A three-place rise in our league table brings Imperial College London to rank third this year, above Cambridge and Oxford for the first time to take the title of The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2027. It has also been named University of the Year for Graduate Employment and Medical School of the Year, plus Highly commended Russell Group University of the Year and Runner-up London University of the Year.
The London “Stemb” (science, technology, engineering, medicine and business) specialist tops our research index, and its record of launching graduates into high-skilled careers is unsurpassed. The location is hard to beat too: Imperial students find themselves in the heart of London, which was rated the world’s best student city by QS for six years.
Now Imperial is working on enriching the student experience across its campus. Upgrades have swept through teaching, social, sports and hospitality spaces at its campuses in South Kensington, Charing Cross and White City. Redevelopment in South Kensington has increased the number of study spaces at the 24/7 Abdus Salam Library and transformed the Sherfield Building, where Imperial’s Great Environment vision has made sustainability a priority in creating new lecture theatres and spaces for students to study, cook and socialise.
What is Imperial College London’s academic reputation?
The university leads our research quality rating, beating the University of Cambridge to the top spot, with a greater proportion of 4-star “world-leading” research than any other UK university in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). These are its best-ever results in the UK’s research assessment exercise, showing improvements in every area of assessment. Its global influence is underlined by its second-place ranking — tied with Stanford in California — in the QS World University Rankings 2027 — ahead of all other UK and European universities. Imperial has consistently ranked in the top six since the inception of our league table in 1998, and it counts 14 Nobel laureates among its alumni.
A world leader in interdisciplinary research, innovation and entrepreneurship, Imperial’s direct involvement of top researchers in undergraduate teaching is a big draw. The university was rated gold overall in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), with the panel praising “research in relevant disciplines, innovation, scholarship, professional practice and employer engagement, contributing to an outstanding academic experience”. Imperial achieved silver for student experience and gold for student outcomes.
Our analysis of the National Student Survey (NSS) shows evidence of Imperial’s student-facing improvements: it has jumped 26 places for the student experience to rank 11th and gained even more ground for teaching quality, leaping 59 places to rank 39= this year.
What are Imperial College London’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Imperial's minimum A-level entry requirements are AAA, with standard offers between A*A*A and AAA. In reality, many competitive courses demand higher grades. A clean sweep of A*s is not a guarantee of an offer, however, as many disappointed applicants find each year. Imperial does not use Ucas tariff points and does not recruit through clearing, but applicants who are eligible for contextual admissions may be entitled to a guaranteed minimum offer for study or a guaranteed interview (varying by department) — or access to a reconsideration pool on A-level results day.
In 2025 the university attracted 33,350 applications and gave places to 3,495 new undergraduates. Overseas interest has shot up, with 19,775 international applications in 2025 — nearly double the 2016 figure — of which 1,630 were accepted.
What are the graduate prospects and how will the university help me get career-ready?
A six-time winner of our University of the Year for Graduate Employment award, Imperial tops our table for graduate prospects: 93 per cent of graduates move on to highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months. More than 17,000 students book on to Imperial’s industry-facing activities and careers fairs each year, while regular guest lectures, scholarships and prizes keep the talent pipeline moving along. In 2023 the Teaching Excellence Framework panel commended Imperial’s "outstanding rates of successful progression" and noted that "students have some of the highest average starting salaries in the sector”.
What is the Imperial College London campus like?
The main South Kensington campus hosts centres of expertise including the Dyson School of Design Engineering. Imperial’s newest addition is the 23-acre White City campus, hosting the School of Public Health. Scale Space, on the same site, brings together researchers and business networks, while the Invention Rooms offer space for staff, students and industry partners to collaborate.
The Faculty of Medicine is one of Europe’s largest in terms of staff and student numbers and Imperial has teaching bases at four central and west London hospitals: Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s and Chelsea and Westminster.
Silwood Park is Imperial’s rural campus, with nearly 200 acres in Sunninghill, Berkshire, where ecologists are involved in leading projects to track the effects of climate change on trees, birds and pond ecosystems.
When can I visit?
Everything you need to know about Imperial College London’s student life
More than 90 sports clubs feature on the list of more than 340 student-run groups. The Blyth — Imperial’s centre for music and visual arts — provides practice rooms, art classes, and an open-access art studio. Ash music scholarships come with free lessons (instrument or voice) at the Royal College of Music.
An £80 annual fee gives students gym and swim membership to the Ethos sports centre in South Kensington, fresh from improvements including a swimming pool, spa, treatment room and climbing wall. The fee also provides access to Move Imperial gyms on campus. Outdoor facilities are at Harlington Sports Ground, near Heathrow airport.
To simplify access to mental health support, Imperial introduced a single triage and referral model transferring students to the appropriate pathway — including advice, counselling, or study skills mentoring.
What do the students say?
“The community has given me so many opportunities to expand my perspectives and learn about different cultures — it feels like there's a group for everyone to feel like they belong and bond.”
Sukorno, MSci physics
What about student accommodation in Imperial College London?
All first-years who apply by the deadline are guaranteed a space in halls, with prices ranging from £150 in a twin room to £425 a week for a premium ensuite. From the second year onwards, students enter London's competitive rental market.
How diverse and inclusive is Imperial College London?
The university has the lowest state school intake in England and Wales at 38.4 per cent. Overall it ranks 107th in our social inclusion index, a two-place fall. It is in the top 20 for ethnic diversity (66.7 per cent, 15th) and the top ten for lowering its black achievement gap (seventh).
What financial assistance is available?
Four in ten new UK students receive financial support, including the Imperial Bursary, worth between £1,000 and £5,000 a year for undergraduates with annual household incomes up to £70,000. In 2025-26 Imperial also offered more than 100 undergraduate scholarships starting at £1,000 up to £16,500 a year, covering tuition and support with living costs. Care leavers and estranged students qualify for bursaries worth £5,500.
