University College London

History, Affiliations and Rankings

Established in 1826 in London, UK, the University College London is the 3rd largest university with respect to the student population. It also has the reputation of being the first university to grant admission to women. The university was founded by notable thinkers such as James Mill and Henry Brougham as a secular alternative to Oxford and Cambridge. UCL was the first university in London, and it was also the first totally secular institution to allow students of any religion. It was also the first institution in the United Kingdom to accept women on an equal footing with males. UCL is a member of the Russell Group and the League of European Research Universities, as well as UCL Partners, the world's biggest academic health science centre. UCL is also affiliated with the University of London, Universities UK, Alan Turing Institute and more. In the latest QS World University Rankings 2022 and THE World University Rankings 2022, UCL is ranked #8 and #18 respectively. Furthermore, the Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as Shangai Rankings (2021) has ranked UCL #17 in global rankings. The Guardian League Tables 2022 and The Complete University Guide University League Tables 2022 have ranked UCL #9 and #8 in national rankings, respectively. 

Campus, Courses and Infrastructure

The main campus of UCL is located in Bloomsbury, London, with the main Quad on Gower Street. The university is constructing new world-class facilities and quality education on its Bloomsbury campus, both via new construction and the renovation of some of the site's historic structures. In addition, work on UCL East, a wholly new campus in East London close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has begun. UCL has two international campuses in addition to its UK campuses: the UCL Adelaide campus in Australia and the UCL Qatar campus. University College London has 11 faculties namely Arts & Humanities, Bartlett (Built Environment), Brain Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Institute of Education, Law, Life Sciences, Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Population Health Sciences, Social & Historical Sciences and offers 440 UG programs and 675 PG programs. The university also offers around 400 short courses and teacher training programs. The university is also highly renowned for its MBA programme. 

Accomplishments and Alumni

UCL has a total of 30 Nobel Laureates among its faculty and alumni, with 840 professors and 7,000 academic staff committed to research and teaching throughout 11 faculties. According to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the University College London is the finest university in the UK for research strength, generating the most 'world leading' research. For the past eight years, the UCL Institute of Education has been ranked as the best university in the world for the study of Education (QS World University Rankings by Subject), and in 2015, it was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize, which honours excellence, innovation, and public benefit in work done by UK colleges and universities. UCL established its own students' union in 1893, claiming to be England's first university institution. Sports, debate, languages, music, theatre, politics, and cinema are among the more than 200 clubs and organisations maintained by the Union today for its members. The UCLU Film Society is one of the country's oldest, dating back over 65 years. As stated before, the university has a notable alumni network and produced over 30 Nobel laureates who contributed significantly in the fields of Physics, Economics and Politics, the latest addition being John O’Keefe in 2014 (Medicine). Some of the popular names in the list of notable alumni of UCL include Alexander Graham Bell (Inventor of the telephone), Christopher Nolan (Director), Mahatma Gandhi, and more. 

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

UCL brings together a broad and distinct group of students that are dedicated, engaged, and intellectually interested. Nearly 43,900 students attend the university, with 19,994 undergraduates and 23,842 postgraduates. About 53% are from countries other than the United Kingdom. Having said that, UCL also houses 37% of its international staff to set an example of being one of the most diverse institutions in the UK.