Imperial College London Summary
Imperial College London is a public university established in 1907. Originally part of the University of London, it gained full independence in 2007. This science-centered institution has multiple campuses in and around London, with its main one in South Kensington—a bustling area in Central London that also houses cultural and educational landmarks like the Natural History Museum. The university enrolls over 15,000 students, and tuition fees are higher for those from outside the European Union. First-year undergrads are guaranteed housing, though returning students have limited room options. Graduate students at the Silwood Park campus (about 25 miles west of Central London) also have access to on-campus accommodation.
The university is structured into four key divisions: engineering, medicine, natural sciences, and business. Its academic year is split into three terms—autumn, spring, and summer—with English as the primary language of instruction. Imperial is home to several research centers, including the Data Science Institute, the Institute of Global Health Innovation, and the Centre for Hedge Fund Research. Each year, around 400 students gain hands-on research experience through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme. Additionally, the International Research Opportunities Programme sends Imperial undergrads to partner universities abroad—like MIT in the U.S. and Seoul National University in South Korea—for at least eight weeks of summer research. The university has a legacy of groundbreaking research, including Alexander Fleming’s 1945 discovery of penicillin, a widely used antibiotic today.
Imperial College London Data
- Total number of students: 20,190
- Number of international students: 12,330
- Total number of academic staff: 1,720
- Number of international staff: 720
- Number of undergraduate degrees awarded: 2,910
- Number of master’s degrees awarded: 4,630
- Number of doctoral degrees awarded: 855
- Number of research-only staff: 2,375
- Number of new undergraduate students: 3,315
- Number of new master’s students: 4,365
- Number of new doctoral students: 670
Imperial College London Rankings
Imperial College London holds the #12 spot in Best Global Universities, with rankings based on widely recognized indicators of excellence.
Global Rankings
- #12 – Best Global Universities
- #4 – Best Global Universities in Europe
- #4 – Best Global Universities in the United Kingdom
Subject Rankings
- #290 – Agricultural Sciences (tie)
- #39 – Artificial Intelligence
- #20 – Biology and Biochemistry
- #25 – Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
- #2 – Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (tie)
- #30 – Cell Biology
- #33 – Chemical Engineering (tie)
- #43 – Chemistry (tie)
- #67 – Civil Engineering
- #14 – Clinical Medicine (tie)
- #35 – Computer Science
- #47 – Condensed Matter Physics
- #18 – Ecology
- #56 – Economics and Business
- #31 – Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- #15 – Endocrinology and Metabolism
- #33 – Energy and Fuels
- #26 – Engineering
- #119 – Environmental Engineering (tie)
- #26 – Environment/Ecology
- #16 – Gastroenterology and Hepatology (tie)
- #41 – Geosciences
- #49 – Green and Sustainable Science and Technology
- #10 – Immunology
- #7 – Infectious Diseases
- #38 – Materials Science
- #28 – Mathematics
- #24 – Mechanical Engineering
- #42 – Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
- #10 – Microbiology
- #41 – Molecular Biology and Genetics
- #66 – Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (tie)
- #31 – Neuroscience and Behavior
- #41 – Oncology
- #55 – Optics
- #31 – Pharmacology and Toxicology
- #63 – Physical Chemistry (tie)
- #41 – Physics (tie)
- #87 – Plant and Animal Science (tie)
- #80 – Polymer Science
- #39 – Psychiatry/Psychology
- #7 – Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
- #5 – Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
- #33 – Social Sciences and Public Health
- #72 – Space Science
- #16 – Surgery
- #58 – Water Resources (tie)
2024-2025 Indicator Rankings
Imperial College London’s #12 global ranking is based on 13 performance indicators. Here’s how it scored in each category:
- Global score: 85.3
- Global research reputation: #17
- Regional research reputation: #32
- Publications: #29
- Books: #157
- Conferences: #36
- Normalized citation impact: #60
- Total citations: #16
- Number of publications among the top 10% most cited: #18
- Percentage of total publications among the top 10% most cited: #41
- International collaboration (relative to country): #303
- International collaboration: #133
- Number of highly cited papers in the top 1%: #12
- Percentage of highly cited papers in the top 1%: #38