£1.6k rise as bar hopefuls pay more upfront
The Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) has confirmed a £1,650 fee increase for new Bar Course students from September 2027, alongside a shake-up of its payment structure that will see aspiring barristers pay significantly more upfront.
Legal Cheek reported last month that the ICCA was considering the changes, which have now been confirmed on the provider’s website.
Funded by the Council of the Inns of Court since its launch in September 2020, the ICCA has long positioned itself as a lower-cost, not-for-profit alternative to other Bar Course providers.
For the 2026-27 academic year, students were charged £16,600 for the two-part course, making the ICCA one of the cheapest Bar Course providers. The £1,650 increase will bring total fees to £18,250, putting the course roughly in line with offerings from other major providers in the capital. The ICCA is notable for having the highest overall pass rate of Bar Course providers: a 90% average pass rate for the litigation exams, compared with a market average of 55%.
The fee hike will also be accompanied by a significant increase in the amount students must pay upfront.
One of the ICCA’s major innovations was its two-part Bar Course structure and 25:75 fee split. Part One, comprising three months of fully virtual, self-directed study of civil and criminal litigation, was priced at £4,150. Part Two, taught in person at the Inns of Court and focusing on practical skills such as drafting, advocacy and conferencing, carried a heftier price tag of £12,450.
The split was designed to provide “less financial commitment upfront”, according to Derek Wood KC, Chair of the ICCA Governors, who commented on the structure in 2019 ahead of the provider’s launch.
Under the new 50:50 fee split, students starting the course from September 2027 will be required to pay £9,125 for each part, more than doubling the upfront cost of Part One.
Commenting on the changes, Lynda Gibbs KC, Dean of the ICCA, said:
The ICCA’s Bar Course fee structure enables flexibility for students within designated pathways, and offers the ability to split the course and the fees. The ICCA’s very high pass rates clearly demonstrate the success of this model.
The decision to increase fees and move to a 50/50 split is to ensure the current course, and its flexible structure, and high quality, is sustainably funded for long-term delivery. The fee split reflects that the ICCA students are given the opportunity to undertake one part of the course at a time, and only pay for that part.