Universities and higher education colleges in London

(The Senate House, the headquarters of the federal University of London)

London has one of the highest concentrations of universities in the UK: there are a total of 28 universities and colleges accredited in London, with a student population significantly greater than 200,000 people. We find among them universities that now form the University of London, recent universities and a number of smaller and highly specialized universities. Over 34,000 students also follow the University of London External Programme, created in 1858.

Key (lower numbers are better):

GUG: Guardian University Guide 2016 (published 2015)
TUG: Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2014 (published 2013)
CUG: Complete University Guide 2017 (published 2016)
UoL: Part of the University of London
AMBA: accredited by AMBA
EQUIS: accredited by EQUIS
QS: ranking in QS World University Rankings 2015/2016
THE: ranking in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015/2016
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

Note: Birkbeck, University of London is excluded from most university rankings because the tables are based on full-time undergraduates, and Birkbeck has only part-time undergraduate students.

The colleges that form the University of London (which has a federal structure) are in italics.

University	GUG	TUG	CUG	UoL	AMBA	EQUIS	QS	THE	RG	GT	ARWU
Birkbeck, University of London	N/A	N/A	N/A	✔			290	201-250
BPP University^a
Brunel University London	53	46	52		✔		331	401-500			401
City University London	37	43	40		✔	✔	301	401-500
Goldsmiths, University of London	50	48	51	✔			451-460	–
Imperial College London	8	5	4	^b	✔	✔	8	8	✔	✔	23
King’s College London	36	27	21	✔			19	27	✔	✔	55
Kingston University	97	111	108		✔		601-800
London Metropolitan University	118	121	127				651-700
London School of Economics	13	3	3	✔			35	23	✔	✔	101-150
London South Bank University	111	118	115				N/A	–
Middlesex University	81	94	78		✔	✔	651-700	601-800
Queen Mary University of London	38	37	31	✔			115	98	✔		151-200
Regent’s University London^a
Royal Holloway, University of London	40	28	34	✔	✔		109	129
SOAS, University of London	26	24	43	✔			275	–
St Mary’s University, Twickenham	100	N/A	118					–
University College London	12	9	10	✔			7	14	✔	✔	18
University of East London	106	120	126				701+
University of Greenwich	92	101	98				701+	601-800
University of Roehampton	78	80	69				N/A	–
University of the Arts London	44	77	85				N/A
University of West London	94	112	105				N/A
University of Westminster	101	106	101		✔		N/A	601-800

Notes:
^a Private universities
^b Imperial College London, was a college of the University of London but left in 2007.

(King’s College London, established by Royal Charter having been founded by King George IV and Duke of Wellington in 1829, is one of the founding colleges of the University of London.)

Specialised and private universities and higher education colleges

The following institutions generally offer a full range of degrees but are often specialized in one or two academic field:

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
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 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
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 of Law (law)
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)

(Entrance to Imperial College London, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ImperialCollegeLondon.jpg)

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.