London has one of the largest concentrations of universities and higher education institutions in the world. It has 40 higher education institutions (not counting foreign Universities with London branches) and has a student population of more than 400,000. Among the institutions in London are some of the old and world-famous colleges that today make up the federal University of London, modern universities, as well as a number of smaller and often highly specialised universities and colleges. Additionally, over 45,000 students in over 180 countries follow the University of London External System, established in 1858.
Major universities
Key (lower numbers are better):
- GUG: Guardian University Guide 2017 (published 2016)
- TUG: Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017 (published 2016)
- CUG: Complete University Guide 2018 (published 2017)
- UoL: Part of the University of London
- AMBA: accredited by AMBA
- EQUIS: accredited by EQUIS
- QS: ranking in QS World University Rankings 2016/2017
- THE: ranking in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016/2017
- RG: Russell Group, a self-selected association of 24 prestigious British public research universities
- GT: Golden Triangle, a group of elite universities located in the southern English cities of Cambridge, London and Oxford
- ARWU: ranking in Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016
Notes:
a Imperial College London, was a college of the University of London but left in 2007.
Specialised and private universities and higher education colleges
The following institutions offer British undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but are usually specialised in one or two academic fields.
- Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (Drama) - Wandsworth
- Bird College (Dance) - Sidcup
- BPP University (Business, Law) - Holborn/Waterloo
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine (Medicine) - Finchley Road
- British School of Osteopathy (Medicine) - Newington
- Central School of Speech and Drama (Drama) - Swiss Cottage
- City of London College - Whitechapel
- Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (Circus/Dance/Drama) - made up of a range of institutions, those in London are:
- Central School of Ballet - Clerkenwell
- London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art - Barons Court
- London Contemporary Dance School - Bloomsbury
- National Centre for Circus Arts - Shoreditch
- Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance - St Margarets
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - Fitzrovia
- Courtauld Institute of Art (History of Art) - Aldwych
- Drama Centre (Drama) - King's Cross
- Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College - Acton/Ealing/Hammersmith/Southall
- EThames Graduate School (Business) - Gants Hill
- European Business School London (Business) - Regent's Park
- Greenwich School of Management (Business, Law) - Greenwich/Greenford
- Guildhall School of Music and Drama (Music/Drama) - City of London
- Heythrop College (Philosophy/Theology) - Kensington
- Holborn College (Business/Law) - Holborn
- ICMP (The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) - Kilburn
- Institute of Cancer Research (Medicine) - South Kensington
- Institute of Education (Postgraduate Teacher Education) - Bloomsbury
- Islamic College for Advanced Studies - Kilburn Park
- Istituto Marangoni (Fashion/Design) - Spitalfields
- Kensington College of Business (Business) - Kensington
- London Business School (Postgraduate Business School) - Regent's Park
- "London School of Science and Technology"
- London Business & Engineering School (Business/Engineering) - Finchley Central/Brunswick Park
- London College of Accountancy (Accounting) - Upper Edmonton
- London College of Business (Business) - Ilford/Barking
- London College of Business Management & Information Technology (Business/IT) - North Cheam, opposite St. Anthony's Hospital
- London School of Business and Finance (Business/Finance/Marketing) - Holborn/City of London
- London School of Business and Management (Business/IT/Postgraduate) - Fitzrovia
- London School of Commerce (Postgraduate Business School) - Borough
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Medicine) - Fitzrovia
- London School of Osteopathy (Osteopathy) - Southwark
- London School of Theology (Theology) - Northwood
- London Studio Centre (Dance) - North Finchley
- Mont Rose College of Management and Sciences (Business/Management/Hospitality) - Ilford
- Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (Drama) - Wood Green
- New College of the Humanities (Humanities) - Fitzrovia
- Open University - Camden Town
- Pearson College (UK) - Holborn
- Polish University Abroad - Hammersmith
- Ravensbourne (Broadcasting/Fashion/Design/Postgraduate) - North Greenwich
- Regent's University London - Regent's Park, range of schools including:
- Regent's Business School London (Business)
- European Business School London (Business with Languages)
- London School of Film, Media & Performance (Film/Media)
- School of Psychotherapy & Counselling Psychology (Psychology)
- Rose Bruford College (Drama) - Sidcup
- Royal Academy of Dance (Dance) - Battersea
- Royal Academy of Music (Music) - Marylebone
- Royal College of Art (Art/Design) - Kensington
- Royal College of Music (Music) - Kensington
- Royal College of Nursing (Nursing) - Marylebone
- Royal Veterinary College (Veterinary) - King's Cross
- SAE Institute (Technology) - Haggerston/Dalston
- School of Advanced Studies (Research-led Postgraduate Specialisms) - Fitzrovia
- St George's, University of London (Medicine) - Tooting Broadway
- St Patrick's College - Stratford
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Music/Dance) made up of Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre - Greenwich/Deptford/New Cross
- University College of Football Business (Sport) - Wembley Stadium
- University of Law (law) - largest in Europe
- University of International Innovations - Tower Hill
- West End College London
- West London College
- Williams College (undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and English courses)
- The Art Academy London (Foundation, Diplomas, Certificates in fine art)
Colleges which form the federal University of London are in italics
Foreign universities
A number of foreign university institutions operate in London without Royal Charters. Some are bona fide universities with their degrees validated by recognised accreditation bodies abroad or in the UK, while others are not validated at all or are validated by unrecognised accreditation agencies.
Many foreign universities run study-abroad programmes based in London, but these are often restricted to students who spend the majority of their degree studying at the university campus in their own country, and are not independent university campuses. Some of the colleges offering foreign degrees in London are listed below.
- New York University
- Hult International Business School
- University of Notre Dame
- Richmond, The American International University in London
- Schiller International University
- Jagiellonian University
- Grenoble Graduate School of Business, GGSB
- Syracuse University
- Limkokwing University of Creative Technology
University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Hamilton, Ayr & Dumfries University of West London, Ealing and Brentford University of Westminster, London University of Winchester University of Wolverhampton University of Worcester University of York York St John University
Proposed universities
As part of legacy plans for the 2012 Olympic Games, an international university is to be built in London’s Olympic Park. The new university will make use of the sporting facilities and high-tech communications infrastructure remaining after the Olympics, and will specialise in sport science, digital media and green technology.
It is likely that the new institution will either become a constituent college of the University of London (or else be run by one of the existing colleges), or another London institution such as the University of East London, Imperial College or the University of the Arts London. In addition, Loughborough and Bristol universities have expressed interest in running the institution’s sports science programmes.
There is also a strong possibility of co-operation with a foreign university, with both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University, Beijing being mentioned.
The institution itself will be established before the Games, although it is only expected to move to the Olympic park in about 2015. The Government is expected to provide a subsidy but it is hoped that the majority of funding will come from the private sector.
Additionally, St. Mary's University College, located in Twickenham, South-West London, was awarded full University status in January 2014.
See also
- Education in London
- Education in England
- United Hospitals
References
External links
- Study London: The official website for London's universities and higher education colleges - provides an impartial guide to studying in London