Gower Street, the street behind Malet Street, features the graceful, classical façade of the university's first purpose-built building, University College, the university's oldest and still largest building, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. By the beginning of the 19th century, London remained the only capital city of the main European countries that did not have its own university. The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, founded in the 12th and 13th centuries respectively, admitted only those who belonged to the Church of England. The only other British universities were four institutions founded in the 15th and 16th centuries - St. Andrew's, and universities in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
During the social and political upheaval in Europe in the decades following the French Revolution (which culminated in Britain with the Representation Bill of 1832), a group of leading radicals - most prominent among them the poet Thomas Campbell, the philosopher Jeremy Bentham and the jurist Lord Brougham - successfully put forward the idea of creating a secular university in the capital of the country. The first students were admitted to University College in 1828, and the success of the endeavor attracted a positive reaction from the Tory party establishment. The initiators of the new college, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir Robert Peel and Prime Minister Wellington, obtained King George the Fourth's support for the founding of King's College. The college opened in 1831 and by 1835 it had moved into a magnificent building on the Strand overlooking the Thames.
King's College had and still has strong links with the Church of England, in contrast to the "godless" institution on Gower Street (as critics nicknamed University College). And yet, in 1836, both colleges were united under the auspices of the University of London on a federal basis, on the basis of which the university still operates, although it has now expanded significantly. From the outset, only the university was given the power to award degrees, but it was not until 1900 that it was able to recruit its own teaching staff. To this day, the University of London remains primarily an organization coordinating the activities of colleges. Tony Millnes, who is responsible for the university's press relations, describes the university as "a very loose association of colleges, largely self-governing and having their own charters and governing bodies." Millnes, however, notes that the university, which has its own court, senate and council, has very great influence, since it distributes funds from a fund of 400 million rubles. The fund annually provides the university with a Committee for the distribution of subsidies to universities (according to the first letters of the English name - UGS).
In round numbers, the university consists of approximately 15 colleges, 15 medical faculties, 15 institutes run by the university and half a dozen associated colleges. It is difficult to provide exact data, since the university is currently in the process of reorganization - one of the most significant in its entire hundred and fifty-year history. This reorganization involves the merger and relocation of various institutes, resulting in a reduction in their number. The University of London's 42,000 full-time students could account for the population of a small town. Their numbers far outnumber Oxford and Cambridge - each with approximately 10,000 students - not to mention the other 42 British universities, mostly established after the war (there were 17 before 1945), each On average, students range from 3,000 to 6,000 people. There are another 22,000 part-time students who study in their free time at the University of London. Thus. The University of London is undoubtedly the largest educational institution in the country.
But despite its size, most people believe, as Tony Millns argues, that the university consists of only the four most famous colleges. The largest of all, University College, is “almost a university in itself,” with over 6,000 students and nine departments teaching traditional science and humanities disciplines. The college also includes one of the most important medical faculties in the country. Previously based at University College Hospital, this department now includes the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and three specialist postgraduate research institutes. The college also includes industrial, but nevertheless well-known departments in the country, for example, the art school, the Slade school and the Bartlett School of architecture and planning.
Just like the other main colleges of the University of London, University College has a whole network of student services, from a medical service to a club and a sports center. Many of the college's leading teachers and scholars are liberal-minded, continuing the free-thinking tradition on which the college was founded. This may be greatly facilitated by the presence at their meetings of no less than Jeremy Bentham himself. After Bentham's death in 1832, a wax statue of him was made, based on Bentham's actual skeleton. For most of the year, the statue “lives” in a glass cabinet and is available for viewing by visitors, but before each meeting of Bentham’s college board members, he is removed and seated in a place of honor.
At King's College such a procedure would have been clearly frowned upon. This more puritanical college, which stands in relation to University College as Cambridge stands to Oxford, is renowned for its high standard of teaching and enjoys a special reputation for its scientific and theological research. The medical faculty of the college operates on the basis of one of the five largest teaching hospitals in London - King's College Hospital in the southern part of the capital. Although the college itself has approximately 4,500 students, its merger with the other colleges of the university will bring King's College closer to the size of University College. This merger also includes Chelsea College, a former technical higher education institution with 2,000 students - a significant number of them postgraduate students. The second educational institution merged with King's College is Queen Elizabeth College, which is located in the London borough of Kensington. This college was founded as the women's department of King's College and specializes in the study of nutrition and the food industry.
