Facts and figures

View a summary of key facts and figures about UCL.

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The home of brave thinkers since 1826

  • At UCL you have the freedom to challenge, think differently and make real-world impact ​
  • As a world-leading university, we are an academic and intellectual powerhouse
  • Our excellent reputation has been built over generations of staff, students and alumni​ 
  • We teach students how to think, not what to think

We are amongst the best in the world.

We pride ourselves on our academic excellence.

  • 2nd in UK for research power (REF 2021)
  • 11 academic faculties
  • 32 Nobel laureates
  • 150+ nationalities represented by student body
  • 400+ undergraduate programmes
  • 700+ postgraduate programmes
  • 18,000 staff
  • 51,000 students

A network connected across the globe.

  • We are truly universal and have partnerships with institutions worldwide.
  • 465,000+ alumni in 190+ countries
  • 50% international students
  • 34% international staff

We lead the field across a wide range of faculties.

  • Arts & Humanities
  • Brain Sciences
  • Built Environment
  • Engineering Sciences
  • IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society
  • Laws
  • Life Sciences
  • Mathematical & Physical Sciences
  • Medical Sciences
  • Population Health Sciences
  • Social & Historical Sciences

We work together across disciplines to solve the world's biggest problems. 

  • An interdisciplinary approach.
  • A wide span of subject areas gives fresh perspective.
  • Develop sophisticated multi-faceted solutions - Climate Crisis, Cultural Understanding, Data-Empowered Societies, Justice & Equality, Mental Health & Wellbeing. 

Our community sits at the heart of one of the world's most dynamic cities.

  • In the heart of London’s Bloomsbury district – traditionally a place for rebels and innovators - and now also present in east London with the new UCL East campus.
  • At the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, a consortium of over 90 academic, cultural, research, scientific and media organisations.
  • Close to a wealth of academic resources – museums and libraries, academic and professional bodies, theatres, hospitals and medical institutes.
  • Close collaboration and partnerships with leading organizations and iconic institutes – such as the British Library, British Museum, RIBA, Zoological Society of London, Institute of Physics, the BBC, the Wellcome Trust, etc.
  • UCL East at East Bank, the UK’s newest cultural quarter at the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
  • UCL is perfectly placed to foster enterprise and business partnerships (including through UCL Innovation & Enterprise)

Our UCL East campus offers the scale and space to solve the biggest challenges.

  • Eight UCL faculties working together to continue our ground-breaking teaching and research
  • A world-class academic hub that sits alongside contemporary student accommodation
  • Collaboration with industry and communities to make local and global impact
  • Cutting-edge facilities for cross-disciplinary research and exciting new degrees, exploring robotics, ecology, technology, culture and health
  • Publicly accessible spaces for exhibitions, engagement and the arts

We are continually making an impact on the world we live in.

Some of our top projects and discoveries include the following:

  • A UCL-led team of international researchers on the European Space Agency Euclid mission, built the optical camera that is now bringing us full-colour images of the cosmos. This unprecedented image of Messier 78 shows the vibrant nursery of star formation shrouded by interstellar dust.
  • Working with leading technology partners and the NHS, we are transforming the way people use their computers. Groundbreaking software MotionInput 3 allows people to control what’s happening on their screens using their own combination of voice commands, facial expressions and physical gestures captured by their webcam.
  • The BELS study is analysing the carbon cycle of the ocean. A team from UCL Mechanical Engineering built a buoy to better understand the process. The buoy can carry bubble cameras, gas and water flow sensors. It can also withstand the 70mph winds and 11 metre waves of the Labrador sea. This knowledge is crucial for Earth’s carbon budget.
  • Dementia represents one of the toughest scientific and socio-economic challenges facing our society today. UCL is here to change this by focusing our world-leading expertise on cure, prevention and care. We are home to the national HQ of the UK Dementia Research Institute, supported by the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer Society.

We are creating campuses equipped for the future.

  • UCL East opened to students in September 2023 with new degree programmes, research, innovation and technologies
  • We are investing £28.1 million into a purpose-built biomedical facility which will house over 500 scientists from across UCL’s neuroscience community  
  • £1.25 billion invested in transforming UCL facilities – like creating new accessible entrances to the Institute of Education
  • Oriel is the joint partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfield’s Eye Charity. It will move services to a new integrated centre in Camden in 2027. 

We are ensuring financial stability and enjoying competitive dramatic growth.

  • Total income of £2.07bn (2023-24)
  • Dramatic growth in all 3 income areas (listed below) - +136% in 11 years (2012-24)
  • Three main sources of income: research funding, tuition fees, and government & other funding.

Our graduate employment statistics

The class of 2020-21 are working in over 90 countries.

  • Occupations include secondary school teachers, GPs, management consultants, business analysts, programmers and software development professionals
  • Top employers are NHS, Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, UK Government, Amazon and Accenture
  • Doctoral graduate roles at UCL, King’s College, Imperial, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge including R&D roles at Johnson Matthey, IQVIA, Bayer, Google

41.5% of undergraduate alumni undertook further study

6.4% of working graduates are self-employed

£34k median salary (£43,545 for doctoral graduates)

UCL. Where ambitious innovators, visionary trendsetters and brave thinkers call home.