University College London Overview
University College London (UCL) is a public university established in 1826. It holds the distinction of being the third university founded in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. UCL’s main campus is in central London, but it also has international branches in Qatar and Australia. Beyond that, UCL has exchange programs, research agreements, and partnerships with universities worldwide, including Canada’s University of Montreal and China’s Zhejiang University.
With students from around 150 countries, UCL has a diverse student body. Tuition fees are higher for those coming from outside the UK and EU. First-year undergrads are guaranteed university housing. The academic year is divided into three terms, and all teaching is conducted in English.
UCL is organized into 11 academic divisions:
- Arts and Humanities
- Brain Sciences
- Engineering
- Education
- Laws
- Life Sciences
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- Medical Sciences
- Population Health Sciences
- Social and Historical Sciences
- The Bartlett (focused on architecture and planning)
The university is linked to several major hospitals and medical centers, such as University College Hospital and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital. Research spans all disciplines, with key focus areas including neuroscience, personalized medicine, population health, environmental studies, and eResearch.
UCL has a strong legacy of research breakthroughs. For example, a UCL professor won the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering noble gases, including neon.
University College London Key Stats
- Total students: 41,195
- International students: 25,075
- Academic staff: 3,710
- International staff: 1,485
- Undergraduate degrees awarded: 5,615
- Master’s degrees awarded: 10,580
- Doctoral degrees awarded: 1,055
- Research-only staff: 3,545
- New undergrad students: 8,110
- New master’s students: 10,510
- New doctoral students: 1,090
University College London Rankings
UCL is ranked #7 in Best Global Universities, assessed based on widely recognized indicators of excellence.
Global Rankings
- #7 – Best Global Universities (tie)
- #3 – Best Global Universities in Europe
- #3 – Best Global Universities in the UK
Subject Rankings
- #374 – Agricultural Sciences (tie)
- #63 – Artificial Intelligence
- #2 – Arts and Humanities (tie)
- #18 – Biology and Biochemistry (tie)
- #43 – Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
- #17 – Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
- #11 – Cell Biology
- #114 – Chemical Engineering (tie)
- #71 – Chemistry (tie)
- #49 – Civil Engineering
- #6 – Clinical Medicine (tie)
- #39 – Computer Science (tie)
- #84 – Condensed Matter Physics (tie)
- #28 – Ecology
- #35 – Economics and Business (tie)
- #2 – Education and Educational Research
- #32 – Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- #21 – Endocrinology and Metabolism
- #86 – Energy and Fuels (tie)
- #76 – Engineering
- #140 – Environmental Engineering (tie)
- #44 – Environment/Ecology
- #7 – Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- #45 – Geosciences
- #52 – Green and Sustainable Science and Technology
- #15 – Immunology
- #8 – Infectious Diseases
- #110 – Materials Science
- #64 – Mathematics
- #139 – Mechanical Engineering
- #54 – Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (tie)
- #42 – Microbiology
- #17 – Molecular Biology and Genetics
- #86 – Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (tie)
- #6 – Neuroscience and Behavior
- #11 – Oncology
- #43 – Optics (tie)
- #2 – Pharmacology and Toxicology
- #84 – Physical Chemistry
- #38 – Physics
- #222 – Plant and Animal Science
- #7 – Psychiatry/Psychology
- #5 – Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
- #4 – Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
- #3 – Social Sciences and Public Health
- #25 – Space Science (tie)
- #9 – Surgery
2024-2025 Ranking Indicators
UCL’s #7 global ranking is based on 13 performance indicators. Here’s how it scored in each category:
- Global Score: 86.5
- Global Research Reputation: #24
- Regional Research Reputation: #35
- Publications: #6
- Books: #4
- Conferences: #53
- Normalized Citation Impact: #52
- Total Citations: #3
- Top 10% Most Cited Publications: #3
- Percentage of Top 10% Most Cited Publications: #62
- International Collaboration (Relative to Country): #525
- International Collaboration: #245
- Top 1% Most Cited Papers: #4
- Percentage of Top 1% Most Cited Papers: #68