Universities in London
Find out about the top rated universities London, more about the city, it's transport, university facilities and more
CONTENTS
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Studying in London
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Who comes out on top in London?
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London School of Economics (LSE)
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Imperial College London
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University College London (UCL)
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King’s College, London (KCL)
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University of Arts, London (UAL)
- Entry requirements
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Living in London
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Getting around London
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Things to do in London
Studying in London
England's capital city sits in the south-east of England, attracting thousands of students from the UK and abroad. London’s population is just over nine million and offers much more than red phone boxes and royal guards in tall furry hats.
Cosmopolitan by nature, London’s a melting pot of cultures that shape its unique identity. No two boroughs are the same – exploring Hackney will feel vastly different from Kensington. Whether during the week or on weekends, there’s plenty to keep you busy when you’re not studying.
University of West London is a new entry at number eight in the London rankings for 2024. London School of Economics keeps its number one spot and University of the Arts and City go up a notch to fifth and sixth. SOAS go down one to ninth and Queen Mary moves down two from fifth to seventh. There’s no change for the rest of the London top ten, all holding the same position as in 2023.
Top five unis in London.
LSE celebrated is world-renowned for its Social Sciences and as well as being the top uni in London, it ranked an incredible 3 out of 130 universities in our overall 2024 UK university league tables. Scoring highly in all categories, particularly for research and graduate prospects, means LSE almost guarantees its graduates will be employed or in further education within six months of graduating.
LSE teaches around 11,000 students and boasts several Nobel Prize winners among its staff. Students at LSE have access to one of the largest economics and social sciences libraries in the world, and a very successful careers service.
Location
London School of Economics has a central London campus located mainly around The Strand, with student residences within walking distance. This lets you explore London on foot as well as study with the historical landscape as a backdrop. A short stroll away is Covent Garden and London’s theatre district, while many other London sights, attractions and entertainment are nearby.
Facilities
As well as having a large and well-stocked library, LSE provides an array of facilities for every student. The university offers a nursery in central London, a faith centre and impressive sports facilities, from indoor gyms and dance studios to grass cricket and football pitches.
For more information on facilities, visit the LSE facilities page and see the sports table for what recreational and elite sports are available.
Imperial College is another university in London with a worldwide reputation, excelling in Science, Engineering, Business and Medicine. It also has strong relationships with institutions in other countries, giving you opportunities to learn from different cultures and people to pursue your career ambitions. It’s not surprising then that Imperial College comes 7th in our overall university rankings for the UK and features in 14 of our subject tables in 2024, taking first place in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering and Medical Technology and Bioengineering.
Location
Imperial College has campuses all over London including Charing Cross, Chelsea and Westminster, Hammersmith, North West London Hospitals, Royal Brompton, Silwood Park, South Kensington, St Mary’s, and White City. Having so many locations, each with their own autonomous facilities, means you can explore all of central London with ease.
Facilities
There’s a wide range of resources on offer at Imperial, with subject-specific librarians to help you find the right source materials and free software such as Microsoft Office from the Tech Store.
Add to that free ‘Move From Home’ classes and recipes or an annual £30 fee to include the gym and pool, and you’ll find it easy to keep fit and enjoy sports at a relatively low cost. Across all campuses, sports facilities include rugby and football pitches, a 3G AstroTurf pitch, a boat club, gyms, studios, swimming pools and climbing walls.
For more information on facilities, visit the Imperial College facilities page and see the sports table for what recreational and elite sports are available.
A large, diverse university, UCL occupies central London and has a well-deserved reputation for excellence and diversity. It was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion or social background, and the first to welcome women to university education.
UCL consistently takes a top ten place in our UK university league tables and ranked ninth out of 130 institutions in 2024 and appears in the top ten of more than 30 of the 2024 subject tables, including Archaeology and Psychology. Students are highly likely to be employed or in further education within six months of graduating, scoring 85% for graduate prospects.
Location
Located in the heart of a global city has its benefits. As well as being close to museums, libraries and theatres, UCL’s campus in Bloomsbury has world-class facilities combining historical buildings and new builds to offer great access to both academic and leisure pursuits.
A new campus called UCL East is also currently being built next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London.
Facilities
UCL has a huge amount of sports facilities, both on and off campus, including various courts and pitches, fitness studios and gyms. Academically, UCL has 18 libraries, each with specialisms, and a Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE) offering courses in over 17 languages. It also has three of its own museums: the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the Grant Museum of Zoology and the Art Museum.
For more information on facilities, visit the UCL facilities page and see the sports table for what recreational and elite sports are available.
King’s College is looking ahead to its 200-year anniversary in 2029 and intends to mark this event by building on its vision to give its alumni the voices of change in the world.
King’s College came 8th out of 130 universities for its research quality and was ranked 24th overall in our UK university league tables for 2024 and appears in the top ten of 13 different subject league tables including Health Studies and Anthropology.
KCL is a strong champion of clean, green energy, with 100% of its electricity coming from UK wind energy.
Location
KCL offers five campuses across London including Denmark Hill, Guy’s, St Thomas’, Strand and Waterloo. Depending on which course you study, you’ll be based primarily at one of these campuses, but students can access facilities at any campus.
All campuses are in great locations for access to all London has to offer, including bars, nightlife, theatres, parks and restaurants.
Facilities
KCL has impressive libraries and research facilities, open 24 hours during busy periods such as exams. It also has a wide array of sports pitches, courts and gyms, which feature across campuses and other venues around London. It also runs social sports sessions through a BeActive initiative aimed at keeping students fit.
