St George’s merged with City, University of London on August 1 — nearly 300 years after its establishment as only the second institution in England to provide formal training for doctors.The new City St George’s University will play a key role in addressing London’s health workforce needs, according to its president, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, as a “health powerhouse” in the capital. St George’s courses in medicine, pharmacology, biomedical science, allied and global health will complement current City courses in nursing, midwifery, speech and language therapy, optometry, counselling and psychology. Until integration is complete between St George’s and the multifaculty City, they will operate a “dual running” policy so we continue to list the institutions separately in the Good University Guide 2025. Current and prospective students will automatically become members of the new City St George’s.

What is St George’s, University of London’s reputation? 

Based in Tooting, southwest London, St George’s trains doctors, paramedics, physician associates, biomedical scientists, radiotherapists, radiographers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. It pioneered the fast-track, four-year MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) graduate-entry programme 24 years ago, and the course has become an increasingly popular route into the medical profession across the country. St George’s offers the programme to graduates of any discipline, but requirements vary elsewhere. 

St George’s was upgraded to silver overall in the government’s latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), up from bronze in the previous assessment six years earlier. The TEF panel commended St George’s “rates of continuation and completion”  — especially those from underrepresented groups — as an “outstanding feature”. Although St George’s achieved silver for student outcomes, it was rated bronze for student experience. The panel did, however, give the university credit for “use of research in relevant disciplines, innovation, scholarship, professional practice and employer engagement, contributing to a very high academic experience”. 

Successive poor showings in the National Student Survey (NSS) have taken a toll on St George’s position in our academic table in recent years. This year it has clawed back ten places to occupy 69th place in our 2025 edition, but had a spot in the top 50 as recently as 2020. In our latest NSS analysis, St George’s has recovered ten places to reach 119th for satisfaction with teaching quality, but has slipped one place to 129th for satisfaction with the wider undergraduate experience, in the bottom ten.  

The university does a good job of retaining its students, placing 32= in our academic league table for course continuation rates.

St George’s did much better in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). More than a third (36 per cent) of the submission was given the top rating of world-leading, raising the university ten places to 42= in our research quality index.

Historic developments in cardiac pacemakers and IVF are among St George’s research achievements and the institution played an important role in Covid-19 research. Through its merger with City, which brings academic disciplines including business, law, creativity, communications, science and technology as well as health, St George’s predicts “opportunities to generate significant change in the world of healthcare … changes to treatment, population health monitoring, workforce development and leadership, policy, and advocacy”.

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

The merger will bring change to the curriculum.  

What are St George’s, University of London’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?

Degree courses demand A-level grades from BBC up to A*AA. To help to widen participation, St George’s makes contextual offers to eligible students that reduce the highest two A-level requirements by one grade each. 

Almost all applicants are interviewed for entry, with the exception of those hoping to study biomedical science and clinical pharmacology. Despite the highly competitive nature of its courses, St George’s accepted one fifth of its intake through clearing in 2023.

What are the graduate prospects?

The majority of its courses are linked with employers who deliver healthcare — in the NHS and elsewhere — and St George’s graduates are in demand. The latest Graduate Outcomes survey showed that 91.6 per cent of those who studied at St George’s were in highly skilled work or postgraduate study within 15 months of finishing, meaning the university is second only to Imperial College London for graduate prospects in our analysis.

What is St George’s, University of London campus like?

The university occupies the Hunter Wing of St George’s University Hospital (previously the location for the Channel 4 documentary 24 Hours in A&E). Students use the hospital’s main entrance and are immersed in a busy healthcare environment from the outset — but cannot expect a spacious campus experience. Specialist facilities provide opportunities for hands-on learning, including dedicated suites for anatomy studies, paramedic science and radiography, as well as clinical skills rooms, laboratories and access to the Museum of Human Diseases, which houses more than 2,000 pathological specimens. There are also nearly 40 study areas, including the university library and six computer rooms.

Everything you need to know about St George’s, University of London’s student life and wellbeing support

The nature of the clinical programmes at St George’s means that mental health and wellbeing support for students is included within the curriculum. Every student is assigned a personal tutor, many of them clinicians, who are trained to help distressed students, and a team of counsellors and welfare advisers has expertise in supporting healthcare students.The Student Life Centre on the ground floor of the Hunter Wing is a one-stop shop for advice on finance or other questions.

The students’ union, historically known as the Medical School Club, offers 120 clubs, societies and community projects. Students have access to dedicated rooms for music, games and welfare. The Robert Lowe sports centre is a five-minute walk away and St George’s teams take part in regional and national competitions. Students can use a rowing club on the River Thames and take advantage of University of London sport facilities.

The Dragon Bar is the main social space on campus, while Tooting is a buzzy neighbourhood with independent cafés and bars.

What do the students say?

“The dedicated faculty, cutting-edge facilities and hands-on experience have equipped me with the skills and knowledge to excel in my field. It’s truly a specialised health institution committed to shaping future healthcare leaders.”
Jannat Bashir, healthcare science student

What about student accommodation at St George’s, University of London?

Prospective students who have accepted St George’s as their firm offer and apply by July 1 are guaranteed one of Horton Halls’ 486 self-catering rooms, a 15-minute walk away. Most first-years (65 per cent) lived off campus in 2023.

How diverse and inclusive is St George’s, University of London?

With 62.8 per cent of the intake from ethnic minority backgrounds (14=), the university has done well on closing the awarding gap between white and black students, reaching sixth place. Overall, the university ranks 78th in our social inclusion index for England and Wales. It has been held back in part by having a large contingent (more than a quarter) of students from selective schools (ranking 95th for the proportion of state school entrants). Outreach to local schools includes the Science Stars programme, in which St George’s aims to raise GCSE attainment in the sciences through tutoring.  

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at St George’s University of London

More than three in ten entrants qualify for financial help. The St George’s Opportunity Fund Grant provides up to £1,700 for first-years from low-income households, then £1,000 for each year of study.  Other awards include a childcare grant, adult dependants’ grant and a disabled students’ allowance, all of which are based on household income. There are no scholarships for new starters.