On your (exam) marks, get set, go! Applications to study at Imperial College London have doubled in a decade, and getting into the UK’s only specialist higher education institution for science, engineering, technology, medicine and business, is tougher than ever: at least nine people apply for each place. It’s not hard to understand why: Imperial is our University of the Year for Graduate Employment.

The research heavyweight launched a new strategy in 2024, guided by the principle of “science for humanity”. Over the next two years it plans to set up Imperial Futures — four cross-cutting “schools of convergence science” allowing academics from different disciplines to work with each other on global grand challenges. Leading thinkers will consider human and artificial intelligence; health, medtech and robotics; climate, energy and sustainability; and space, security and telecommunications. 

From its west London stronghold, Imperial is also planning to develop a British Silicon Valley. The Imperial WestTech Corridor will span the university’s South Kensington campus, the Paddington Life Sciences innovation cluster centred around the St Mary’s Hospital campus, the 23-acre White City campus where partnerships with research businesses are based, and Silwood Park, Imperial’s rural campus near Ascot in Berkshire. 

What is Imperial College London’s reputation? 

Big thinking is the big thing at Imperial, which was founded in 1907 by combining the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines and the City & Guilds College into one institution. Since the inception of our academic league table in 1998, Imperial has consistently placed in the top five and counts 14 Nobel laureates among its alumni. Its academics became familiar faces during the Covid-19 pandemic and the new facility will help to train the next generation of public health leaders, influencing health policies and programmes around the world.

Imperial is first in our research quality rating, having beaten Cambridge to the top spot in our analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) with 55 per cent of its work assessed as world-leading. Its global clout was underlined by a rise to second place in the QS World University Rankings 2025, ahead of all other UK and European universities. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is No 1 and Oxford is in third place.

The direct involvement of so many leading researchers in undergraduate teaching is a big draw as students have a chance of taking part in their projects. The university was rated gold overall in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), and the panel praised “research in relevant disciplines, innovation, scholarship, professional practice and employer engagement, contributing to an outstanding academic experience”. Imperial achieved silver for the student experience and gold for student outcomes.

In the National Student Survey, satisfaction rates have been less consistent, however. It is 33rd for its students’ evaluation of the wider experience, falling from 12th in our previous edition.

What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?

A graduate-entry medicine degree is being introduced from September 2025, and at the same time Imperial is closing its integrated master’s degree in chemical engineering with nuclear engineering.

What are Imperial College London’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?

The university’s minimum published entry requirements at A-level are AAA and standard offers are between AAA and A*A*A. In reality, however, many competitive Imperial courses demand even higher grades. Imperial does not use Ucas tariff points in its admissions process but does accept a wide range of qualifications from UK and international students, and students may be eligible for guaranteed interviews or entry into a reconsideration pool in August. It is one of the few UK universities that does not recruit through clearing. 

What are the graduate prospects?

Imperial has a stellar record on rates of graduate employment. The TEF 2023 panel commended Imperial’s “outstanding rates of successful progression” for its students and courses, and noted “students have some of the highest average starting salaries in the sector, and there is support for students from underrepresented backgrounds in the jobs market”.

This is reflected in our table for graduate prospects, based on the percentage of graduates who move on to highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months (95.9 per cent, ranked first). Industry-facing activities and careers fairs engage with more than 17,000 Imperial students and help to keep the talent pipeline moving. Private-sector partners engage the university’s academic staff as consultants, attend guest lectures and fund scholarships and prizes, as well as offering integrated years in industry.

What is the Imperial College London campus like?

There are eight campuses across the capital and one in Ascot, although undergraduates in most subjects are based at the original South Kensington base where centres of expertise include the Dyson School of Design Engineering.  

Opened in 2023, the School of Public Health is at the White City campus and the faculty of medicine is one of Europe’s largest. Scale Space, on the same site, brings together researchers and business builders, while the Invention Rooms offer space for local innovators to take part in inventive collaborations with Imperial staff and students. 

Extra study spaces have been added in the Abdus Salam Library, along with a new collaborative space for work and relaxation at the South Kensington campus. Improvements to undergraduate teaching facilities for business students are new for the 2024-25 academic year, and follow upgrades within the science, engineering and medicine departments. Imperial’s plans for an Extended Learning Institute are part of its Science for Humanity strategy, where students will be trained in future-proof skills fit for a tech-enabled careers landscape.

Everything you need to know about Imperial College London’s student life and wellbeing support

Imperial students find themselves in the beating heart of London — rated the world’s best student city by QS for the sixth year running. There are more than 350 student-run clubs and societies to choose from, but if anyone struggles to find the right fit, they can get help to set up their own.

The Blyth Centre for Music and Visual Arts at the South Kensington campus provides music practice rooms, art classes and an open-access art studio, and hosts concerts and art exhibitions.

Students pay £55 a year for gym and swim membership to the Ethos sports centre in South Kensington, which also has spa facilities, a climbing wall and sports hall. Imperial’s outdoor facility — Harlington Sports Ground, near Heathrow airport — hosts training centres for Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club and England rugby teams.

Personal tutors are the first point of contact for academic issues. Health and wellbeing services on campus include confidential counselling, meditation and mindfulness and Imperial has a multifaith centre for worship.  

What do the students say?

“Collaborative and inclusive, Imperial encourages students from different backgrounds to work together, and learn from each other. Academic staff carry out excellent teaching and research to guide students when learning independently. The tutors engage closely with their students, and the university has invested in mental health and pastoral support. For students at every campus, our wide range of clubs and societies run activities, trips and events around learning which enriches our lives beyond the library. These activities are where we can make friends, relax, and share our experiences of being an Imperial student.”
Yi Yang, deputy president of education, Imperial College union, and geophysics student

What about student accommodation in Imperial College London?

All first-years who apply by the deadline are guaranteed a space in halls — from £136 (for a bed in a twin room) to £346 a week. After that, students have to brace themselves for London’s competitive rental market. 

How diverse and inclusive is the Imperial College London?

The university has the lowest state-school intake in England and Wales at 43.5 per cent. Overall it is in 112th place in our social inclusion index.

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Imperial College London

Four in ten new UK students received the generous Imperial Bursary in 2022-23, worth between £1,000 and £5,000 per year of study on a sliding scale for undergraduates with annual household incomes up to £70,000 — a much higher income threshold for bursaries than can be found at other universities.