London – the city with the highest international student population in the world, has also been ranked as the best and one of the most diverse student cities by all the major global university ranking systems for many years in a row. Over 100,000 international scholars from 200 different nations study in London every year. Besides that, more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates have studied or worked at a university in London. Hence, it’s not at all surprising that both the Times Higher Education (THE) and QS Rankings have put London on the top of their list of best student cities of 2020.
London has over 45 world-class universities. It provides professional and social opportunities, along with a mind-blowing cultural confluence that mixes the corporate with the alternative and the historical with the cutting-edge. These universities offer over 30,000 courses from accounting, business, engineering and law to marketing, medicine, politics and zoology. Studying in London may well be a life-altering experience for international students.
This article contains some of the most popular study programmes in London. We will see some of the top long-term, short-term and exchange programmes. We will also give a brief overview of their intake procedures, admission process and future prospects after course completion. But before that, let us see what makes London a great choice for students from around the world.
Study in London – Why is London a Dream Study Abroad Destination?
- Inspirational London hosts in excess to 200 events and lectures that take place every day. How is that for guidance and meeting people who share the same interests as yours?
- Cultural There is a plethora of art galleries and museums in London representing great achievements of human history. The London food culture is also very diverse.
- Historic There is a lot to learn about thousands of years of Londons history as you walk through its myriad neighbourhoods.
- Stimulating Pub culture is an integral part of British life, especially student life. Moreover, there are more restaurants and bars in London than you could ever visit.
- Welcoming It is a great opportunity to live and study in the most multicultural, cosmopolitan city in the world.
Read about top universities, courses and job opportunities in UK
Study in London – Courses to Study in London
Universities and colleges in London follow the system of a full academic year. You can choose either the autumn(fall) or spring semester to begin your course. Summer study abroad programs are also available. Here are some for the desired courses to study in London in different fields – Check out for course admission in UK in 2020 in the country page here.
POPULAR COURSES IN LONDON
Area of Study | Most Popular Courses |
Business |
Business Administration
Economics Finance and Management International Business Marketing Banking and Finance Accounting International Management Business Analytics Entrepreneurship |
Natural Sciences |
Biology
Marine Biology Mathematics Computer Science Chemistry Physics & Astronomy Earth Science |
Engineering and Technology |
Chemical Engineering
Aeronautics Bioengineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Electronic Engineering Mechanical Engineering |
Medicine |
Surgery
Dentistry Molecular Medicine Veterinary Surgery Nursing Psychotherapy Biomedicine Pharmacy Medical Biotechnology |
Law |
Bachelor of Law
Criminology and Law Master of Laws Civil Law International Human Rights Law Criminal Justice |
Social Sciences |
Psychology
Political Science History Linguistics Anthropology |
Sports Science |
Sports and Exercise Sciences
Sports Science and Physiology Sport & Exercise Nutrition |
Media and Communication |
Journalism
Film & TV Studies Screenwriting Digital Media |
Arts |
Fine Art Painting
Graphic Design Fashion Design |
Hospitality and Tourism |
International Hospitality and Tourism Management
Hospitality and Tourism Marketing |
BUSINESS COURSES IN AND AROUND LONDON
Universities | Popular Management Degrees | Yearly Fees (Tentative) |
London Business School | MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Management | GBP 27,500 – GBP 69,660 |
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | Master’s in Management, MSc International Management | GBP 24,936 – GBP 50, 000 |
Judge Business School – University of Cambridge | MBA, Executive MBA | GBP 49,000 – GBP 63,960 |
Warwick Business School -The University of Warwick | MBA, Executive MBA | GBP 34,900 – GBP 37,500 |
Imperial College London | Imperial MBA | GBP 45,000 |
LAW COURSES IN AND AROUND LONDON
Universities | Popular Law Degrees | Fees (per year) |
University of Cambridge | English law, Civil (Roman) law, EU law and International law | GBP 15,816 |
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | LLB, LLM | GBP 16,392 |
UCL (University College London) | LLB | GBP 16,690 |
King’s College London | LLB, LLM | GBP 16,250 – GBP 19,800 |
Queen Mary University of London | LLB (Hons), BA (Hons), LLM | GBP 16,000 – GBP 18,950 |
SOCIAL SCIENCE & HUMANITIES COURSES IN AND AROUND LONDON
Universities | Level | Fees (per year) |
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP16,392 – GBP19,344 |
University of Cambridge | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP15,816 – GBP 19,989 |
UCL (University College London) | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP15,660 – GBP22,380 |
King’s College London | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP16,250 – GBP16,600 |
IT & COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSES IN AND AROUND LONDON
Universities | Level | Fees (per year) |
University of Cambridge | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 24,069 – GBP 28,308 |
Imperial College London | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 26,750 – GBP 28,200 |
UCL (University College London) | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 20,700 – GBP 23,440 |
King’s College London | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 15,600 – GBP 21,750 |
ENGINEERING COURSES IN AND AROUND LONDON
Universities | Level | Fees (per year) |
University of Cambridge | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 24,069 – GBP 28,308 |
Imperial College London | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 26,750 – GBP 27,900 |
University College London (UCL) | UG, Masters and Doctoral | GBP 20,700 – GBP 23,440 |
Read – Study in UK without IELTS
Study in London – Top Courses in London University-wise
1. University College London (UCL)
- One of the worlds top multidisciplinary universities, with an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching.
