Imperial College London

Imperial College London (officially Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its founder, Prince Albert, envisioned a cultural area composed of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and the Imperial Institute. His wife, Queen Victoria, laid the foundation stone for the Imperial Institute in 1888. In 1907, the college joined the University of London, before leaving it a century later. In 1988, the Imperial College School of Medicine was formed through a merger with St Mary’s Hospital Medical School. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School.

The main campus is located in South Kensington, with a new innovation campus in White City. Imperial’s emphasis is on the practical application of science and technology, and is organised through faculties of natural science, engineering, medicine, and business. Imperial is amongst the most international universities in the world, with 59% of students from outside the UK and more than 140 countries represented on campus.

In 2024, Imperial is ranked 6th globally in the QS World University Rankings, 8th worldwide, 3rd in Europe (2024) in Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 23rd in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It was ranked by Reuters The World’s Most Innovative Universities as the most innovative university in Europe.The college’s origins can be traced back as far as the founding of the Royal College of Chemistry on Hanover Square in 1845, with the support of Prince Albert and parliament. Following some financial trouble, this was absorbed in 1853 into the newly formed Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts, located on Jermyn Street. The school was renamed the Royal School of Mines a decade later.

Proceeds from the Great Exhibition of 1851 were designated by Prince Albert to be used to develop a cultural area in South Kensington for the use and education of the public.[13] Within the next 6 years the Victoria and Albert and Science museums had opened, joined by the Natural History Museum in 1881, and in 1888 the Imperial Institute.

In 1881 the Normal School of Science was established in South Kensington under the leadership of Thomas Huxley, taking over responsibility for the teaching of the natural sciences and agriculture from the Royal School of Mines. The school was granted the name Royal College of Science by royal consent in 1890. As these institutions were not part of universities, they were unable to grant degrees to students, and instead bestowed associateships such as the Associateship of the Royal College of Science.

The Central Institution of the City and Guilds of London Institute, formed by the City of London’s livery companies, was opened on Exhibition Road by the Prince of Wales, founded to focus on providing technical education, with courses starting in early 1885. The institution was renamed the Central Technical College in 1893, becoming a school of the University of London in 1899.

TEF Rating

TEF Gold is awarded to institutions that consistently deliver outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for their students.

Courses Available

• Accounting, Business, Management and Marketing
• Architecture, Building, Planning and Design
• Biology and Biomedical Sciences
• Computer Science and Information Technology
• Engineering
• Foreign Studies (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
• Health Professions
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Natural Sciences
• Visual and Performing Arts

How to Apply?

Accepts UCAS

For International Students

Types of Scholarships Available

Scholarships