About London

UCL is located in the historic Bloomsbury area in central London, and our location offers huge advantages for our students both academically and culturally.

Living in London

London is a great place for culture, history, art and leisure and was recently ranked the best city in the world for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2024):

• London's art galleries range from the classic, with national collections (the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the National Gallery and the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery) to the ultra-modern (White Cube, the Whitechapel Gallery).
• Mixed performance and exhibition spaces such as the Barbican, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Southbank Centre, offer a range of exhibitions, films and events.
• You can find theatres of all sorts, as well as shows and musicals, in the Theatreland district around Leicester Square and Covent Garden.
• Sports fans have plenty to keep them occupied - from cricket at Lords or the Oval to tennis at Wimbledon, the annual London Marathon, football, rugby and NFL games at Wembley among many others.
• London is steeped in history and has many attractions such as the Tower of London and the Museum of London, which trace the life of the city from its pre-Roman origins to the present day.
• London is also a hub for music, with gigs and concerts taking place every night and covering all genres.
• There are various guides to help you explore the capital and make your time in the city more enjoyable, such as Visit London and Time Out.

Learning in London

London has many resources that can enhance your study. For example:

• As a UCL student, you'll be right at the centre of the greatest concentration of libraries, museums and archives in Europe, which offer context and support for your studies. Entrance is very often free, and you can take advantage of student discounts.
• UCL is close to many scientific, cultural and professional institutions. Many, such as the Wellcome Collection, the Royal Institution, and Gresham College, offer free lectures, workshops and exhibitions.
• Law and Politics students are near the UK's seat of government, and can observe the political process in the Houses of Parliament.
• London is a living laboratory for students of geography, civil engineering and the built environment, with many major infrastructure projects going on at any given time.