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Top 10 Best Universities in London

London – by Luigi Manga – Unsplash

Want to study abroad in one of Europe’s best universities? Look no further than the bustling capital city of London, England.

London is home to various enterprises, thousands of 9-5ers, and people struggling to make a living while surviving in England鈥檚 most popular, and most expensive, city. If you have ever thought of living in the country鈥檚 capital, studying abroad might be the best way to go.

Not only can you snag a student visa which keeps you in the country longer than the 6-month tourist visa, but you can enjoy real London life: living, working, and socializing like a true Londoner. You鈥檒l make friends in your classes, head to the pub for a nightly round of Smithwick鈥檚, and get involved in various clubs, organizations, and hobbies which could lead you to making more acquaintances that could help you later on in life.

As with most aspects of London, the universities here are seemingly endless – every corner you turn in this busy metropolis has some type of school on the street, whether it be a primary or a specialist trade institution. Regardless of what you are aiming to study for your career, there are certain universities in the city that stand out amongst the rest. We have compiled the ten best universities to study in London – so get studying.

1) Imperial College London

Southside Halls Prince’s Gardens Imperial College – By Shadowssettle [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School – and the school became what we know it as today. Located in the posh borough of Kensington and Chelsea, this school graduates more than 6,000 students every year from over 125 countries, creating a diverse campus and learning experience. Almost 60% of the students are from outside of the UK, making this a great melting pot of various cultures.

This university focuses solely on engineering, medicine, business, and science, making this a great spot for future chemists, but maybe not the wisest choice for a lit major. The school wants to incorporate how to detect and deal with global challenges, and then how to come up with solutions to various problems via interdisciplinary research.

They attempt to solve these problems by splitting the school into four faculties – Engineering, Natural Sciences, Medicine, and Business – the four main pillars of this institution. Imperial College was ranked number 5 in the nation by Complete, number 7 in the nation by Guardian, and number 4 in the nation by Times in the 2020 ranking lists.

Imperial is also one of the most innovative universities, with Reuters ranking Imperial the 1st in innovation in the UK in 2018. Since this is such a prestigious university with impeccable rankings, the acceptance rate is pretty tricky – only 12% of undergraduates are accepted into the college.

There is approximately 1 spot for every 8 candidates. Out of those who do make it, there end up being around 9,500 undergrads and 8,000 postgrads, with 64% being male nad 36% female. The students are housed in one of the 21 residence halls, hosting 3,000 rooms for the student body.

Overall, this exclusive institution is one of the best universities due to the diversity, high performance in academics, and focus on science-related studies that will be beneficial to some selective students.

2) University College London

University College London – By CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=254956

Secondly, we have University College London, also known as London鈥檚 Global University. This public university is the third largest in the UK in total enrollment, and is located right in the heart of London. UCL was founded in 1826 under the name of London University.

聽In 1836 UCL became one of the two main colleges of the University of London, incorporated by the royal charter. In 1900, it was reconstituted as a federal university. The school then underwent various mergers throughout the 20th century to become the modern institution we know it as today

The main campus is in Bloomsbury, London, with other institutes and hospitals being a part of the university as well.聽 UCL is split into 11 faculties, each containing 100 departments, separated based on topic and major. Located on Gower Street in Bloomsbury, the main areas of study at the central location are biology, chemistry, engineering, geography, history, language, mathematics, philosophy, management, economics, and physics.

This college has over 7,000 academic and research staff, the highest of any UK university, with most being full-time this shows the dedication to obtaining the highest level of instructors for expertise on various topics, giving the students the best chance at an outstanding education as possible.

Overall, this public institution is a great choice for those who want to learn about one of the 11 faculties, and want to be taught by some of the brightest minds in the country.聽

3) King’s College London

King’s College London Chapel – By Diliff [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

King鈥檚 is now a founding partner in the UK Centre for Medical Research, and opened a King鈥檚 College Mathematics School in 2014 for sixth-form students. For the university students, the Strand Campus is the original campus of the college, housing the arts and science faculties.

Guy鈥檚 Campus near London Bridge houses the Facultury of Life Sciences & Medicine, Waterloo near South Bank is home to the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Education, St Thomas鈥檚 Campus houses part of the Dental Institute, and Denmark Hill in Lambeth is home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

With all of the different faculties spread over various buildings and campuses, the applications to the college are consistently high. In order to even be considered for entry into the college, you must have approximately 171 UCAS points, limiting the offer rate to around 69% of all students. If you are lucky enough to be accepted into the college, you will enjoy various perks, like libraries and museums affiliated with the university.

