Studying in London offers students the chance to combine world-class education with culture to get an all-round experience
Voted as the world's number one student city (QS Best Student Cities 2025), London is home to a host of prestigious universities.
There are ten institutions ranked in the global top 500 according to the QS World Rankings 2025, including Imperial College London, University College London (UCL) and London School of Economics and Political Science, which make the top 50.
With cutting-edge research, ultramodern facilities, top-tier faculty, and a diverse student body, universities in London offer courses across a range of disciplines and levels, attracting students from all over the world.
Top universities in London
Explore these profiles from universities based in London and see what they have to offer...
Birkbeck University of London
Based in Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is one of the world's leading research universities. Specialising in flexible learning, it offers 240 postgraduate evening courses, some of which are available through distance learning.
Brunel University of London
Located in West London, this leading technology university is renowned for its research and innovation. Brunel is a single campus, meaning everything you could need is a short walk away.
City St George's, University of London
Divided into six academic schools, City offers 150 taught postgraduate courses, all of which have excellent industry connections. Also home to Bayes Business School.
University of East London
With a strong focus on employability, UEL provides excellent industry connections. Split into six schools focusing on the arts, engineering, business and law, psychology, education and health and sport.
ESCP Business School
Founded over 200 years ago, ESCP is the world's first business school. With campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw, you'll get to study in at least two different countries during your postgraduate degree.
Imperial College London
Rated among the world's top ten universities and spread across nine campuses, they have a specialist focus on STEMB (science, technology, engineering, medicine and business), making them unique in the UK.
Kingston University London
Offering hands-on learning, strong industry links, and a diverse student community in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, just 30 minutes from central London.
LAMDA
The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art is a world-leading drama school offering conservatoire-level training in acting, directing, and technical arts.
London Business School
With campuses in London and Dubai, and a tight-knit community of more than 53,000 alumni spanning 160 countries and countless industries, you will be exposed to new opportunities, perspectives and experiences.
London School of Economics and Political Science
Offering cutting-edge research, you'll have the opportunity to study the social sciences in an institution with a worldwide academic reputation.
Loughborough University London
Part of a prestigious UK top ten university, it provides world-class education and fosters innovation. Established exclusively for postgraduate study and research.
Middlesex University London
Located in dynamic North London, the university offers diverse programmes, excellent career services, modern facilities, and a multicultural environment that prepares students for global opportunities.
Northeastern University London
Offering experiential degrees combining humanities and science, which equip you with the Masters-level skills and knowledge that companies value. With over 95 different nationalities, NU London is a truly global university.
University of Portsmouth London
Studying here offers industry-aligned courses, expert teaching, career support, and access to opportunities and networks.
Queen Mary University of London
This Russell Group university is one of the UK's leading research-focused institutions. It covers humanities, social sciences, law, medicine, science and engineering.
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
A specialist conservatoire dedicated to performance training in acting, design, production, therapy, movement, voice and writing across multiple degree levels.
Royal College of Art
Ranked the world's number one art and design university in the QS World University subject rankings for ten consecutive years, it is home to the world's largest community of postgraduate-only art and design students.
University of Reading
A world leader in climate science, the University of Reading has won the Queen's Anniversary Prize and the THE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership.
University of Roehampton
Almost all courses are taught three days a week, with evening classes. This allows you to work part time, control your travel costs, and have time for personal commitments.
SOAS University of London
Specialising in the study of Africa, Asia and the Near and Middle East means you'll study in a multinational environment. Alongside its on-campus taught degrees, SOAS offers online and distance-learning courses.
St Mary's University, Twickenham, London
Based in Strawberry Hill, they offer personalised teaching, a top‑ranked student experience, excellent sports facilities and strong graduate employability.
UCL
With over 700 postgraduate courses, renowned experts and world-leading research, it's not difficult to see why UCL was ranked University of the Year 2024 (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024).
Walbrook Institute London
Provides flexible, online, and internationally recognised degrees in business, artificial intelligence, and finance.
University of West London
Based in Ealing and Brentford, it ranks highly for student satisfaction and employability. Academic schools cover areas such as film, media and design, business, computing and engineering.
University of Westminster
Westminster ensures graduates gain valuable skills and real-world experience. The university has close ties with over 183 industry partners, giving you access to the connections you need to become a work-ready graduate.
York St John University: London Campus
Hoping to educate and inspire the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders, the London campus is perfectly placed close to Canary Wharf.