University Name:
See all universitiesKing's College London
UCAS Code: K60
Location: Central London Show on Map
Site: Four main campuses in Central London, one in south-east London (Denmark Hill)
A top UK research-intensive institution; a member of the Russell Group of universities.
Student Population
| Total Students: | 22,846 |
| Undergraduates: | 62% |
| Postgraduates: | 38% |
| FE Students: | 0% |
Undergraduates
| Total undergraduates: | 14,237 |
| Male: | 40% |
| Female: | 60% |
| Full Time: | 85% |
| Mature on Entry: | 24% |
| UK Students: | 85% |
| Lower socio economic groups: | 25% |
Teaching Staff
2834 full- and part-time
Broad study areas
Biomedical sciences; dentistry; arts & humanities; law; medicine; nursing & midwifery; natural & mathematical sciences; social sciences & public policy.
Freshers
| Admission Information: | AS-levels accepted in combination with 2 (usually 3+) A-levels or equivalent. UCAS tariff not used; offers expressed in terms of grades. |
| Points on Entry (Mean): | 413 |
| Drop Out Rate: | 4% |
| Accommodation: | Almost all first years from outside London housed (subject to conditions). |
Institution
| Founded: | 1829. |
| Structural features: | Founding college of University of London (together with University College) and remains part of the university. |
| Site: | Four central riverside campuses plus one in Denmark Hill: Strand campus (between the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral); Waterloo campus (next to the Southbank Centre); Guy’s Campus (by London Bridge); St Thomas’ Campus (opposite Houses of Parliament); Denmark Hill Campus (in south-east London). |
| How to get there: | Good underground and bus services to all campuses. Strand Campus close to many underground/rail stations (Charing Cross, Embankment, Temple, Covent Garden, Waterloo) and bus routes; Waterloo and Guy’s campuses are adjacent to Waterloo and London Bridge stations respectively. |
| Special features: | Teaching informed by world class research and a strong commitment to advances in educational technology. The College makes the most of its central location, with excellent connections to the academic and cultural resources of London, the worlds of business, politics and finance, and partnerships with great teaching hospitals. |
Student services & facilities
| Student advice & services: | Doctors, counsellors, psychotherapists, chaplains, disability advisers, student advisers. |
| Amenities: | The Compass (student support centre), health centre on campus, KCLSU (King’s College London Students’ Union). |
| Sporting facilities: | Three sports grounds with pitches/courts for hockey, rugby (Guy’s and St Thomas’ rugby club is oldest in the world), football, cricket, tennis, and netball; also rifle ranges, two gyms and a swimming pool. |
| Accommodation: | All new students offered one year in college or university intercollegiate accommodation, if they live outside the M25 and apply in time. 3489 places: 1333 in halls, 1321 in self-catering apartments, 175 in private halls and 660 in university intercollegiate halls. Rent for college halls £3490−£4346 pa (from £2847 pa for shared room); apartments £5776−£7787 pa; all 40-week contracts. Intercollegiate halls £5684−£8442 pa (from £4480 shared). Privately-rented accommodation locally, rents £80−£110 pw. |
Study opportunities & careers
| Library & information services: | Integrated library, archive, audio visual, IT, telephony and network service. Information services centres and libraries at all main campuses (dedicated to the subjects taught locally): huge multidisciplinary, multi-campus information base including unique archives and special collections, over 1.5 million books and thousands of journals, reference tools, statistical data, official publications, maps, music scores, multimedia resources, photographs and manuscripts; individual and group study spaces; network of 1600+ PC workstations (many available outside core hours); access to a wide range of software, statistical packages and subject-specific learning resources; off-site access to electronic information resources, library catalogues, e-journals etc; wireless internet connectivity across all campuses and student residences. Subject information specialists and help desks; training available on use of information tools, software and services, including self-paced web tutorials. |
| Other learning resources: | Programme of prestigious speakers. |
| Study abroad: | Student exchange programmes with prestigious universities in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia. |
| Careers: | Information, advice, job-seeking help and vacancy service for part-time, vacation and permanent employment. Excellent graduate employment rates. |
Money
| Living expenses budget: | Minimum budget of £10,555 pa recommended by College. |
| Term-time work: | Many part-time (and vacation) jobs available in College eg in administration, for SU and on College’s student ambassador scheme (at recruitment events). |
| Financial help: | Bursaries of £1350 pa for home students with family income of up to £28.5k, tapered down to £100 pa where family income is about £40k−£50k. 40 scholarships annually of £1800, for students who excel on their programme of study. |
| University tuition fees: | Home students pay £9000 pa for first degrees. International students pay £13,250 pa (classroom), £16,800 (lab/studio, except MPharm £14,300), £31,150 (clinical |
Courses
Academic features:
Nine schools of study, offering 170 undergraduate programmes ranging from traditional core subjects to innovative new studies.
Awarding body:
King’s College London (for most programmes).
Main undergraduate awards:
BA, BDS, BEng, MEng, BMus, MPharm, BSc, MSci, LLB, MBBS, BSc with RGN.
Length of courses:
3 years; others 4–6 years.