For more information on facilities, visit the KCL facilities page and see the sports table for what recreational and elite sports are available.
University of the Arts London (UAL) is a specialist institution with an international reputation in art, design, communication, fashion, media and performing arts.
With its track record for launching and furthering careers across the creative industries, it is not surprising that its graduates are frequently shortlisted for awards ranging from the Turner Prize to the Oscars. UAL was ranked 29th out of 130 universities in our UK university league tables for 2024 and came second for its academic services spend.
Location
UAL is made up of six colleges including Camberwell School of Arts, Central St Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. Each institution is well connected by public transport and the many things London has to offer.
Facilities
UAL has six libraries and three Learning Zones, based at Camberwell, Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication. The multipurpose workshops and specialist studios include darkrooms, ceramic workshops, metal casting foundry, and printmaking studios to help students develop their ideas and skills. In addition, there are a few sports facilities off campus including a climbing wall and dance studio.
Entry requirements vary from uni to uni and course to course. A quick and easy way to check what you need to get into your preferred course at each university is to use our course chooser and see what each course’s entry requirements are.
First-year students typically live in student halls provided by the uni. Options will vary in price based on where you study, but you can do your research beforehand to see what options fit within your budget. Halls sit near the uni’s campus and should be close enough to the necessary public transport links needed to reach the campus.
After first year many students move into private accommodation. These will be independent of the uni and you’ll need to organise this yourself. Be prepared to share a house with a few people if you’re after cheaper rent. Decide who you want to live with and start searching for flats in the second semester of your first year, to have more accommodation options.
The Government acknowledges that London rent prices are on average more than the rest of the UK, so they’ve made more maintenance loan available to London students. Students that live away from home and study in London can get a maintenance loan ranging from £6,166–12,667, compared to those studying outside of London who get between £4,422–9,706.
London’s world-class public transport system means every part of the city is accessible by train or bus. Dedicated cycling lanes make it easy to travel by bike, while walking is just as popular.
Train
London’s Underground and Overground train services will take you throughout the city. Your first few trips may be overwhelming, but you’ll quickly settle in. Using the trains is as simple as tapping in and out using your debit card. You could also buy an Oyster card and top this up as you go. We suggest buying a 16-25 Railcard and attaching this to your Oyster card, which can take as much as 1/3 off the price of each journey.
Citymapper will be your best friend when using London trains. Download their app and you can map out your entire journey, check expected arrival times and receive immediate updates on any delays.
Bus
Travelling via bus is cheaper than the train and can take you closer to the parts of London that the Underground or Overground can’t. Simply tap in with a debit Oyster card. You won’t need to tap out when you hop off. Using the Citymapper app will also be helpful.
Cycle
Cycling around London is encouraged. You’ll not only stay fit, but you’ll save money. Dedicated cycle lanes make it both easy and safe to navigate the roads. Great deals on new bikes can be found in many bike shops throughout London, or you can check out second-hand options on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. Remember to budget for a helmet and a bike lock too.
You can also hire Santander bikes around the city. The bike is free to hire for the first 30 minutes but will only cost you £2 to hire for the entire day. Download the Santander Cycles app to find docking stations and check whether any bikes are available.
Walk
Walking is another great travel option. It’s a chance to get fresh air, exercise and explore the local London boroughs.
Other transport
Uber, Bolt and FREE NOW are all ride-hailing services running in London. These three options will be a cheaper alternative to London’s famous black cabs.
Transport links to and from London
Average train journey times from London to other cities
| Bristol | 1 hour 35 minutes |
| Cardiff | 1 hour 48 minutes |
| Edinburgh | 4 hours 49 minutes |
| Manchester | 2 hours 10 minutes |
| Nottingham | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Oxford | 50 minutes |
| Southampton | 1 hour 22 minutes |
London has several stations depending on your destination, including Waterloo, St. Pancras, Euston, Paddington and Marylebone. From there you can get to just about anywhere in the UK.
It’s not possible to run out of things to do in London. There’s something for everyone, both on weekends and throughout the week.
Food & drink
Name any cuisine and you’ll find it in London. London’s food scene is eclectic, with Borough Markets, Spitalfields Market and Portobello Road Markets all offering cheap, quality street food. Shoreditch, Hackney, Camden, and Islington are other goldmines for food-lovers.
The more central you are in London; the more expensive drinks tend to be. Many pubs, bars and restaurants offer happy hours, so it’s worth researching the best places near you.
Arts & culture
London bursts with creativity. Art fills the streets of East London; live theatre captivates the city centre at night while live music can be heard in every borough. London’s also synonymous with history. The city’s sprawled with ancient architecture, monuments, and iconic landmarks. Museums, such as the Natural History Museum and the British Museum, alongside stunning art galleries, like Tate Modern and the National Gallery, will keep you well entertained.
Events
Every night London has something on. Theatre, sport, comedy, and music are just the beginning. Don’t be disheartened and assume that events are always expensive. Apps such as TodayTix have theatre tickets for as low as £10, while places like the Top Secret Comedy Club have shows each night throughout the week that are either free or £1 entry. You can find plenty of deals online with a bit of research.
Outdoors
London’s very metropolitan, yet it’s also filled with parks and green spaces. Holland Park, Regent’s Park or Hampstead Heath are beautiful locations near the city. Further out of the city, Sussex, Kent, and Surrey all boast countryside landscapes accessible via train. Wander around your local area too and see what smaller parks are around.
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