University College London (UCL)

Founded in 1826 and shaped by the thinking of Jeremy Bentham, University College London was London's first university institution and England's first wholly secular one, admitting students regardless of their religion. Women were first accepted into its faculties of arts, law and science in 1878. UCL became part of the University of London in 1836, obtained degree-awarding powers in its own right in 2005 and was among the founding members of the Russell Group.

With over 50,000 students from more than 150 countries and a staff of roughly 18,000, UCL ranks among the biggest universities in the UK. Bloomsbury, in central London, is home to the main campus, and UCL East, on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, carries its teaching and research into the east of the city. Wide-ranging and research-intensive, the university has academic depth across many disciplines and belongs to the so-called golden triangle, the group of leading research universities based in London, Oxford and Cambridge. Three Fields Medal winners and more than 30 Nobel Prize laureates have been associated with UCL.

Information for International Students

New students at UCL can obtain help with everyday matters, including healthcare, banking, transport and wellbeing, from the International Student Support team. Separate immigration guidance deals with visa applications, the immigration rules and work in the UK, backed by a Visa Responsibilities course. UCL's own international foundation year takes the form of the Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates, delivered by UCL's Centre for Languages and International Education, which equip students to begin a degree at UCL or another UK university. The centre also offers pre-sessional English for offer holders yet to meet their English language condition, plus an International Pre-Master's programme for those heading towards postgraduate study.

Every full-time first-year undergraduate new to UCL is guaranteed university accommodation, provided the student applies individually, holds UCL as the firm choice and applies before the accommodation deadline. Newly arriving full-time international postgraduates are given priority for halls, not a guarantee. Step-by-step enrolment and welcome guidance is sent to new students before the autumn term. Scholarships are offered, some targeted at applicants from specific countries, and the Graduate Route may be open to eligible graduates.