In addition, the reputation of King鈥檚 College precedes itself – it is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world by all global university rankings compilers. If you鈥檇 like to attend a university with a name that everyone associates with a top educational institution in the world, then King鈥檚 College will be the school of your dreams.聽

4) London School of Economics and Political Science

LSE Library Norman – By John Picton [Public domain]

The main campus is at Clare Market and Houghton Street in Westminster, with various important buildings surrounding the university, like the Royal Courts of Justice and Trafalgar Square. The admissions into this school are extremely competitive – there were 20,000 applications for only 1,600 places.

The offer rate is an astounding 34%, showing the competitiveness of this institution. Focusing solely on the research of social sciences, this university offers over 140 MSc programs to its students. For those who already know they want to focus on social sciences, there is no better university than LSE – and it鈥檚 quite a feat to get in.

5) Queen Mary, University of London

View of Queen Mary University of London from regents canal – By Robert Lamb聽/聽View of Queen Mary University of London from the Regent’s Canal

Bringing in number five, Queen Mary, University of London is a great university that came to light as a result of the merger of four medical colleges in 1785: London School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Royal Hospital of St Bartholomew, Westfield College, and Queen Mary College.

Nowadays, this university is in East London by the Mile End, featuring a convenient location to tourist attractions like Brick Lane. Mile End is the main campus in London, featuring the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science. With over 26,000 students at the respective 21 schools in the college, over 40% are from overseas and represent 160+ countries.

In terms of acceptance into Queen Mary鈥檚, the school granted offers of admission to 43.6%. For students who want a school consistently ranked in the top 200 in the world and offering a great spot to explore the city of London, this is a great choice for you.

6) St. George’s, University of London

St George’s Drive London – By 袙胁谢邪褋械薪泻芯 [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

The first institution in the UK to offer a four-year Medicine degree based on Flinders University, this school has become a template that various other schools use to create lesson plans and curriculums.

St. George鈥檚 is currently located within St. George鈥檚 Hospital in Tooting, and features skills labs and simulation suites. Ranked 47th by Complete and 80th by Times, this medical school offers a wide range of scientific studies. For those who want a top-ranked school that is strictly medicine and science-based.聽

7) Royal Holloway, University of London

Chapel Interior Royal Holloway – By Diliff [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

The university is located in a London suburb, between Windsor and Heathrow. The college has a little over 2,300 staff members and 10,000 students from 100 countries. Royal Holloway is within the top 25% of UK universities for leading research, showing the national prowess of research abilities.聽

Ranked 23 by Complete, 38 by Guardian, and 19th by Times, this university is very popular with both state-educated and privately-educated students. This is a great university for those who want a top-ranked institution that will provide a high percentage of graduate prospects.聽

8) Birkbeck, University of London

London Birkbeck College – By mattbuck (category) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Offering over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the academics are divided into five faculties for students to choose from. The university is consistently ranked in the top 100 by QS World University Rankings for English Language & Literature Philosophy, and ranks in the top 350 universities in the world by the same publication. For those who want to specialize in English in university, this would be the best option to continue your studies.聽

9) Middlesex University

Middlesex College – By Better Than Bacon [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

The campuses now in use are on the Hendon Campus in London in North West London. The school is divided into three faculties: Arts and Creative Industries, Professional and Social Sciences, and Science and Technology. Middlesex University was the only modern university in London to feature in the top 500 global universities in 2018, and was ranked in the top 100 universities in the world under 50 years old by the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings in 2020.

This university has 19,000 students in London, and contains student exchange links with over 100 universities across the world. This university would be a great option for those who want to study abroad, have the possibility of a further exchange program, or want to attend a more-modern university.聽

10) Brunel University London

Brunel University – By By Robert Cutts from Bristol, England, UK – Brunel University, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50757468

Last on our list of top universities in London, we bring to you Brunel University London. Founded in 1966, this Uxbridge school is organized into three colleges: Engineering, Design, and Physical Sciences, Business and Social Sciences, and Health and Life Sciences.

With almost 13,000 students and 2,500 staff members, the facilities on campus include renovated student union facilities, a bigger library, and a new sports complex.

Ranked in the top 100 by various national rankings publications, the university performs well in the Teaching Quality Assessment, providing a strong performance that aided the ranking of the college. Brunel is a top 500 globally ranked university that excels in teaching quality.

As you can see, London is no stranger to universities and schools. Even though these are our top 10 choices, there are dozens more that would provide a stellar education and immersive cultural experience that you鈥檒l only be able to find while living and thriving in the country鈥檚 capital – an exciting and dynamic city that will open up new doors for your future.聽