About the University
King's College London is among the oldest universities in England. The university has a distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing, and dentistry), and social sciences, including international affairs. It has played a significant role in many advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones, and radar.
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), King's was ranked 6th nationally in the 'power' ranking, which considers both the quality and quantity of research activity and 7th for quality according to Times Higher Education rankings. Eighty-four percent of research at King's was deemed 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (3* and 4*).
Overview
Location: London, United Kingdom
Type: Public Research University
Founded: 1829
Tuition: £23,625
Application Deadline: January
Fun Facts
KCL vs UCL - Mascot Wars
The feud between these two universities started before the foundation of King's and has continued throughout the history of both colleges, mainly taking the form of Varsity these days. 1922 saw the start of the mascot war, which would last several decades. The war saw KCL mascot Reggie kidnapped several times, often missing for years to be found in ditches heavily damaged. UCL mascot Phineas also had its share of kidnappings and disappearances.
Foo Fighters at King’s
KCLSU nightclub 'Tutu's' played host to the first ever UK gig of the world-famous American rock band Foo Fighters on June 03, 1995! However, the venue has now been turned into teaching rooms.
Strand Campus and WW2
To protect the staff, students, and academic materials during World War 2, most of King's activity was relocated outside London. However, the Strand campus was not left unused, as the Auxiliary Fire Service used it as a base and stored equipment on the Quad. After the war, a two-story underground facility was built under the Quad. In one of the labs, Rosalind Franklin and Ray Gosling took "the most important picture of history," showing that DNA is a double helix.
The UK’s Largest Medical Museum is at King’s
The Hodgkin Building at Guy's houses the largest medical museum in the UK: the Gordon Museum of Pathology. The main function of the outstanding collection is to help educate King's medical students, although the collection includes scientific artifacts and even paintings beyond embalmed specimens. However, the museum is not open to the public, and access is granted to medical and nursing students only.
The Wellington’s Duel
The Duke of Wellington was one of the prominent politicians who founded KCL, which was seen as a Church of England counterpart of the Protestant UCL. At the beginning of 1829, Wellington was simultaneously supporting the foundation of the Anglican KCL and the Roman Catholic Relief Act, which led to him being challenged to a duel by the Earl of Winchilsea. The duel took place at Battersea Fields on March 21; shots were fired, but no one got hurt, and Wellington is argued to be the winner.
King’s was not always planned to be on Strand
Originally, the King's College was planned to be built somewhere else. One of the potential locations discussed for the university was Buckingham Palace, but this was a relatively short-lived idea. The more supported idea was to have King's located by Regent's Park. Ultimately, the final location on the Strand, next to the not-yet-complete Somerset House, was chosen because of the very low cost of renting the land.
Big Numbers
More than 86% of the faculty at King's College have a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degrees, and 99% of graduates are employed or attend grad school within six months of their graduation.
Grant for Motor Neuron Disease
A group of charities and government research organizations has awarded £4.25 million to MND experts at six UK universities to kick-start collaborative efforts to end motor neuron disease (MND).
Admissions
Average TOEFL | 109 |
College Board Code | 7884 |
Application process
Register with UCAS
Complete your details
Add your education details
English Proficiency Test Results – IELTS/TOEFL
SAT/ACT scores
Complete your employment history (part-time or full-time jobs)
Select your course choices
Write your Personal Statement
Submit the application
Get a reference and pay the application fee
Keep track of the additional information, like your interview dates, etc.
Note - Make sure you double-check the university codes and each program's code within a specific university when filling out the applications. Any discrepancy in the codes could lead to your application becoming void.
Rankings
King's College London is one of the top public universities in London, United Kingdom. It is ranked #37 in QS World University Rankings 2023 and #33 in Best Global Universities by USNews
Majors Available
Arts, Culture, Digital & Media
Culture, Media & Creative Industries
Digital Media & Culture
Film Studies
Liberal Arts
Music
Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
Business
Chemistry
Clinical Dentistry
Computer Science
Conflict, Peace & Security
Engineering
Finance
Geography, Environment & Sustainability
History & Classics
Intercalated courses
International Affairs & Development
Languages
Law
Literature
Mathematics & Statistics
Neuroscience
Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
Nutrition & Dietetics
Pharmacy
Philosophy & Religion
Physics
Physiotherapy
Policy & Society
Politics & Economics
Psychology
Sport & Exercise
Famous Alumni
John Keats: Poet
Sarojini Naidu: President of the Indian National Congress
Adnan Sami: Musician
Virginia Woolf: Novelist and Essayist
Thomas Hardy: Novelist and Poet
Harriet Green: CEO of Thomas Cook Group
Harry Gem: Inventor of lawn tennis
Patrick Steptoe: Pioneer of IVF
Simon Baron-Cohen: Director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge
John Milne: inventor of the Seismometer
Sources:
"Just the Facts." Just The Facts | King's College. Web. 27 Oct. 2022.
"News Article." KCLSU. Web. 27 Oct. 2022.
King's College London. "New £4.25 Million Grant Kick Starts UK-wide Collaborative Research..." King's College London. King's College London, 21 June 2022. Web. 27 Oct. 2022.
King's College London. "King's Staff, Students and Alumni Receive Sustainability Awards." King's College London. King's College London, 04 Aug. 2022. Web. 27 Oct. 2022.
"Top 10 Facts about King's College in London." Discover Walks Blog. 26 June 2021. Web. 27 Oct. 2022.
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