University College London
London's first university, founded in 1826, with 11 faculties spread across Bloomsbury and a newer campus at UCL East.
- Offer rate
- 43%
- 2025-26 UCAS cycle (entry autumn 2025)
- Students
- 51,000
- International
- 50%
- of students
- Tuition
- £33,300
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1826
About UCL
UCL was founded in 1826 as London's first university and celebrated its bicentenary in 2026. Its main campus is in Bloomsbury, in the Knowledge Quarter near the British Library and British Museum, and since 2023 it has also taught at UCL East on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is organised into 11 faculties, from Arts and Humanities and the Bartlett (Built Environment) to Engineering Sciences, Laws, Medical Sciences and the UCL Institute of Education.
It is a very large, very international university: around 51,000 students, half of them international, from more than 150 nationalities, choosing from over 400 undergraduate programmes. That breadth is its signature. You can study architecture at the Bartlett, fine art at the Slade, medicine at the UCL Medical School, or interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (BASc), all within walking distance of each other.
UCL suits independent students who want a top-10 research university without a college system, and who will make the most of central London. Admission is competitive for the most popular courses, with some using gathered fields, admissions tests or portfolios, but many programmes are open to strong applicants who meet the published grades.
Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae
“Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward” — university motto
Why students choose UCL
UCL has been in the QS World University Rankings top 10 for 15 consecutive years and is joint 8th in the 2027 edition.
Over 400 undergraduate programmes across 11 faculties, including distinctive options like Arts and Sciences (BASc), the Bartlett School of Architecture and the Slade School of Fine Art.
A central Bloomsbury location close to the British Library, British Museum and major hospitals, plus the newer UCL East campus in east London.
Every full-time first-year undergraduate new to UCL is guaranteed an offer of UCL accommodation if they apply as an individual before the deadline.
Admissions
2025-26 UCAS cycle (entry autumn 2025)
About 1 in 2 applications receives an offer
38,696 offers from 89,239 applications
Offer rate calculated from UCL's published 2025-26 UCAS cycle application data (sum of the 11 faculty totals, excluding Clearing): 89,239 applications, 38,696 offers and 9,138 places. Rates vary enormously: Laws made 637 offers from 4,552 applications, Computer Science 805 from 4,006, and the Slade School of Fine Art 163 from 1,294.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | Standard offers from A*A*A to ABB depending on course (e.g. Computer Science A*A*A, Medicine A*AA, History AAA); contextual offers are lower |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | 34-40 points overall (A*A*A = 40 with 20 in three Higher Level subjects; ABB = 34 with 16), at least 5 in each HL subject |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 92 Level 1 (most common baseline): IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6.0 in each component. Higher levels go up to IELTS 8.0 (Level 5). TOEFL iBT Level 1 is 92 (24 reading/writing, 20 speaking/listening) for tests taken before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 overall on the new 1-6 scale for tests taken from that date. Check each course page for its required level. |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Medicine) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
MBBS Medicine only; UCAT required.
- UCAS equal consideration deadline Non-binding In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
All other UCL undergraduate courses.
UCL aims to make all decisions by the end of April. For gathered-field courses, applications submitted in October and January are assessed together.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS (up to five choices) by 13 January 2027, or by 15 October 2026 for Medicine. Selectors check your achieved and predicted grades, then read your personal statement and academic reference; some courses add an admissions test, portfolio, selection task or interview, and oversubscribed courses use a gathered field.
What admissions looks for
- Meeting (or being predicted to meet) the course's specific A-level or equivalent grade and subject requirements; UCL does not use UCAS tariff points.
- Academic potential and motivation for the chosen degree, assessed from the personal statement and academic reference.
- The core skills needed for the course, which some programmes test through admissions tests, portfolios, selection tasks or interviews.
- Contextual factors: eligible applicants may receive lower contextual offers through the Access UCL scheme.
Tips for applying to UCL
- 1 Register for Portico, UCL's applicant portal, as soon as you are invited; selection tasks and test deadlines are communicated there and by email.
- 2 If you apply for Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering or Robotics and AI, book the TARA through UAT-UK; Economics needs the TMUA.
- 3 Offer at least two A-levels from UCL's preferred subjects list; General Studies, Critical Thinking and Global Perspectives are not counted.
- 4 For Bartlett architecture, the Slade, or BA Media, prepare a portfolio: it is requested after you apply and decides whether you are interviewed.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
The non-repayable UCL Undergraduate Bursary supports UK undergraduates with household income below £42,875 in every year of study, and there are £1,000-a-year bursaries for estranged students and care leavers. Most international undergraduates have a cohort guarantee that fixes their tuition fee for the course (Medicine excepted); other scholarships can be searched in UCL's Scholarships Finder.
