Best Universities in London 2023

The University of Greenwich was established in 1875, welcoming students and staff members from over 130 countries! There are three campuses in total, each of which is truly a fusion of old and new. The main campus is on the renowned historical Greenwich Old Naval Royal College. You might recognise the buildings from watching Skyfall and The Crown. 

The University of Greenwich featured in our list of best Students' Unions in 2021. Charles K Kao is a notable alumni from the university. He is known as the “father of fibre optics communications” and his work has led to significant improvements in the modern day internet.

Located in Bloomsbury, the University College London is home to 41,000 students. There are lots of facilities available to students including 18 specialist libraries, three museums which are open to the public, a Centre for Languages & International Education offering 17 language courses and much more. There are various sports venues across London, including full size football, rugby, lacrosse pitches in Hertfordshire and a health and fitness club in the heart of the SU. UCL is also proud to be well connected globally, with 150+ Erasmus+ partners and partnerships. 

The graduate outcomes for UCL show that 73% of graduates are in work or further education sixth after graduating. Chris Martin, who is the lead singer of Coldplay, attended UCL and graduated with first class honours in Greek and Latin!

Imperial College London performed very well in our University Awards 2021, featuring in our overall top 20 list, as well as our top 20 lists across 7 categories, including all the categories for courses. Imperial has campuses dotted across London. It is best known for specialising entirely in STEMB subjects. 19,115 students from over 140 countries study here, making this a very cosmopolitan place to study.

Students at sites in Central London have three famous museums at their doorstep: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. There are over 350 clubs and societies at the Students' Union. Imperial’s International Research Opportunities Programme offers students research opportunities abroad for 8 weeks during their summer holiday. Partnering institutions include MIT, UCLA and UBC. 

81% graduates are in work or in further studies six months after graduating.

King’s College London is best known for studies in humanities, law and the sciences and is dotted across five campuses in London. KCL featured in our list of top 20 unis for personal tutors 2021. Students will find a myriad of facilities suited for their degree at various locations. KCL has global links with over 150 institutions in the US, Germany, Sweden and Singapore, to name just a few. Being based in the heart of London, there is certainly lots to do after lectures. There are over 300 societies, sports and other student activity groups at the Students’ Union. 

70% of graduates are in work or further studies six months after graduating. Desmond Tutu, the South African Anglican bishop and theologist, studied theology at King’s in the 60s. Virginia Woolf is another notable alumni, who is recognised as one of the most innovative writers of the 20th century.

Royal Holloway, based in Egham, West London, has over 130 years of history, with notable alumni including George Elliot (novelist) and Sir Lenny Henry CBE (writer, actor, comedian and TV presenter). The campus has a plethora of facilities including a modern library in the Emily Wilding Davison Building, a sports centre that was refurbished in 2013 as well as more than 10 eateries. 

Royal Holloway featured highly in our rankings of 20 Best Universities in 2021, as well as coming in the top 20 for teaching quality.

Egham is only 40 minutes away from the centre of London, yet has the county of Surrey on its doorstep, with various heritage, wildlife sites and shopping centres to discover!

Identifying itself as ‘The Career University’, UWL places a high priority on industry skills and graduate outcomes for its students. The university is made up of 8 schools across 2 campuses located in Zone 3 in the neighbourhood of Ealing. It was founded in 1860 and is home to around 12,000 students.

Originally founded as the Northampton Institute over 125 years ago, City, University of London is home to 20,000 students from five different schools. The main campus is located in Islington. In September 2016, City joined the University of London, further strengthening its diverse, international and academically excellent environment.

Situated in Uxbridge, West London, is Brunel University London. This campus-based university is home to over 17,900 students from over 150 countries. You can find world-class sports facilities in Brunel, as well as over 140 sports clubs and societies for students to access in their free time. Brunel also has extensive partnerships with businesses all over the globe so students can take advantage of industry opportunities like placements and internships.

LSE is renowned for facilitating the study of real world issues and is based right in the heart of London. The British Library of Political and Economic Science, as it was originally called, was founded in 1896 and is home to over 4 million printed items! With the infamous London skyline as your view, as well as Covent Garden around the corner, you will never be short of things to do outside the uni or at the SU!

University of the Arts London (UAL) was founded in 1986 and is a globally recognised university for art and design. It is currently made up of around 20,000 students and has 6 colleges located in Zone 1 in the neighbourhood of Holborn. UAL is Europe’s largest speciality university for art and design.