Golden triangle (universities) facts for kids
The golden triangle is a special name for a group of top universities in the south east of England. These universities are located in the cities of Cambridge, London, and Oxford. People sometimes call it the Loxbridge triangle, which is a mix of London and Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge).
The exact universities that are part of the golden triangle can change depending on who you ask. But usually, it includes the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, King's College London, the London School of Economics (LSE), and University College London (UCL). These universities are known for being very old, famous, and for doing a lot of important research.
Contents
Top Universities in the Golden Triangle
The universities in the golden triangle are some of the richest in the UK. They have huge financial funds, called endowments, which help them run. For example, Oxford has billions of pounds! These universities also get a lot of money from the UK government for research. Some people think this is unfair because these universities get a much bigger share of research money than others. In 2013/14, universities in Oxford, Cambridge, and London received almost half of all research funding in the UK.
| Institution | Location | Total Students (2021/22) | Motto |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | Cambridge | 22,610 | Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge) |
| Imperial College London | London | 21,470 | Scientia imperii decus et tutamen (Knowledge is the adornment and protection of the Empire) |
| King's College London | London | 41,490 | Sancte et Sapienter (With Holiness and Wisdom) |
| London School of Economics | London | 12,975 | Rerum cognoscere causas (To Know the Causes of Things) |
| University of Oxford | Oxford | 27,290 | Dominus Illuminatio Mea (The Lord is my Light) |
| University College London | London | 46,830 | Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae (Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward) |
Research and Funding
Most of the golden triangle universities get a lot of money for their research. They are among the top universities in Britain for research grants and contracts. A big part of their research money comes from studying clinical medicine (which is about treating diseases).
After a big review of university research in 2021, the golden triangle universities saw a small drop in their share of government funding for quality research. However, the actual amount of money they received still went up because the total funding increased. These five universities (Cambridge, Imperial, King's, Oxford, and UCL) remained among the top six for funding.
Some people have questioned if it's fair that the golden triangle universities get so much funding. They argue that this might not be good for the country as a whole. However, others say that the research money just goes where the best researchers are. In 2022, the UK government announced plans to increase public investment outside the south east of England. This aims to spread research money more evenly, but some worry it might reduce focus on scientific excellence.
Academics and Admissions
The golden triangle universities are very hard to get into. They look for students with excellent grades in their exams. Five of these universities were in the top ten for entry standards in 2021–22. They also have some of the lowest offer rates, meaning they accept only a small percentage of students who apply. For example, in 2022, all of them accepted less than 40% of applicants.
University Admissions Statistics
| University | Applications | Offer Rate (%) | Accepted Students | Average Entry Score (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 21,940 | 24.4% | 3,565 | 209 |
| Imperial | 30,725 | 33.1% | 3,135 | 206 |
| King's | 69,300 | 38.5% | 6,810 | 171 |
| LSE | 26,240 | 20.6% | 1,815 | 195 |
| Oxford | 24,230 | 19.7% | 3,260 | 205 |
| UCL | 77,615 | 27.0% | 7,595 | 190 |
University Rankings and Reputation
These universities usually rank very high in international university lists. These rankings often look at how much research a university does. Cambridge and Oxford are almost always in the top three in the UK. Imperial, LSE, and UCL are usually in the top ten. King's College London also ranks well, though not always in the top ten in the UK.
| University | ARWU 2023 (Global) |
QS 2025 (Global) |
THE 2024 (Global) |
Complete 2025 (National) |
Guardian 2024 (National) |
Times/Sunday Times 2024 (National) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Imperial College London | 23 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| King's College London | 59 | 40= | 38= | 24 | 23 | 27 |
| London School of Economics | 151–200 | 50= | 46 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| University of Oxford | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| University College London | 17 | 9 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Student Backgrounds
Students from Private Schools
A higher number of students from private schools attend these six universities compared to the national average. In 2020-21, over 30% of UK students at most of these universities came from private schools. This is much higher than the national average, where only about 6% of school-aged children attend private schools.
International Students
Many students at these universities come from outside the UK. The LSE has the highest number of non-UK students, with over 65% of its students being international in 2021–22. Imperial and UCL also have a very high percentage of international students, over 50%.
| University | British White | British Asian | Black British | British Mixed Heritage |
Other/ not known |
International (EU) | International (Non-EU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 47.3% | 10.2% | 2.6% | 4.7% | 3.4% | 8.9% | 23% |
| Imperial | 22.4% | 15.6% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 12.7% | 40.1% |
| King's | 28% | 16.7% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 9.3% | 32.1% |
| LSE | 15.8% | 11% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 15.2% | 50.5% |
| Oxford | 49.5% | 6.7% | 1.8% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 8.9% | 25.1% |
| UCL | 25.6% | 12.8% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 9.4% | 42.2% |
| England | 81.0% | 9.6% | 4.2% | 3.0% | 2.2% | N/A | N/A |
Images for kids
-
Imperial College London
(Royal School of Mines) -
King's College London
(Maughan Library) -
London School of Economics
(New Academic Building) -
University College London
(Wilkins Building)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Golden triangle para niños
- Ivy League (a similar group of old, famous universities in the United States)
- Russell Group (another group of leading research universities in the UK)
