxcalculator.app/research/student-loans.
The original data and chart are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Credit AfterTaxCalculator, link to this page, retain the tax year and assumptions, and identify any changes. This licence does not cover material on external source websites. Dated downloads remain available when a later version is published.
Official sources
Publication date identifies this comparison’s version; the calculator’s underlying rate verification dates are recorded in the methodology.