Where King’s College London (KCL) ends and London begins may blur, as the university is so enshrined in the capital. Its students are in the thick of all the city has to offer. Four of its five campuses are within a square mile of each other, close to the banks of the Thames. The recent redevelopment of the Strand Quad created new subterranean square footage for the Department of Engineering and a pedestrianised area above ground. Research innovations come thick and fast, with the university’s credits including the discovery of the structure of DNA. The new Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People is charged with revolutionising mental health research and care for young people, and KCL has already launched two interdisciplinary research institutes, Net Zero Centre and the Centre for the Physical Science of Life. It is collaborating with UCL and Imperial in the newly launched London Quantum Technology cluster. Possibilities for exploring interests outside the lecture hall are limitless. As former students have put it, the social life at KCL is London-based rather than university-based — which for many is its big appeal.
What is King’s College London’s reputation?
KCL was founded in 1829 and became a founding college of the University of London in 1836. It has awarded its own degrees since 2008 and has more than 30,000 students with about 39 per cent from outside the UK, according to Ucas.
A member of the research-led Russell Group of universities since 1998, KCL counts 14 staff and alumni who have been awarded the Nobel prize. The university ranks 8th in our research quality index after 55.1 per cent of the work submitted to the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) was judged to be world-leading. The best results were in allied health subjects, business and management, classics, clinical medicine, sport and exercise sciences, chemistry, modern languages, engineering, and theology.
KCL is rated silver overall and for the student experience by the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). Assessors gave it gold for student outcomes, reflecting its “tailored approaches that are highly effective in ensuring students succeed in and progress beyond their studies.”
Student satisfaction, often a problem with London universities, is improving based on our analysis of the National Student Survey (NSS). It has been an especially good year for KCL in global league tables that do not include student satisfaction in their metrics. It is 31st in QS’s World University Rankings 2026 (up nine places) and 36= by Times Higher Education in its latest world rankings (a two-place gain). At the subject level, the university’s Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care is rated No 1 in the world for nursing in the 2025 QS rankings.
There are environmental accolades too. KCL is 18th in the People & Planet league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
New for 2025 are degrees in AI and philosophy, English law and Australian law LLB/JD, law with criminology LLB, psychology and criminology, and healthcare entry medicine MBBS.
Politics and international affairs will replace European politics from 2026.
What are King’s College London’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Courses demand from BBC up to A*A*A. Contextual admissions — one or two grades lower — are made to students who meet widening participation criteria, and accounted for a fifth of all offers. Around 9 per cent of students gained their places through clearing. KCL attracted more than 68,500 applications in 2024 and accepted nearly 7,800 new students.
What are the graduate prospects?
KCL graduates do well in the job market. The university is placed 12= in our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which tracks the proportion of graduates in professional-level jobs or undertaking further study 15 months after leaving university.
More than 350 employers visit King’s each year to recruit students. Undergraduates can attend networking events with employers and take up opportunities for work shadowing and placements. The university has longstanding relationships with hundreds of businesses and industry partners. It is the academic partner of King’s Health Partners, one of only six Academic Health Sciences Centres in England designated by the Department of Health.
What is King’s College London’s campus like?
The Strand and Waterloo campuses house most of the university’s non-medical departments. The Strand site's redevelopment created 3,000 sq m of subterranean space into cutting-edge laboratories. Facilities for film studies at the Strand include industry-standard equipment. Bush House, the former headquarters of the BBC World Service and another historic London building, houses KCL’s business school, the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy and some student services.
Denmark Hill, in south London, is the base for the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and dentistry teaching facilities.
When can I visit?
kcl.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about King’s College London’s student life and wellbeing support
KCL’s cultural life is enriched by the King’s Culture programme of free exhibitions, talks and workshops encompassing the Science Gallery London — near the Shard, on Guy’s Campus — and at pedestrianised areas on the Strand campus. KCL’s sports grounds are at Honor Oak Park and New Malden in south London. There are facilities for all the main sports, as well as rifle ranges, two gyms and a swimming pool. Students can access campus gyms at Bush House, London Bridge and Waterloo. There are free training programmes and more than 200 studio classes a week.
Support for students’ welfare ranges from guided self-help and workshops to specialist support groups around race, sexuality and gender to specialist services and links with external services as needed. The university’s own Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience informs best practice.
What do the students say?
“I love studying at King’s — there’s something really special about it. The Maughan Library is beautiful and makes studying feel inspiring. There are also cosy spots like the Shack Café and Chapters where you can relax or catch up with friends. What makes King’s stand out is how you’re surrounded by history because there are amazing old buildings and artefacts all around. But at the same time, it feels friendly and welcoming. It’s a place where you can grow, meet people from various countries, and feel part of something bigger.”
Haneen Farid, politics BA
What about student accommodation at King’s College London?
KCL’s halls of residence are spread out across the capital, with accommodation guaranteed to all first-years who apply by the deadline. Rents range from £155 a week for a bed in a triple room to £384.58 a week for a single catered room.
How diverse and inclusive is King’s College London?
KCL was the top-ranked Russell Group university in the Social Mobility Index 2023, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute, and ranked 11th in the 2024 edition. It is 87th in our social inclusion ranking for England and Wales. The university has the 16th-highest levels of ethnic diversity and runs a number of outreach schemes to widen participation, including the King’s Maths School and the Scholars+ tutoring programme.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at King’s College London
About a third of entrants in 2025 received some form of financial assistance. The King’s Living Bursary is open to UK students from households with incomes up to £42,875, and its value in 2025 was on a sliding scale from £1,600 to £2,000. A wide range of merit-based scholarships is offered to students from the UK and abroad.
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