King's College London
Founded in 1829, with five London campuses and leading faculties in health, law and the humanities.
- Students
- 42,000
- Tuition
- £30,750
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1829
- QS World Ranking
- #37
- 2027 edition
About King's
King's College London was founded in 1829, though teaching in its medical school is recorded as far back as 1561. It has five campuses across London, including the Strand Campus on the Thames beside Somerset House, and more than 42,000 students.
Teaching is organised into nine faculties: Arts & Humanities; Business; Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences; Law (The Dickson Poon School of Law); Life Sciences & Medicine; Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences; Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care; Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; and Social Science & Public Policy. The health faculties work with Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' hospitals, which is why King's is especially strong in medicine, dentistry, nursing and psychiatry.
King's suits students who want a large, research-intensive university in the middle of London, with clear subject strengths in health, law, the humanities and social sciences. It ranks 37th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and reports ranking 6th for research power in REF 2021, the UK's national research assessment. Admission is course by course against published grade requirements, and only some courses add aptitude tests or interviews. Courses such as Computer Science offer a year in industry or study abroad, with London employers on the doorstep.
Sancte et Sapienter
“With Holiness and Wisdom” — university motto
Why students choose King's
King's is 2nd in the world for Nursing and 5th for Dentistry in the QS subject rankings 2026, and 26 of its subjects are in the global top 50.
Central London locations: the Strand Campus on the Thames next to Somerset House, and the Dickson Poon School of Law in Somerset House East Wing.
King's Residences guarantee accommodation to new first-year undergraduates who book before the guarantee deadline, with bills included and no guarantor needed.
QS reports that 95% of King's graduates are in employment 10-15 months after finishing, 8th best in the UK on that measure.
Admissions
2027 entry
Selectivity
King's does not publish an institution-wide offer rate on its admissions pages. Very competitive courses use a 'gathered field' process, assessing all applications received by the deadline together before making decisions.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | Course-specific, e.g. AAA (History), A*AA (Law, Medicine), A*A*A (Computer Science) |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | Course-specific, e.g. 36 points (History), 38 points (Law, Medicine), 39 points (Computer Science), with required Higher Level aggregates |
| English language | IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 100 King's uses English bands A-E by course. Band B (e.g. History, Law, Medicine): IELTS Academic 7.0 with 6.5 in each skill; TOEFL iBT 100 (25 writing, 23 other skills) for tests before 21 January 2026, or 5.0 overall (4.5 per skill) on the new scale. Computer Science is Band D. Band A (the highest) requires IELTS 7.5 with 7.0 in each skill. |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Medicine and Dentistry) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
UCAT must be taken before applying.
- UCAS standard deadline Non-binding In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
All other undergraduate courses. King's treats applications received after these dates as late.
LNAT for Law courses must be taken by 31 December 2026. King's aims to give decisions within 11 weeks, but gathered-field courses and courses with interviews take longer; all decisions for on-time applicants come by the UCAS decision deadline in May.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS (up to five courses, no more than four in Medicine or Dentistry). King's then gives you a King's Apply account for messages, document uploads, interview invitations and decisions.
What admissions looks for
- Meeting the specific grade and subject requirements listed on the course page; King's does not use UCAS tariff points.
- For competitive courses, strong applications compared across the whole applicant pool in a gathered field.
- Performance in required aptitude tests (UCAT, LNAT or Casper), which give additional information about ability and potential.
- For courses that interview, qualities that are hard to assess from the written application, assessed under King's Admissions Policy.
Tips for applying to King's
- 1 Sit the LNAT by 31 December 2026 if you apply for Law or Politics, Philosophy & Law; King's cannot consider mitigating circumstances for UCAT or LNAT performance.
- 2 If you took part in a King's widening participation scheme such as K+, note it on your application as advised, since King's uses contextual admissions.
- 3 Check the English band on your course page: requirements range from Band A (IELTS 7.5) to lower bands, and Computer Science uses Band D.
- 4 International applicants pay a tuition deposit when firmly accepting an unconditional offer (£2,000 for most courses, £5,000 for Medicine), so plan for it.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
UK students can use government tuition and maintenance loans; King's also lists scholarships, bursaries and hardship funds for UK and international students in its funding database. International undergraduates should note that tuition fees can increase in later years under King's terms and conditions.