The new group of colleges may also include Westfield College, founded in 1882 and located in the Hampstead area. More than 500 college students study art-related subjects. Since 1964, Westfield College has been home to both men and women, although it was originally established as an institution of higher education for women. The college was the first in this area. It was the first college in the country to award degrees to women (this happened in 1878). In it, a woman also became a professor for the first time (which happened in 1912).
Bedford College, originally located in Bedford Square, was founded as an educational institution for women back in 1849. The college was then moved from Bedford Square to Baker Street and then in 1913 to Regent's Park, where it became a mixed-educational college with a total student population of over 1,400. As the lease on the building that most recently housed the college expired, Bedford College merged with Royal Holloway College in Egham, Surrey. Royal Holloway, founded as a college for women, was named after its founder, Thomas Holloway, the head of a firm that manufactured patent medicines. Holloway provided a magnificent building for his new venture, built in the style of the Chateau de Chambord, the largest of the castles in the Loire Valley in France. The building, named after the founder, stands in the center of land with an area of 40 hectares. It has a beautiful art gallery with works by famous Victorian masters Constable, Gainsborough and Turner.
The size of the grounds surrounding the college allowed for a wide range of work related to the study of natural sciences, and allowed the construction of a number of buildings, both dormitories and academic buildings. Currently, work is underway in the amount of 16 million rubles to accommodate the faculties of Bedford College. Over 3,000 students at the new institute place it among the university's six largest colleges.
Three other major colleges - Imperial College, Queen Mary College and the London School of Economics - were also firsts - each in their own field. Queen Mary College - now with more than 3,500 students and still growing - traces its origins to the technical schools that formed part of the so-called People's Palace, a Victorian center for culture, leisure and education in London's East End.
This college became part of the university in 1912, and received its current name in 1934. Major work has been underway on the college grounds for several years to build facilities for the biology, chemistry and physics departments of Westfield College, after an agreement was reached in 1982 for the two colleges to cooperate. Extensive plans are also under way to house a new Faculty of Major Medical Sciences, which will accommodate pre-internship medical students and future dentists. The training will be carried out in collaboration with St. Bartholomew's and the medical colleges of the London Hospital.
The London School of Economics, known to everyone by the first letters of its English name - LSE, enjoys such a high reputation that, as Tony Millnes says, "Mass of people simply do not know that the school is part of the university." Founded in 1895, the London School of Economics and Political Science - this is its full name - specializes in the social sciences, including, as the college prospectus says, "many branches of economics, accounting, geography, law, logical and scientific methodology, philosophy, political science, economics and world history, international relations, sociology, social anthropology, social psychology, social sciences and management, demography, statistics, mathematics, computer science and work analysis, and industrial relations."
Of the more than four thousand LSU students, much more than a third are graduate students. Over the decades, the school's former students - foreign students - have produced many political leaders who have taken leadership positions in their countries. In recent years, the school has begun teaching and conducting research in the fields of business, new technology and the use of computers.
Although Imperial College itself was only founded in 1902, it was formed from three earlier colleges - the Royal College of Science (1845), the Royal School of Mines (1851) and the City and Guilds College of London ( 1884). All these colleges continue to exist within the framework of Imperial College, and their total number of students, exceeding 5000 (including graduate students), makes the college, like University College, almost an independent university. Imperial College is financed directly from the funds of the UGS committee, which provides the college with independence from the university, which is the envy of other colleges. The college's prospectus explains why this happened: "The college was selected in 1953 as a leading educational institution in order to solve the national problem of producing more scientists and engineers with higher education. In 1965, the government designated the college as one of three higher education institutions. technical educational institutions, the work of which will be financed in the first place - in order to ensure the continuation of their development."
We have already mentioned several medical faculties of the university. Together they produce approximately half of all doctors in the country. In addition to the dozen or so faculties attached to major teaching hospitals, such as Guy's Hospital in south London, 12 specialist institutes that offer postgraduate training are affiliated with the British Federation of Postgraduate Medical Students. The Federation, a faculty of the university since 1947, includes the Institute of Psychiatry, which is associated with Model Hospital, the Institute of Paediatrics, which is based at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, and the Institute of Ophthalmology at Moorfield Eye Hospital. Together with the hospitals, the faculties and institutes form perhaps the most comprehensive and modern center of medical knowledge in the world.
