UCL (University College London)

UCL (University College London)

University College London (UCL) has a proud pioneering history, a distinguished present and an exciting future. UCL is one of the world's very best universities, consistently placed in the global top 20 in a wide range of world rankings. The school is currently 7th in the QS World University Rankings (2015/16).

 

A world-leader in research, with outstanding results in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, UCL is a multi-disciplinary university, home to centers of teaching excellence in subjects from medicine to languages, law to engineering and history to astrophysics. Interdisciplinary study is encouraged and a belief that all areas of study can inform and enrich each other is woven into all areas of study. There has been at least one Nobel Laureate from the UCL community every decade since the establishment of the prizes in 1901.

 

A central London location gives students access not only to the best in entertainment and nightlife, but also to academic resources. UCL is close to, and has teaching and research links with, countless hospitals, museums, galleries, libraries and professional bodies. Around 37% of students come from over 150 countries worldwide, and UCL has a friendly and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The school works hard to embed a global perspective in all its teaching where there are plenty of opportunities to study abroad for a term or a year - approximately 25% of students spend some time in another country as part of their degree program. 

One of the world’s leading universities, UCL is London’s top multidisciplinary research university with an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching.

 

Defining characteristics of a UCL education

 

An exceptional learning environment

 

UCL is rated seventh in the QS World University Rankings

UCL has the best academic to student ratio in the UK (1:10) (The Guardian university league table 2015)

UCL is the best performing university in the first year of the EU funding scheme Horizon 2020, securing a total of €73.2 million over 55 projects.

Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 29 people who are, or were, students or academics at UCL.

Based in Bloomsbury, central London, UCL is surrounded by the greatest concentration of libraries, museums, archives and professional bodies in Europe

UCL attracts top academics and students from 154 different countries, resulting in a vibrant and cosmopolitan academic community.

A global leader in generating new knowledge

 

UCL is the top-rated university in the UK for research strength in the Research Excellence Framework 2014, by a measure of average research score multiplied by staff numbers submitted

UCL is the second-most cited university in Europe (Thomson Scientific Citation Index - login required)

UCL’s research-based teaching methodology means that research is integrated into many of our degrees and students have the opportunity to make an original contribution to their field of study.

Advancing your career

 

UCL is the fourth highest rated university in Europe for employability (Global Employability University Ranking 2014)

UCL was awarded an Employer Review score of 99.4 out of 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2015

The average starting salary for UCL Master’s graduates was £29,325 in 2014, while research students achieved an average of £39,462. These salaries are nearly 20% higher than the national average. (HESA 2014)

A distinctive ethos

 

UCL was founded in 1826 to open up university education in England to those who had been excluded from it. In 1878, it became the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms with men

UCL’s ethos is strongly influenced by its spiritual founder Jeremy Bentham, the utilitarian philosopher, who famously said: "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”

This philosophy manifests itself today in UCL’s approach and commitment to tackling global problems and the importance it places on global citizenship

More locally, UCL is the only London university to be a Beacon of Public Engagement, working with partners to build closer involvement between universities, local communities and the wider public.

What others say about UCL

 

“Complex problems require complex responses. The only institutions in our society that bring together a range of different actors from different disciplines are universities. And UCL is paramountly the absolute best place to go to look for this kind of multidisciplinary response to one of the greatest challenges facing the world.” Dr Richard Horton, Editor of 'The Lancet', on the UCL-Lancet Commission on Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change.