Imperial College London facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Imperial College London

Coat of arms
Motto	Scientia, imperii decus et tutamen (Latin)
Motto in English	"Scientific knowledge, the crowning glory and the safeguard of the empire"
Type	Public research university
Established	July 8, 1907; 117 years ago (1907-07-08)
Endowment	£220.1 million (2022/23)
Budget	£1.256 billion (2022/23)
President	Hugh Brady
Provost	Ian Walmsley
Academic staff	4,440 (2020/21)
Administrative staff	4,115 (2020/21)
Students	22,791 (2020/21)
Undergraduates	11,722 (2020/21)
Postgraduates	11,069 (2020/21)
Location	London , England
Scarf
Colours	Imperial blue
Affiliations	ACU EUA Global Alliance of Technological Universities LERU Russell Group SES Universities UK
Mascot	Lion

Imperial College London (often called Imperial) is a top public university in London, England. It's known for its focus on science, engineering, medicine, and business. The idea for Imperial started with Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. He dreamed of a cultural area in London that would include places like the Royal Albert Hall and famous museums.

Imperial College was officially created in 1907. It brought together three older schools: the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines, and the City and Guilds of London Institute. Later, in 1988, it added a medical school by joining with other hospitals. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School.

Most of the teaching and research happens at the main campus in South Kensington. There's also a newer campus in White City for new ideas and inventions. Imperial also works with hospitals across London, helping to connect medical research with patient care. The university used to be part of the University of London but became fully independent in 2007. Imperial is very international, with over 60% of its students coming from more than 140 different countries!

History of Imperial College

Prince Albert helped create a cultural area in South Kensington, which included early colleges that formed Imperial.

Imperial College London has a long and interesting history, starting with several older colleges.

How Imperial College Began

The very first college that became part of Imperial was the Royal College of Chemistry, founded in 1845. Prince Albert and the government supported it. This college later joined with others to become the Royal School of Mines in 1853. Imperial's medical school also has roots in many different schools, with the oldest one, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, dating back to 1823.

In 1851, the famous Great Exhibition took place in London. It was a huge success and made a lot of money. This money was used to create a special area in South Kensington for culture and science. Over the next few years, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum opened there. New buildings for the Royal College of Chemistry and the Royal School of Mines also followed.

The Imperial Institute, which is now the site of Queen's Lawn.

In 1881, the Normal School of Science was set up in South Kensington. It taught natural sciences and agriculture. This school was renamed the Royal College of Science in 1890. Another important school, the Central Institution of the City and Guilds of London Institute, opened in 1884 to teach technical skills.

The Royal College of Science building.

Imperial College in the 20th Century

At the start of the 1900s, people in Britain worried that the country was falling behind Germany in science and technical education. So, a committee suggested creating a new, bigger institution. This led to Edward VII granting a special Royal Charter on July 8, 1907. This charter officially created the Imperial College of Science and Technology. It brought together the Royal School of Mines and the Royal College of Science. The City and Guilds College joined in 1910. Imperial also became a college of the University of London.

The main campus of Imperial College was built next to the Imperial Institute. In October 1945, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Imperial. They celebrated 100 years since the Royal College of Chemistry was founded. This visit is why the university's main graduation ceremony, held every October, is called "Commemoration Day."

The Royal School of Mines building.

After World War II, there was a push to make Britain's science education even stronger. Imperial College was chosen to grow much larger over ten years. This expansion led to many new buildings being built. In 1988, Imperial merged with St Mary's Hospital Medical School. This merger changed the university's official name to The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. More medical schools joined later, forming the Imperial College School of Medicine.

Imperial College in the 21st Century

In 2003, Imperial was given the power to award its own degrees. This meant it no longer needed to rely on the University of London for degrees. In 2004, the Imperial College Business School opened. Imperial officially became fully independent from the University of London in July 2007.

In 2011, Imperial joined with King's College London to help create the Francis Crick Institute. This is now the biggest biomedical research lab in Europe. Imperial also started moving into its new White City campus in 2016. This campus is a place for new ideas and inventions, including a special lab for the Chemistry Department.

Imperial College Campuses

The Imperial College Business School and Main Entrance.

Imperial College has several campuses, each with a special purpose.

South Kensington Campus

The South Kensington campus is the main one. Most of the teaching and research happens here. It's home to important buildings like the Imperial College Business School and the Royal School of Mines. The famous Queen's Tower stands in the middle of the campus. This campus is part of a cultural area called Albertopolis. It's surrounded by many famous London spots, including the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum.

A view from the main entrance of the South Kensington campus.

The campus has many places to eat and student housing. Beit Hall is home to the Imperial College Union, which runs student pubs, a nightclub, and a cinema. Nearby are Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, offering green spaces for sports and relaxation.

Kensington Gardens, near the South Kensington campus.

White City Campus

Imperial's newer campus in White City is a hub for new ideas and businesses. It has research facilities, housing for postgraduate students, and spaces for turning new ideas into real products or companies. It also has the "Invention Rooms," a place where students and the community can work on creative projects.