Specialist institutes at the University of London, such as the School of East European and Slavic Studies or the Institute of Latin American Studies, are designed primarily for the training of postgraduate students. Many have libraries that can be used by researchers from the UK and overseas. The Courtauld Institute of Fine Arts has an art gallery housing half a dozen major collections. The most notable of these is probably the amazing collection of French Impressionist paintings - a gift from Samuel Courtauld, the founder of the textile empire. In terms of student numbers, the most important department of the University of London is the Institute of Education.
The Institute, which has approximately 2,600 students - half of whom attend evening classes - provides not only preliminary training for future teachers, but also graduates graduates and holders of academic degrees in a range of specialized disciplines. The Institute is also at the forefront of educational research and, as stated in its prospectus: “provides fellowships for approximately 40 projects and programs with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Economic and Social Research Council, Council on the development of programs and methods of teaching in schools and a number of trustee, official and private organizations."
Finally, the university's final group of colleges includes half a dozen affiliated but separately funded institutions. These include, among others, three colleges of music - the Royal, Trinity and Royal Academy Colleges of Music, as well as Hebrew College, Gouldsmiths College and London Graduate School of Business Studies. As the name of Hebrew College indicates, the college is a leading center of Jewish studies; Gouldsmiths College began its existence as the Institute of Technology and Recreation of the Guild of Goldsmiths, which studied artistic skills, various musical and technical subjects. There, at the college, one could complete correspondence university courses and receive a diploma in scientific disciplines.
The very conditions of the founding of the university led to the fact that correspondence education there was always considered the main part of the educational system. Therefore, as we have already said, the number of part-time students at the university has now reached 22,000 - many of them came from abroad. The University's Department of Correspondence Education provides the opportunity for its students to take a full university course as part of adult education, and a vocational education course as part of continuing education. The courses prepare students for degrees such as social work or diplomas and certificates in practical biology. But those who do not want to take exams after completing their course can study at various adult education colleges within London and elsewhere.
The most striking example of the implementation of a system of correspondence and evening education is Birkbeck College, of whose 2,700 students only 200 are full-time students. The college was founded before the university itself by Dr George Birkbeck in 1923 as the London Mechanics' Institute. After this, the college began to serve adult students who could devote only part of their time to classes, since they had to earn their living. All college courses are structured so that they can be taken in the evenings. In addition to courses that lead to degrees and diplomas, there are also study programs ranging from a week to two years. after passing which you can receive certificates and other certificates of completion of education.
To summarize, the University of London is an educational institution consisting of an incredible number of colleges specializing in a wide variety of fields. Not to mention the capital, its branches can be found all over the country - from Millport on the Scottish island of Cambrai, where the Marine Biological Station is located, to the heart of Kent, the location of Wye College, whose agricultural departments have a farm with a plot of 300 hectares dedicated to for the cultivation of various agricultural crops, a hop growing area of 13 hectares and a vineyard. True to the principles of eclecticism, it embraces both the theological Heathrop College and the Royal Veterinary College.
All high school graduates try to choose only the best universities to obtain higher education. London has succeeded in this regard, since it is in this metropolis that the most prestigious and popular higher education institutions are located. London universities are everywhere famous for their effective teaching methods, highly professional teachers and individual approach to each student. The English city is simply oversaturated with educational institutions of the highest class. An education received in one of them is a strong foundation for creating a dizzying career in any country in the world.
University of Birkbeck
If you're looking at the world's capitals for the best universities, London should be your first consideration. It is here that about 40 prestigious institutions providing higher education are concentrated. One of such institutions is Birkbeck College, which is part of the elite association “University of London”. Birkbeck is a world-class educational and research institution that allows you to study in the evenings alongside London's working professionals. Daytime remains free for preparation for the educational process and work practice.
Birkbeck University was founded in 1823. Today it offers students more than two hundred specialties and a huge number of faculties. Birkbeck is included in the list of the hundred best universities in the world in areas such as philosophy, English literature and history. Psychology, law, geography and linguistics are taught here at the highest level. This institution is located in the academic center of the British capital, in the Bloomsbury area.
Technical Imperial University
The university has eight basic faculties. He is known for his research activities. More than 26 thousand students from 140 countries study here. The college is among the seven best universities in England and the top 20 universities on the planet. The university has four campuses, each with its own library.
