Abertay University is preparing to impose tuition fees of about £7,000 a year on its 400 students from the rest of the UK.
The plan, which is close to being finalised, was revealed on Monday by acting principal Nicholas Terry.
He said the Bell Street establishment would not be following the example of St Andrews and Edinburgh, which set fees at the top rate of £9,000 a year up to a maximum of £36,000 for a four-year course.
Aberdeen and Heriot Watt have also set their fees at £9,000, but have capped them at a maximum of £27,000.
Professor Terry said: “I put proposals to some colleagues and stakeholders like the students’ association and we are very close to making a decision about fees paid by students from the rest of the UK.
“I can’t confirm exactly what our fees will be as I have still to speak to the chairman of court, and he needs to decide if he wants to have further discussions or if we can go ahead.”
Abertay’s fees would be at levels significantly below those at Edinburgh and St Andrews, he said, and would be more in line with those set by newer universities formed after 1992.
He would be surprised if they are much below the level at Glasgow Caledonian University, which last week confirmed it would be charging £7,000 a year capped at £21,000.
“There may be some differences in the way our fees are structured, and we may charge different fees for different courses and have to decide how much we want to put into bursaries,” he added.
Abertay has about 4000 students in Dundee, and they are mainly Scottish-domiciled who would continue to pay no up-front tuition fees. The charging proposals apply to undergraduates from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who represent about 10% of the total.
Dundee University has not decided on its fees for other UK students but said it would be making an announcement in the next fortnight.
Scotland’s universities have to confirm their positions on fees before the end of this month, according to a schedule agreed by the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland, and the new charging arrangements are due to begin next summer.
Education Secretary Mike Russell believes fewer than half of Scotland’s universities will charge £9,000 and also predicted that for 73% of students at Scottish universities there will be no fees.
International students, who represent about 9%, will continue to pay fees as will the 14% from other parts of the UK.