Silwood Park Campus

Silwood Park is a campus for postgraduate students. It's located near Ascot in Berkshire. This campus focuses on studying ecology, evolution, and conservation. It has 100 hectares (about 250 acres) of parkland, which is used for experiments in nature.

Teaching Hospitals

Imperial also uses teaching hospitals across London. These hospitals are where students from the School of Medicine learn and do medical research. Each hospital campus has its own college library and facilities.

How Imperial College is Organized

Imperial is divided into four main parts, called faculties. These are the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Imperial College Business School.

Special Research Centers

The Brevan Howard Centre for Financial Analysis.

Imperial has many centers that bring together different subjects to work on big challenges. These include:

Academic Leadership

The Faculty Building, designed by Norman Foster.

The university is led by a "President," who is the top academic and chief executive. The current President is Hugh Brady.

Imperial College's Reputation and Rankings

What Makes Imperial Special?

The Queen's Tower, a landmark at Imperial College.

Imperial College is known as one of the best universities in the UK and Europe. It focuses on four main areas: science, engineering, medicine, and business. The university's President says that what makes Imperial unique is how it combines science with business. From its early days, Imperial has focused on making a real impact, creating new things, and encouraging students to start their own businesses.

Imperial is also famous for its graduates getting great jobs. The university is known for having a lot of work and a fast pace, which can be challenging but rewarding. With many international students and staff, Imperial has a very global outlook. It aims to prepare students to solve future problems. So, Imperial's reputation comes from its high academic standards, its research, and its focus on making a difference in the world.

University Rankings

Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the top universities globally.

International Rankings

National league tables over ten years

Global league tables over ten years

• Times Higher Education World University Rankings - 8th worldwide, 3rd in Europe (2024)
• QS World University Rankings - 2nd worldwide, 1st in Europe (2025)
• Academic Ranking of World Universities - 23rd worldwide, 6th in Europe (2023)
• U.S. News Best Global Universities - 13th worldwide, 4th in Europe (2023)

Entrepreneurship Rankings

• QS MBA Rankings: Career Specialisation in Entrepreneurship - 3rd worldwide, 1st in Europe (2023)
• Reuters World's Most Innovative Universities - 2nd in Europe, 1st in the UK (2019)

Career Rankings

• Complete University Guide: Highly skilled employment or further studies - 1st in the UK (2024)
• Guardian University Guide: Careers - 1st in the UK (2024)
• Times Good University Guide: Graduate employment - 1st in the UK (2024)
• Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA): Highest Salaries - 1st in the UK (2021)

Research at Imperial College

Imperial is a leader in research. In 2021, 96.6% of its research was rated as "world-leading" or "internationally excellent." For example, 93% of its computer science research was considered world-leading.

The college helps turn research ideas into new companies. Its company, Imperial Innovations, has helped create many "spin-out" companies based on academic discoveries. Imperial College played a key role in the discovery of penicillin and the invention of fiber optics.

The Innovation Hub at White City Campus.

The United States is Imperial's top research partner. Over the last ten years, Imperial and U.S. authors have worked together on more than 15,000 articles. Imperial College also has a long-standing partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), going back to World War II.

In 2018, Imperial's mathematics department launched a joint research lab with the French National Center for Scientific Research. This lab focuses on unsolved math problems. Also in 2018, Imperial opened the Imperial Cancer Research UK Center. This center aims to find new ways to make cancer treatments more precise.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a report from Imperial College's Neil Ferguson in March 2020 was very important. It helped the U.S. and U.K. decide to take strong action against the virus. New York's governor even said that Imperial's model was "the best, most accurate model" for predicting the virus's spread.

Admissions to Imperial College

Queen Elizabeth II opening the Alexander Fleming Building.

Getting into Imperial College is quite competitive. In the 2021/22 school year, only about 11.1% of undergraduate applicants were accepted. For postgraduate students, it was 13.0%. This means for every 9 undergraduate students who applied, only 1 was accepted.

The courses with the most applicants compared to accepted students were computing, mathematics, and mechanical engineering. Imperial is one of the most international universities in the UK. About 50% of its students are from the UK, 16% from the EU, and 34% from outside the UK or EU. The student body is 39% female and 61% male.

Libraries at Imperial College

The main library at Imperial College London is next to Queen's Lawn. It holds most of the college's book and research collection. There are also libraries at the hospital campuses, like the Fleming library at St Mary's.

Medicine at Imperial College

The Imperial Faculty of Medicine was formed by joining with several medical schools and hospitals. It has six teaching hospitals. Each year, it accepts over 300 undergraduate medical students.

St Mary's Hospital in London.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was created in 2007. It brought together several hospitals with Imperial College London's Faculty of Medicine. This trust manages five hospitals: Charing Cross Hospital, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, and Western Eye Hospital. It's one of the largest healthcare trusts in the UK.