The institution has gained a special reputation in the fields of medicine, dentistry, social and human sciences, as well as law. Six research medical centers are based here.
A modern university with a long history
Studying in London at the London Metropolitan University, which has gained its popularity due to the widest choice of programs, is extremely popular among applicants. The history of the college began back in the last century, when the University of North London and London Guildhall University were opened.
Only in 2002 were they united into a large educational institution, which today has several libraries, its own museum and archive. Training takes place on two campuses. One of them is located in the northern part of London, the second in the center of the English capital.
For its wide range of disciplines and high academic standards, London Metropolitan University won the prestigious Quality Assurance Agency award in 2011.
The university has its branches in Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and other countries.
City University
The best higher education can only be provided by a university or college that has successfully proven itself over many years. London is the city in which a huge number of ancient higher educational institutions are concentrated, which have been formed over decades. City University belongs to just such a category of universities.
The university traces its history back to 1894, when The Northampton Institute was founded, which received university accreditation only in 1966. The highlight of the institution is that its leadership involves university life, projects and research in the professional activities of commercial organizations in London.
The institution is located in the center of the business part of London - City. This location contributes to the fact that 40% of students from other countries come here to study. City University itself differs from other universities in that it has the highest employment rating for its graduates among all UK universities.
One of the first universities for women
The capital of England is home to truly royal universities. London is a city of kings, and therefore many institutions (universities, hospitals, theaters and others) were organized by royalty. For example, Royal Holloway University of London is an educational institution founded in 1886 by Queen Victoria. The Founder's Building is the main building of the institution and is considered one of the most beautiful educational buildings on Earth.
The university, opened by the queen, became one of the first where representatives of the fairer sex had the right to enroll. Much time has passed since then, and Royal Holloway has become a university with more than 20 academic areas. And for more than a century it has been considered part of the University of London.
The best of the best
We represented almost all the best universities in London. But there are still a few establishments that we would not like to forget about:
Middlesex University is located in the northern area of the capital Hendon. Middlesex University was founded in 1878 and over time seven more colleges were affiliated with the institution, becoming Middlesex Polytechnic in 1973. The institution was declared a university only in 1992.
The University of Greenwich celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015. The main buildings of the institution are built on the banks of the River Thames, in Greenwich. The University of Greenwich conducts many different types of research, to which the most modern and innovative approaches are applied.
The University of Westminster was founded in 1838. It was then the Royal Polytechnic. officially became known in 1992. Languages, design and art are taught here at the highest level. In addition, here students are offered the largest range of foreign languages in the UK.
If you want to pursue higher education in Europe, consider London as a potential city to make your dream come true. After all, there are really many first-class universities here.
Hello my dear.
Do you know what unites Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, singers Elton John and Mick Jagger, as well as writer H. G. Wells and psychologist Hans Eysenck? Can't you guess? I'll let you in on a little secret: they were all educated at the best metropolitan universities in the UK.
And without a moment’s doubt, I decided to give you a short excursion called “London Universities”. I’m unlikely to be able to talk about all 40 higher educational institutions in the capital, but I simply must mention the best of them!
Ready?
Then here's my list:
1. Imperial College London. ()
College for those who love exact sciences. The main direction of this establishment is engineering and medicine. It was here that the discoverers of penicillin studied. At the college, about 39% of students are foreigners. First-year students are provided with a dormitory, which is already pleasing, but the cost of training itself will be about 35,000 euros.
2. University of London. (University of London)
The most famous university in London. It is considered the best in the quality of teaching management and business. In general, you can choose from 3,000 specialties, but if you combine them by area, these will be the faculties of law, journalism, information technology, arts, languages and communications, design and many, many others.
The institution is famous for its high student employment rating, and about 40% of students are foreign citizens! Encouraging, isn't it? The cost of training will be somewhere around 15-18 thousand euros, and accommodation- about 12.5 thousand euros per year!
3. London School of Economics and Political Science. (
International relations, psychology and sociology, criminology and other sciences are taught here. The college has a wide network of partner universities around the world. More than 65% of students are foreigners, who annually pay 25,000 euros per year, and about 15,000 euros per year for accommodation.
Not far from London (within 100 km) there are two towns and universities of the same name, which are the oldest in Europe! Of course, we are talking about and. Who hasn't heard of them?! Only the best go there, not the richest (as many people think)!