- £2,000 (£5,000 for Medicine) on firm acceptance of an unconditional offer
- International tuition deposit
- About £1,770
- Estimated living costs (monthly, 2026-27)
Academics
Nursing
King's is 2nd in the world and 1st in the UK for Nursing in the QS subject rankings 2026.
Dentistry
5th in the world and 1st in the UK in the QS subject rankings 2026, training dentists with Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' hospitals; UCAT required.
Medicine (MBBS)
Taught through the GKT School of Medical Education with partner teaching hospitals; A*AA and the UCAT required.
Law (LLB)
The Dickson Poon School of Law is one of the oldest law schools in England and is based in Somerset House East Wing; LNAT required.
Computer Science (BSc)
BCS-accredited, with a second-year team software project and an optional integrated master's or year in industry; King's reports it is 6th in the UK for Computer Science (QS subject 2026).
History (BA)
Taught by the Department of History in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities; AAA or 36 IB points for 2027 entry, with an international fee of £30,750.
Research
- King's reports that it ranked 6th for research power in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), the UK's national research assessment, and has annual research income of £257 million.
- A plaque on King's Strand Building commemorates the discovery of the structure of DNA.
- Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience is one of King's nine faculties, reflecting its focus on mental health and brain research.
Schools & faculties
- Arts & Humanities
- King's Business School
- Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences
- The Dickson Poon School of Law
- Life Sciences & Medicine
- Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences
- Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
- Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
- Social Science & Public Policy
According to the QS World University Rankings 2027 data cited by King's, 95% of graduates were in employment 10-15 months after finishing their studies, 8th best in the UK.
Student life
King's has no single campus: students are based at one of five London campuses depending on their course, such as the Strand Campus beside Somerset House. Over 6,000 students join King's Residences each year, with first-year undergraduates guaranteed accommodation, bills included and no guarantor needed, plus programmes like ResiLife in halls. Student societies include tech, game development, robotics and women in computer science groups with regular hackathons, and central London puts theatres, galleries and employers within easy reach.
- Five campuses across London, including the Strand Campus and the Maughan Library on Chancery Lane.
- Accommodation guarantee for new first-year undergraduates who book before the deadline.
- Over 300,000 alumni worldwide.
- The Strand Quad is pedestrianised, with Somerset House next door.
Housing. New first-year undergraduates on a 40-week contract who book before the guarantee deadline are guaranteed a room in King's Residences, with all utility bills included and no guarantor required.
Location
King's campuses are in the heart of London: the Strand Campus sits on the Thames beside Somerset House, and the main Maughan Library is on Chancery Lane. Living in central London is expensive; King's estimates about £1,770 a month for living costs in 2026-27, with accommodation (about £1,164 a month on average) the largest share.
Nearest airport: London Heathrow (LHR)
Notable alumni
- DT Desmond TutuArchbishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; studied theology at King's
- JK John KeatsRomantic poet; trained at Guy's Hospital, now part of King's
- SA Sir Arthur C. ClarkeScience fiction writer of 2001: A Space Odyssey; first-class degree in mathematics and physics
- PH Peter HiggsNobel laureate in Physics; first-class physics degree from King's
- VW Virginia WoolfModernist novelist; studied classics and history at King's
- TH Thomas HardyNovelist and poet, author of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
- SM Sir Michael MorpurgoChildren's author of War Horse
- HK Hanif KureishiPlaywright and novelist; philosophy graduate
Frequently asked questions
What is King's College London's acceptance rate?
King's does not publish a single offer rate on its admissions pages. Competition varies widely by course, and the most competitive courses use a gathered-field process.
What grades do you need for King's College London?
It depends on the course: for 2027 entry, History asks for AAA (36 IB points), Law and Medicine A*AA (38), and Computer Science A*A*A (39).
What is the King's application deadline for 2027 entry?
13 January 2027 at 6pm UK time for most courses, and 15 October 2026 for Medicine and Dentistry. King's treats later applications as late.
Does King's require the LNAT or UCAT?
Yes for some courses: the UCAT for Medicine and Dentistry, and the LNAT (taken by 31 December) for Law and Politics, Philosophy & Law.
How much are King's tuition fees for international students?
For 2027-28 they vary by course, for example £30,750 for History, £42,900 for Computer Science and £60,200 for Medicine. International fees can rise in later years.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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