The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Imperial College also works with many other hospitals, including Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital.

Student Life at Imperial College

Student Body

For the 2015/16 academic year, Imperial had a total of 17,035 full-time students. This included 9,520 undergraduate students and 8,170 postgraduates. More than half of the students (50.7%) are from outside the UK. The ratio of male to female undergraduate students is about 64:36 overall. However, in some engineering courses, there are many more male students. Medicine and biology degrees tend to have a more even mix.

{{wide image|Imperial College - South Kensington Campus.jpg|600px|Queen's Lawn at the South Kensington Campus.]]

Imperial College Union

Imperial College Union is the student government. It's run by five full-time student officers who are elected each year. The Union helps support over 300 student clubs and societies. For example, "Project Nepal" sends students to help with education in Nepal. The Union also has sports clubs like the Imperial College Boat Club. Most Union events happen at the Union Building on Beit Quad at South Kensington.

Facilities for Students

The Ethos Gym at Imperial College.

Imperial's campuses in London have great sports facilities. These include four gyms, two swimming pools, and two sports halls. The main gym, Ethos, is at the South Kensington Campus. There are also music practice rooms with pianos.

Students can find two bars on the South Kensington campus, one at the Imperial College Union and one at Eastside. Many pubs and bars are also around the campus, making them popular social spots for students.

The weekly college farmer's market.

Student Media

Imperial College has its own student media groups:

• Imperial College Radio (ICRadio) started in 1975. It now broadcasts online.
• Imperial College TV (ICTV) was founded in 1969. It creates short news programs for students.
• Felix is the weekly student newspaper, first published in 1949. It includes news, comics, opinions, and sports reports.

Racing Green Endurance is a student project focused on zero-emission cars.

Student Societies and Clubs

Imperial College has over 60 sports clubs. Many of these clubs compete in national leagues for universities, including American Football, Rugby, Badminton, and Football.

Imperial College Boat Club

The Imperial College Boat Club is the university's rowing club, founded in 1919. Its boathouse is on the Thames in Putney.

Exploration Club

Beit Hall.

Prince's Gardens in the snow, surrounded by college halls of residence.

Imperial's Exploration Board was set up in 1957. It helps students go on amazing trips around the world, like to Afghanistan, Alaska, and the Himalayas.

Dramatic Society

The Imperial College Dramatic Society (DramSoc) is one of the main theater groups. It was founded in 1912. The society puts on three big plays each year and also smaller shows.

The Techtonics

The Techtonics are an all-male singing group (a cappella) from Imperial College. They formed in 2008 and are famous for winning the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in 2016.

Student Housing

Imperial College owns and manages 23 student housing buildings in London and Ascot. They have over 3,000 rooms. First-year undergraduate students are guaranteed a place in college housing. Most rooms are single or twin, with shared kitchens and bathrooms. All rooms have internet access.

Most older students and postgraduates find housing outside the university. However, some students can stay in halls in later years if they become "hall seniors."

Famous People from Imperial College

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  Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood

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  Rajiv Gandhi, 6th Prime Minister of India

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  Abdus Salam

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  Sir Alexander Fleming

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  Patrick Blackett, Baron Blackett

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  Sir William Crookes

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  Thomas Huxley

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  Sir John Pendry

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  H.G. Wells

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  Geoffrey Wilkinson

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  Dame Sally Davies

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  Sir Brian May CBE

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  Peter Higgs

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  Robert Winston, Baron Winston

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  Sir Martin Hairer

Many famous and important people have studied or worked at Imperial College London.

• Nobel Prize Winners: Imperial has been home to many Nobel laureates, including Sir Alexander Fleming (who discovered penicillin), Abdus Salam (Physics), and Peter Higgs (Physics).
• Mathematicians: Martin Hairer (Fields Medal winner).
• Scientists and Engineers: Sir Tom W. B. Kibble (co-discoverer of the Higgs Boson), Narinder Singh Kapany (inventor of fibre optics), Sir John Ambrose Fleming (inventor of the vacuum tube), and George E. Davis (considered the father of chemical engineering).
• Medical Experts: Thomas Henry Huxley (a supporter of evolution theory) and Dame Sally Davies (former Chief Medical Officer for England).
• Authors and Artists: H. G. Wells (famous author) and Sir Brian May CBE (guitarist for the rock band Queen).
• Politicians and Leaders: Rajiv Gandhi (former Prime Minister of India), Teo Chee Hean (Senior Minister of Singapore), and Chen Jining (Secretary of Shanghai).
• Inventors and Entrepreneurs: David Warren (inventor of the flight data recorder), Michael Birch (entrepreneur), and Danny Lui (co-founder of Lenovo).
• Astronauts: Andreas Mogensen (the first Danish astronaut).

Images for kids

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  Queen's Lawn at the South Kensington Campus.

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• Albertopolis
• Armorial of UK universities
• Education in London
• List of universities in the UK