- Below £42,875 (UK students)
- UCL Undergraduate Bursary income threshold
- £1,000 per year each
- Estranged Student and Care Leaver Bursaries
- Fees fixed for the course for most programmes (not MBBS Medicine)
- International fee cohort guarantee
Academics
Computer Science (BSc/MEng)
4,006 applications for 228 places in the 2025-26 cycle; applicants sit the TARA.
Law (LLB)
The most competitive faculty by applications per place (22.8) in 2025-26; the LNAT is required.
Medicine (MBBS BSc)
UCL has educated doctors since 1834 and reports it is 6th in the world for Medicine in the QS subject rankings.
Architecture (Bartlett School of Architecture)
Selection is by portfolio and interview at one of the oldest and most experimental built-environment faculties in the UK.
Fine Art (Slade School of Fine Art)
Portfolio-based admission, with 1,294 applications for 77 places in 2025-26.
Arts and Sciences (BASc)
An interdisciplinary degree combining arts and sciences, with 1,354 applications in 2025-26.
Research
- UCL is home to the national headquarters of the UK Dementia Research Institute.
- A UCL-led team built the optical camera for the European Space Agency's Euclid mission.
- UCL reports it is 2nd in the UK for research power in REF 2021, and its Institute of Education has been ranked 1st for education in the QS subject rankings since 2014.
Schools & faculties
- Arts & Humanities
- Bartlett (Built Environment)
- Brain Sciences
- Engineering Sciences
- Institute of Education
- Laws
- Life Sciences
- Mathematical & Physical Sciences
- Medical Sciences
- Population Health Sciences
- Social & Historical Sciences
For the class of 2020-21, UCL reports a £34,000 median salary, with 41.5% of undergraduate alumni going on to further study; top employers include the NHS, Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG and Amazon.
Student life
UCL has no college system, so student life runs through halls, departments and the Students' Union. First-years new to UCL are guaranteed an offer in UCL accommodation, with halls across central and east London and a residential life programme of weekly events. Rent in self-catered halls averages about £320 a week for 2026/27, though rooms range from about £154 to over £455. The Bloomsbury campus sits among museums, libraries and theatres, and UCL East adds new space on the Olympic Park.
- Coldplay was formed at UCL by Chris Martin and bandmates who met there.
- Guaranteed accommodation offer for full-time first-year undergraduates new to UCL.
- UCL marked its 200th anniversary on 11 February 2026 with a year of bicentenary events.
- UCL East opened to students in September 2023 on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Housing. UCL guarantees an offer of accommodation to every full-time first-year undergraduate new to UCL who applies individually before the deadline.
Location
UCL's main campus is in Bloomsbury in central London, part of a Knowledge Quarter of more than 90 academic, cultural and research organisations including the British Library, British Museum and Wellcome Trust. UCL East is on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. London is expensive: UCL's guide puts halls rent at around £12,480 for 39 weeks, and a zones 1-2 student Travelcard at about £120 a month.
Nearest airport: London Heathrow (LHR)
Notable alumni
- FC Francis CrickCo-discoverer of the structure of DNA (BSc, UCL)
- AG Alexander Graham BellInventor of the telephone; admitted to UCL in 1868
- CN Christopher NolanFilm director of Inception and Oppenheimer (English literature)
- CM Chris MartinLead singer of Coldplay, formed at UCL
- JK Jomo KenyattaFirst President of Kenya
- RG Ricky GervaisComedian and co-creator of The Office
- SD Sir Demis HassabisCo-founder of DeepMind and Nobel laureate in Chemistry (PhD, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology)
Frequently asked questions
What is UCL's acceptance rate?
UCL publishes offer data rather than an acceptance rate: across its faculties it received 89,239 applications and made 38,696 offers in the 2025-26 UCAS cycle, an offer rate of about 43%. Competitive courses are far lower: Laws made 637 offers from 4,552 applications and Computer Science 805 from 4,006.
What A-levels do you need for UCL?
Standard offers range from A*A*A to ABB depending on the course, for example A*A*A for Computer Science and AAA for History. IB offers range from 34 to 40 points.
What is the UCL application deadline for 2027 entry?
13 January 2027 at 6pm UK time through UCAS for most courses, and 15 October 2026 for Medicine.
Does UCL interview applicants?
Only some courses do, including Medicine, Pharmacy (selection day), the Bartlett, the Slade and some language routes. If your course is not on UCL's list of additional selection steps, there is no interview.
How much are UCL tuition fees for international students?
They vary by course: for 2027/28 entry, for example, History BA is £33,300 and Computer Science BSc £48,600 a year. Most international fees are fixed for the length of the course.
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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