- Home to centres of teaching excellence in subjects from medicine to languages, law to engineering, history to astrophysics.
- Gives students access to world-renowned culture and nightlife along with top class academic resources.
Top Courses at UCL – Masters
Language Sciences (Neuroscience, Language and Communication) MSc
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – An upper second-class bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a language science-related area such as linguistics, speech sciences, English language, psychology, cognitive science, or a cognate discipline
- IELTS – Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests
- Tuition Fee – GBP 26,660
Engineering and Architectural Design (MEng)
- Duration – 4 years
- Qualification – Bachelors degree in Engineering from a UK university or an overseas qualification
- Tuition fee – GBP 26,5405
Top Courses at UCL – Bachelors
Applied Medical Science (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Class 12 passed
- Tuition fee – GBP 26,490
Computer Science (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Tuition Fee – GBP 31,270
Management Science (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in September 2020
- Duration – 3 years
- Tuition Fee – GBP 28,610
2. Middlesex University
- Middlesex has one of the biggest and best campuses in London with state-of-the-art laboratories, workshops and modern lecture theatres.
- It is located in Hendon, northern London, a 25-minute tube journey from central London.
- It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including art and design, business, health, education, law, media, performing arts, and science and technology.
- It has been awarded three Queens Awards for higher and further education and a Queens Award for Enterprise (International Trade).
Top Courses at Middlesex University – Masters
Applied Genomics (MSc)
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – A lower second 2:2 honours degree or above in a field strongly related to Biological or Biomedical Sciences
- IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in all components);
- PTE – 58 (with 51 in all components)
- TOEFL – 87 (with at least 21 in listening & writing, 22 in speaking and 23 in reading)
Master of Business Administration MBA
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – A second class honours degree (2:2) or above. Students must demonstrate a minimum of two years of continuous workplace experience gained in a managerial or professional job following graduation
- IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in all components);
- PTE – 58 (with 51 in all components)
- TOEFL – 87 (with at least 21 in listening & writing, 22 in speaking and 23 in reading)
- Tuition fee – GBP 16,500
Top Courses at Middlesex University – Bachelors
International Business Trade Top Up (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in October
- Duration – 1-year
- Qualification – Senior Secondary (Class 12)
- IELTS – 6.0With a minimum of 5.5 in each component
- TOEFL (iBT) – 72.0, with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading
- PTE – 51.0 with at least 51 in all components
- Tuition fee – GBP 11,500
Computer Communication and Networks (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in October
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
- TOEFL – (iBT) 72.0 with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading
- PTE – 51 with at least 51 in all components
- Tuition fee – GBP 12,000
Accounting and Finance (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in October
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
- TOEFL (iBT) – 72.0 with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading
- PTE – 51 with at least 51 in all components
-
Tuition fee – GBP 11,500
REGISTER TODAY TO MAKE A GREAT CAREER IN UK!
3. Imperial College London
- Consistently rated in the top five universities in the UK and in the top 10 worldwide
- Imperial is a place where engineers work alongside clinicians, scientists rub shoulders with designers, and mathematicians collaborate with business experts.
- With students coming to study at Imperial from over 125 different countries, the College has a truly international community.
Top Courses at Imperial College London – Masters
Advanced Aeronautical Engineering (MSc)
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – 2.1 degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering, with some experience of fluid and structural dynamics
- IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all elements)
- TOEFL score: 92
- Tuition fee – GBP 31,250
Applied Mathematics (MSc)
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – 2.1 degree in mathematics, applied mathematics, engineering or physics.
- Standard IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all elements)
- Tuition fee – GBP 27,000
Top Courses at Imperial College London – Bachelors
Medicine (Bachelors)
- Duration – 6 year
- Qualification – IELTS – 6.5 score above refers to overall score. Additionally, a score of 6.0 is required in all bands.
- Tuition fee – GBP 44,000
Design Engineering (Bachelors)
- Duration – 4 years
- Qualification – Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognised institute.
- IELTS 6.5 score above refers to an overall score. Additionally, a score of 6.0 is required in all bands.
Mathematics (Bachelors)
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – IELTS – 7.0 overall score. Additionally, a score of 6.5 is required in all bands.
- Tuition fee – GBP 30,000
4. London Business School
- London Business School (LBS), located in the heart of London is known for its first-class programmes, global community and international links.
- The school offers a mix of masters and non-masters programmes to suit students and executives at every stage of their careers, from MBA to EMBA-Global, Masters in Management to PhD.
