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Last Updated: January 29, 2021

Study at the Best Universities in London

A multi-cultural and vibrant city, London has been attracting students from across the world for centuries now. London, which has stood testament to thousands of pages of history, understands students' educational needs and hence, offers institutions that provide specializations as well multi-disciplinary courses.

Students studying in London universities are given the flexibility to choose college hours, which is extremely useful for working professionals, or for students who are wanting to study while working. Furthermore, a beautiful blend of multi-cultures and amazing city life brings out the best opportunities for students to explore, work and learn.

If you are looking for the best of both worlds, then a college of your choice in London is the way to go. A list of the 5 best colleges in London has been curated below, which will give you all the useful information.

Top 5 colleges in London

University College London (UCL)

At number 1, we have UCL. UCL was founded in 1826 and since then has been a public research university. UCL holds the prime position of being the first university established in London and the first varsity in England to be entirely secular.

It has ten constituent faculties with over 100 departments, research centers and institutions. Courses are offered in historical and social sciences, life sciences, arts and humanities, physical sciences, mathematics, brain sciences, engineering, medicine, built environment, Slavonic and East European studies, which gives a path to all kinds of minds wanting to learn more.

General Information about UCL

Fees structure of UCL

Undergraduate

Postgraduate



Note: From 2021, students of EU will not be eligible for the fees rate of UK students. They will have to pay the fees rate for international students.

Imperial College London

Number 2 is the infamous Imperial College, which is yet another public research university. Imperial College London focuses on studies in science, medicine, engineering, and business. It was formerly a constituent of the Federal University of London but became an independent entity on July 9, 2007.

It has four main faculties with over 40 departments, research centers and institutions. These include engineering, medical sciences, natural sciences and business studies.

General Information about Imperial

Fee structure for Imperial

Undergraduate

Postgraduate



Note: EU/EEA/Swiss students who would be starting their course before 31st July, 2021 are eligible to pay the UK students fees. Any EU/EEA/Swiss student starting their course on 1st August, 2021 will be eligible to pay the international students fees.

King's College London (KCL)

Taking the third position is KCL. KCL is the third oldest varsity in England. It was founded by King George IV in 1829 and has as its teaching center the St. Thomas Hospital that has been offering medical expertise since 1173.

Organized into nine academic schools, King's College London is one of the largest centers for graduate and post-graduate studies in biomedical research and medicine in Europe with six centers of Medical Research Councils. Besides, King's College does not charge any tuition fee from students of exchange programs.

General Information about KCL

Fees structure of KCL

Undergraduate

Postgraduate



Note: The fees of KCL are NOT fixed for international students. They are subject to change as the academic year goes by.

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

Securing the 4th position is yet another public research university of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) which is located in Bloomsbury and Camden. It is one of the leading universities involved in benefiting and enhancing healthcare and public health all over the world. As its name suggests, LSHTM is heavily involved in teaching and researching Tropical medicine.

With a research income of over £180 million, LHSTM is one of the highest rated research institutes in the UK.

The courses offered in LSHTM are only postgraduate and research focused, it does not offer study abroad, part-time or undergraduate courses. On the other hand, LHSTM offers online courses which are on certification basis. They also provide online learning courses through which people all over the world can learn about healthcare and public health.

General Information about LSHTM



Fee Structure of LSHTM

Postgraduate



Note: At LSHTM you can study a masters degree related to medicine. Most of the courses are health and tropical medicine related, but the university has options for higher study in the medical field and their fees is higher than the other courses.

Queen Mary, University of London

On the 5th stand, famously known as QMUL, Queen Mary is a public research university that was established in 1882.

QMUL offers studies in three faculties - science & engineering, social sciences, and humanities. It also provides 21 departmental studies in medicine and dentistry at the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in Barts. Queen Mary does not charge a tuition fee from students on Erasmus and non-EU exchange programs.

General Information about LSHTM

Fees structure of QMUL

Undergraduate

Postgraduate



Note: The range in fees for postgraduate students (UK & International) is heavily dependent on the type of course you would be applying for. The fees for the course of your choice will fall on the range mentioned above.

Eligibility

Student visas and work permits

Students from abroad are offered two types of visa to study in the UK. One is the Student Visa (previously known as the Tier 4 General Visa) that is given to students who will be studying courses extending beyond six months. Students with a Student visa are allowed to work 20 hours a week when the academic sessions are in swing and full-time during vacations. The other type of visa is a Student Visitor Visa that is issued to students pursuing courses of a duration lesser than six months. Students on this visa are not allowed to work during their period of stay.

ATAS certificate and medical clearance

Students of certain non-UK countries will also need to submit an Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate to study in London's universities. There are certain health certificates that are required from students of certain countries, a list of which is often provided by the university concerned. Some universities would require you to submit a healthcare certificate that will correlate to your home country.

Course requirements

Undergraduate: In general, students intending to apply for undergraduate courses need to have completed 13 years of schooling. Furthermore, universities in London need you to have academic achievements that would be equivalent to the UK grading system. Every university has its own "cut-off" so be sure to get your desired university's cut-off beforehand.

But that is not all, your academic qualifications are just the first step forward. UK universities might ask you to write an essay on a topic of their choice, provide your English language scores, and give an interview.

The acceptance scores of your English language test would be dependent on what your desired university requires. Furthermore, an interview is optional but most universities keep this as the final round of selection.

Postgraduate: In general, a result of 2.1 or upper second class honors is accepted for consideration for admission into London's colleges. Students will need to provide two letters of recommendation from people with whom they have been affiliated academically or professionally. Students will also need to submit their educational transcripts and standardized test scores, if any, like GMAT, TOEFL or IELTS, etc.

A postgraduate full-time degree is for one year in the UK. The duration will differ on the type, of course, you would be undertaking. Moreover, the requirements for a master's degree in the UK are not as extensive as an undergraduate degree.

English language requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to prove their English language communication competency. The simplest way is to provide scores of either the TOEFL or IELTS examinations.

Majority of the universities accept the IELTS band of 6.0 or above as the standard score, no matter your home country. There are other universities that would accept a higher band score, but it quite rare. Additionally, university such as Cambridge University has their own English proficiency test which is also acceptable by the university taking the exam.

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