Main subjects offered:
- Anatomy
- Ancient History
- Archaeology
- Astrophysics
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Biomedical Science
- Business Studies
- Cell Biology
- Chemistry
- Classical Studies
- Classics
- Comparative Literature
- Computer Science
- Cultural Studies
- Dentistry
- Development Studies
- Dietetics
- Education
- English
- Environmental Studies
- European Studies
- Film Studies
- French
- Genetics
- Geography
- German
- Greek, Ancient/Classical
- Health
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- Human Biology
- Humanities
- Latin
- Latin American Studies
- Law
- Linguistics
- Management
- Mathematics
- Medicine
- Midwifery
- Molecular Biology
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacy
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Physiology
- Physiotherapy
- Politics
- Portuguese
- Religious Studies
- Spanish
- Theology
- Turkish
- Urban Studies
- War Studies
Student view
Two of them. KA is Kia Alam, Vice President Student Activities and Facilities, King’s College London Student’s Union (biomedical sciences); NW is Natasha Eve Wynarczyk, Vice President Student Media and Engagement (history).
Living
What's it like as a place to live? KA: London is an incredible place to live. There is always so much to do and so much to see. Getting around is easy too.
NW: London is a really exciting place to live – every part of London is like its own small area and you'll never run out of stuff to do.
How's the student accommodation? KA: At worst the accommodation is reasonable, at best is rather plush. The university provides accommodation in some great areas of central London including Waterloo, London Bridge and Hampstead.
NW: There's university accommodation but some of it is in need of an update. You're also unlikely to get university accommodation if you live within the M25. Private accommodation is plentiful in London but can be very expensive, especially in comparison to other areas of the UK.
What's the student population like? KA: King's has a very diverse student population, from all across the country and the world. The majority of people are very friendly and easy to get on with.
NW: Very diverse – King's has a large number of international students (6,000 international students). Also a large number of 'live at home students' from London and the home counties.
How do students and locals get on? KA: Being immersed in central London, we have close links with the local community. Students are common in London, meaning there is no ghettoisation of student regions and very few no-go areas.
NW: With London being so large, there isn't really a 'town v gown' vibe, or 'studenty' areas as such. It's more a case of King's students finding where they get cheap accommodation; there’s not many issues with students and the local community.
Studying
What's it like as a place to study? KA: King's has a very prestigious academic history and is a great place to come and study. The facilities are modern and historic, depending on the location around the campuses.
NW: The courses are pretty traditional, but they have a great reputation in the UK and internationally. It's near-impossible to switch courses when you start though, so there's a lack of flexibility in that respect. There's four campuses and some have better facilities than others. The Waterloo Campus is a new building and the facilities are really new. However the Strand is pretty old and some rooms look quite tired.
What are the teaching staff like? KA: Many of the teaching staff are critically acclaimed as well as being interested in students.
NW: Depends on the course but King's is home to many world-renowned academics. Many academics I've personally encountered have been student-friendly.
Socialising
What are student societies like? KA: The Student's Union (KCLSU) encompasses over 150 sports clubs and societies, ranging from cultural and religious groups to Skydiving and Amateur Boxing. Not to mention the usuals such as Rugby, Football and Dance Society.
NW: There are huge numbers of societies and sports teams so there's something to cater for everybody, from ultimate Frisbee to a Glee Society. It's really easy to get involved and a lot of our students sign up to societies – at our welcome fair this year, over 9000 students attended to sign up for the societies. Student media is also becoming stronger, with a monthly newspaper, newly-launched radio station and University of London TV. The societies also run a lot of social events.
What's a typical night out? KA: A student night in one of central London's clubs or a night in the Union bars and club.
NW: There's a large range of clubs in London which cater for all kinds of music/tastes. You'll definitely be spoilt for choice. Tutus is our nightclub, based at the Strand, which hosts bands such as Vampire Weekend and weekly clubnights, such as Truffle Shuffle (80s night – be prepared for a lot of neon). The Waterfront and Guy's Bar are our student bars, open every day. The Strand-based sports teams usually head to the Walkabout Bar across the road for Wednesday night sports nights.
And how much does it cost? KA: £25+ in central London compared to £5−10 in the union venues.
NW: Drinks are pricier in London than in the rest of the UK, however there are student deals and the student union bars are very cheap, especially for Central London. Clubs usually cost around £3−£5 for entry.
How can you get home safely? KA: 24 hour bus routes are a life saver for getting home on a budget, however the traditional black cab option is always available.
NW: Nightbuses go to most London destinations and halls of residences from King's campuses. You can also get licensed cabs.
Money
Is it an expensive place to live? KA: London is an expensive place to live, with the average rent costing around £120 per week for a student. However students in London receive a larger amount in their maintenance loan to make up for it. Going out too much will still break the bank however.
NW: London is very expensive but you can save money – loads of places to visit are free or cheap for students but rent is the main killer of the student loan. It's quite easy to get a part time job at the Union or University during your studies, and these are pretty flexible.
Average price of a pint? KA: At least £3.20 in central London, compared to around £2.40 in the Union venues.
NW: £3.50.
And the price of a takeaway? KA: It varies greatly but I would say roughly £6.
NW: £4.
What's the part-time work situation? KA: Part time jobs are readily available, the student's union hires over 200 students and the college careers service can help you find work elsewhere.
NW: You can work in the union bar or the reception, or as a KCL student ambassador. These jobs are flexible and pay well. Because of how big London is you'll not be short of part time work options.
Summary
What's the best feature about the place? KA: The location in the heart of London, and the reputable history of the university.
NW: King's is located in the heart of central London and there's loads of opportunities for our students to get involved in activities.
And the worst? KA: The price tag of central London.
NW: Rent is really expensive
And to sum it all up? KA: Get involved, you will never forget it.
NW: Probably the best experience of my life.
Contact
Address:
King's College London
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS
Tel:
020 7836 5454
Website:
Student enquiries:
Appropriate School of Study
Application:
UCAS
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