- LBS is also renowned for its research excellence and has twice been awarded the highest research rating by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Top Courses at London Business School – Masters
MBA Progamme
- Duration – 2 years
- Qualifications – An undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification with a minimum of 2 years of work experience
- IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE, CAE or PTE academic score.
- Tuition fee – GBP 82,000
Masters in Analytics and Management MA
- Duration – 2 years
- Qualification – Undergraduate degree (minimum 2:1) in a quantitative subject such as Engineering, Maths and Sciences, Computing, Economics, Accounting, Finance or Business and Management.
- IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE, CAE or PTE Academic score.
Management Science and Operations PhD
- Duration – 5 years
- Qualification – Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, with a final grade in the top 10% of their graduating class.
- GRE score, not less than 690, that is no more than five years old
- Students should have scored at least 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based) on the TOEFL to be considered for the PhD programme
- TOEFL score: 100
Global Masters in Management (MiM)
- Duration – 2 years
- Qualification – Graduates with less than two years of postgraduate work experience.
- IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE, CAE or PTE academic score.
Executive MBA
- Duration – 2 years
- Qualification – Undergraduate degree from a recognised university
- GMAT or Executive Assessment
- IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE, CAE or PTE academic score
- Tuition fee – GBP 90,800
5. Kings College London
- Based in the heart of London, the college’s 4 of the university’s 5 campuses are situated along a stretch of the Thames that’s dotted with famous landmarks.
- Twelve people who have worked or studied at King’s and its constituent institutions have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
- According to QS World University Rankings 2014-15, Kings was ranked 16th in the world. Kings has nearly 26,000 students (of whom more than 10,600 are postgraduates). Around 8,000 of them are international students.
- Kings has a distinguished reputation in the humanities, social science, law, medicine and science, and has influenced many of the advances that shape modern life.
Top Courses at Kings College London – Masters
Theoretical Physics (MSc)
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – Bachelor’s degree with 2:1 honours (or international equivalent) in Maths.
- IELTS (Academic): 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill
- TOEFL IBT: 92 overall, with a minimum 23 in each skill
- Tuition fee – GBP 21,300
Advanced Software Engineering MSc
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – Bachelor’s degree with 2:1 honours in Computer Science or Software Engineering
- IELTS (Academic): 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill
- TOEFL IBT: 92 overall, with a minimum 23 in each skill
- Tuition fee – GBP 25,500
Top Courses at Kings College London – Bachelors
Comparative Literature
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- IELTS – (Academic) 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each subcategory
- TOEFL – (iBT)100 overall with a minimum of 25 in writing and 23 in each of the other skills
- Tuition fee – GBP 9,250
Economics and Management
- Programme begins in September 2020
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- IELTS – 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each skill
- TOEFL (iBT) -100 overall with a minimum of 25 in writing and 23 in each of the other skills
- Tuition fee – GBP 9,250
Film Studies
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior Secondary
- IELTS – 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each skill
- TOEFL (iBT) – 100 overall with a minimum of 25 in writing and 23 in each of the other skills
- Tuition fee – GBP 9,250
6. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- LSE is a world-class centre for the teaching and research of social sciences, including economics, politics, law, sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance.
- LSE is ranked alongside Harvard, UC Berkeley and Stanford and has the highest percentage of world-leading research of any UK university
- LSE has a cosmopolitan student body with around 9,300 full-time students from 145 countries.
Top Courses at LSE – Masters
Economics and Management MSc
- Duration – 1 year
- Qualification – A first-class undergraduate degree or equivalent in economics.
- IELTS score of 7.0 overall (reading 6.5, writing 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.0).
- TOEFL score: 100
- Tuition fee – GBP 28,608
Global Master’s in Management
- Duration – 2 years
- Qualification – A first or upper second class bachelor’s degree or international equivalent in any discipline
- IELTS score of 7.0 overall (reading 6.5, writing 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.0)
- Tuition fee – GBP 29,608
Development Studies MSc
- Programme begins in 1 year
- Qualification – Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in any discipline, with social science or humanities an advantage.
- IELTS score of 7.0 overall (reading 6.5, writing 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.0)
- Tuition fee – GBP 10,872
Econometrics & Mathematical Economics – MSc and Bsc
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- Tuition fee – GBP 21,570
Economics (Bachelors)
- Programme begins in September
- Duration – 3 years
- Qualification – Senior secondary
- Tuition fee – GBP 21,570
Study in London – FAQs
Q. Can I stay in London after finishing my qualification?
A. If you are studying a degree-level course for 12 months or more, you can stay for the length of your course plus an extra four months.
Q. What is the average cost of living in London as an International student?
A. Students will need GBP 800 GBP 1000 a month to cover living expenses. This includes accommodation, food and transportation. The average cost of living in London may vary depending on your budget for rent, food, transport and leisure activities.
Q. Are student visas to study in the UK difficult to obtain?
A. No. If you satisfy the Tier 4 entry requirements, have sufficient funds to cover the cost of study and living expenses in the UK, and are able to demonstrate your bonafide student status, you should have no difficulty in obtaining a student visa.