London has been the cultural and educational center of Europe for many centuries, so educational standards here have been formed over many years, reaching their peak in the 20th and 21st centuries. That is why the best minds of both nearby and distant countries come to conquer the capital of England. So, I’ll mention some more equally famous local establishments:
- King's College London.
- Queen Mary University of London.
- School of Oriental and African Studies.
- Brunel University.
- University of Birbeck.
Surely you are asking the question “How to get into these institutions? And is this possible for the Russians? I will answer you: everything is possible! Most require an IELTS test certificate, and everyone has their own exam score requirements, so be very careful! To enroll, it is advisable for a foreign student to undergo preliminary preparation, which usually takes a year. This is done so that the student can improve his English, as well as delve into the basics of his future specialization.
Almost every university provides scholarships and grants that can partially or fully cover tuition fees. But to get them, you need to try really hard! Carefully study the requirements for obtaining them and do not miss your chance! After all, who doesn’t want to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and even with free education!
And for today I say goodbye, my dears. Do you want to be the first to receive all the most important and interesting things? - then the subscription form below is waiting for you!;)
See you again!
Rarely can the capital of even an advanced state boast such a concentration of universities as observed in London. Today, British education is considered one of the best in the world. In view of this, the educational system is being adopted by leading countries such as Australia and Canada; it would not be out of place to say that British diplomas are accepted in 50 different countries around the world. This has made the UK one of the leading countries ready to accept a large number of foreign students to universities, including Russian-speaking students from the CIS.
How to enter the best universities in the capital of England - London?
Despite the great desire of our compatriots to get into the universities of the capital, not everyone manages to do this even after many attempts. This is due to many factors, primarily the lack of information about admission conditions. Another reason is the high cost of studying in England.
What package of documents is required for admission? The admission procedure to the best universities in London is clear, logical and consistent. The agency UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is considered responsible for student recruitment. Anyone wishing to get into a university in the capital must fill out a special application form almost a year before admission. Students must also provide the certificates they hold, all educational certificates about the results of passed exams, and also write a creative essay about their own expectations and ambitions.
These are standard conditions that apply to all universities, however, during the admission process, specific universities may impose additional entry requirements. These conditions may relate to exam scores, for example, a specific score will be given; in case of a deficiency, the student will be denied admission to the university.
Conditions for enrollment vary for those students who have completed their secondary education at a British school or have a certificate equivalent to the UK standard. As a rule, the education of our Russian-speaking students is equivalent, that is. The student graduated from our domestic school and strives to receive education in England or in London.
Rules for the admission of students to London universities with a British equivalent certificate
For such students, usually foreigners, certain requirements apply. First of all, reaching 18 years of age at the start of the new school year. It is worth saying that the Russian certificate is not considered equivalent to the British one. The thing is that the average duration of education in Russian schools is 11 years, while in London it is 13 years.
In this case, our students can be assisted by the IB – International Baccalaureate program. That is, a graduate who has graduated from high school additionally studies under the International Baccalaureate program and standardizes his diploma to a British diploma.
Another option that is most often used by Russian-speaking students to enroll in best universities in London- this is admission to one of the universities in your country and additionally study two courses. That is, it turns out that a total of 13 years were spent on education, which is equivalent to British requirements. Next, the university admission procedure requires passing an English language proficiency exam. Requires Cambridge Certificate or IELTS scores. If these conditions have been met, the student can submit an application with documents to UCAS.
If a student does not achieve passing grades in English, he can exercise the right to attend English courses at language schools. This will make you more likely to get into your desired university.
Support for students from the CIS upon admission to the University of London
Applying on your own with a minimum of information is extremely difficult and dramatically reduces the opportunity to study in London. Therefore, when applying to London universities (the list can be found on the website), it is worth seeking support from competent individuals who have been working in this field for many years.
Our promising company organizes the admission of students from the CIS to the UK and its capital. To do this, we fully inform clients about the conditions for admission, documents, possible difficulties and ways to solve them.
We also help determine the vector of training: we talk about current programs, types of educational institutions, and the specializations they provide. This significantly increases the chance of admission to the desired department at the optimal university.
Another aspect of our activity is assistance in the adaptation of already admitted students. This includes organizing accommodation, employment, conducting educational events about London, excursions and much more.
It's easier to get into your desired university with competent experts!