King's College London

Overview

King’s College London is England’s third oldest university having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829. It is ranked in the top 10 UK universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020) and has 12 Nobel Prize laureates among its alumni and current and former faculty. It is spread across five campuses in central London and currently has over 26,000 students enrolled.

King’s College London has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA, and it is now the largest centre for the education of doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals in Europe. It is also home to six Medical Research Council centres – the most of any British university - and hosts the largest dental school in Europe and the oldest professional school of nursing in the world. Studying at King’s College London will open up a number of opportunities to study around the world. The University has over 150 global partner institutions allowing you to study abroad for a semester, a year or a summer.

King's College London Students' Union provides over 50 sports clubs (including the Boat Club which rows on the River Thames and the Rifle Club which uses the College's shooting range located at the disused Aldwych tube station beneath the Strand Campus), 60 societies, a wide range of volunteering opportunities, two bars, two nightclubs, shops, eating places and a gym.

Services for International Students

King’s College London runs pre-sessional English lessons up to 17 weeks before the start of term for students who want or need to improve their English score before starting. During term, courses in general study skills (including academic writing and note-taking) are available alongside specific academic English lessons. The Student Advice Service can assist all students on legal and visa-related matters, as well as providing knowledge about the local area.

Ranking

• 35th in the Times University Guide 2019
• 33rd in the QS World University Rankings 2020
• 36th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Following the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, King’s College London rose to 6th position nationally, a rise from 11th following the last exercise in 2008. 84% of King’s research was deemed 3* and 4*, meaning that it is regarded as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Accommodation

King’s College London students have access to the halls of residences owned by King’s as well as those by the University of London. All accommodation is within Zone 1 or 2 of the London Underground and most are close to the teaching campuses. There is also a wide range of private accommodation available and the Student Support Officer is able to provide advice. King’s College London has almost 5,000 beds across catered halls of residence, intercollegiate halls, studio apartments and shared flats.

Location

King’s College London is the most central university in London, with four of its five campuses based within a single square mile beside the Thames between Westminster and London Bridge. The five are: The Strand Campus; Guy’s Campus; Waterloo Campus; St Thomas’ Campus; Denmark Hill Campus.

The Strand is King's founding campus, built on land granted to the College next to Somerset House. Medicine has been taught at the Guy’s Campus and St Thomas’ Campus for many centuries.

Alumni

• Peter Higgs (Nobel Laureate for Physics)
• Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town)
• Virginia Woolf (Author)
• John Ruskin (Art critic and patron)

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