University College London facts for kids
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Latin: Collegium Universitatis Londinensis | ||||||
Other name
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UCL | |||||
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Former names
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London University (1826–1836) University College, London (1836–1907) University of London, University College (1907–1976) University College London (1977–2005; remains legal name) |
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Motto | Latin: Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae | |||||
Motto in English
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Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward | |||||
Type | Public research university | |||||
Established | 1826 (University status 2023) |
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Endowment | £156.8 million (2023) | |||||
Budget | £1.933 billion (2022/23) | |||||
Chair | Victor L. L. Chu | |||||
Visitor | Sir Geoffrey Vos (as Master of the Rolls ex officio) |
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Chancellor | Anne, Princess Royal (as Chancellor of the University of London) |
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President and Provost | Michael Spence | |||||
Academic staff
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9,585 (2021/22) | |||||
Administrative staff
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6,075 (2021/22) | |||||
Students | 46,830 (2021/22) | |||||
Undergraduates | 23,800 (2021/22) | |||||
Postgraduates | 23,030 (2021/22) | |||||
Other students
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895 (studying wholly overseas; 2021/22) | |||||
Location |
London, England
51°31′29″N 00°08′01″W / 51.52472°N 0.13361°W |
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Campus | Urban | |||||
Colours | Purple and blue celeste
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Affiliations |
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University College London, also known as UCL, is a large public university in London, England. It is part of the University of London and is one of the biggest universities in the United Kingdom. It has the most postgraduate students in the UK.
UCL was started in 1826 as London University. It was the first university in London and the first in England to welcome students of all religions. It was also one of the first to admit women alongside men in 1878. UCL became a formal university in 2023. Over the years, it has joined with other schools and institutes, like the Institute of Education.
The main campus of UCL is in Bloomsbury, central London. It also has a newer campus, UCL East, in Stratford, East London. UCL has 11 main sections called faculties, with over 100 departments. It also has several museums, like the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. UCL helps the UK economy by doing research and spending money.
UCL is a member of important groups like the Russell Group, which includes leading research universities. Many famous people have studied or worked at UCL. These include people who discovered noble gases, hormones, and the structure of DNA. As of 2022, 30 Nobel Prize winners have been connected to UCL.
Contents
UCL's History
UCL was founded on February 11, 1826. It was created as a different option to the older universities of Oxford and Cambridge. These older universities were linked to the Church of England, but UCL was open to everyone, no matter their religion.
Early Years: London University (1826–1836)
UCL was first called London University. It was set up as a company where people could buy shares. Even though it was called a university, it couldn't give out official degrees at first. Leonard Horner, a scientist, was its first leader.
The philosopher Jeremy Bentham is often called the "spiritual father" of UCL. His ideas about education and society greatly influenced the people who founded the university, like James Mill and Henry Brougham.
In 1828, UCL created the first professor job for political economy in London. In 1829, it appointed the first professor of English in England. In 1830, UCL started a school that later became University College School. In 1834, University College Hospital opened to train medical students.
Becoming University College, London (1836–1900)
After trying for many years to be recognized as a university, London University agreed to become a college. On November 28, 1836, it was officially named University College, London. On the same day, the University of London was created. This new university would give degrees to students from colleges like UCL and King's College London.
The Slade School of Fine Art became part of University College in 1871. In 1878, the University of London allowed women to earn degrees. UCL also started admitting women to its Arts and Science departments that year. This was a big step for women's education.
Women were finally allowed to study medicine at UCL in 1917, during the First World War.
Joining the University of London (1900–1976)
After 1909, UCL officially became a "school" of the University of London. Its formal name changed to University of London, University College. However, most people still called it "University College, London" or "UCL."
In 1900, UCL appointed its first paid head, called a Principal. In 1906, this title changed to Provost. In 1906, the Cruciform Building opened for University College Hospital. UCL also opened the first chemical engineering department in the UK in 1923.
UCL had some historical links to eugenics, a harmful idea about human improvement. UCL has since apologized for its past role in promoting these ideas.
During the Second World War, UCL was badly damaged by bombs. Many buildings were destroyed or burned. Departments had to move to different places across the country. The main building was fully repaired by 1954.
In 1967, the Mullard Space Science Laboratory was created. UCL also played an important part in the early development of the Internet. In 1969, UCL's senior common room, which was only for men, finally allowed women.
Becoming University College London Again (1976–2005)
In 1976, UCL became legally independent again, but it still couldn't award its own degrees. It was formally renamed University College London, without the comma.
In 1993, UCL and other colleges of the University of London started getting government funding directly. This made UCL act more like its own university.
UCL also grew by joining with other institutes. For example, it merged with the UCL Institute of Archaeology in 1986 and the UCL Institute of Neurology in 1997. In 1998, it merged with the Royal Free Hospital Medical School to form what is now the UCL Medical School.
UCL Today (From 2005)
In 2005, UCL was given the power to award its own degrees. So, students who started from 2007/08 received degrees from UCL itself. The university also started using "UCL" more often in its official communications.
UCL opened a campus in Adelaide, Australia, in 2008, which later closed in 2017. In 2011, UCL planned a big investment in its main London campus. It also started building a new campus, UCL East, near the Olympic Park in East London. The first buildings at UCL East opened in 2022 and 2023.
UCL continued to grow by merging with other colleges. The School of Pharmacy, University of London joined UCL in 2012. The Institute of Education also fully merged with UCL in 2014.
In 2021, UCL apologized for its past role in promoting eugenics. In 2023, UCL officially gained full university status.
UCL's Campuses
UCL has several locations, mainly in London.
Bloomsbury Campus
- UCL buildings in Bloomsbury
UCL's main campus is in the Bloomsbury area of Central London. Many departments are located around Gower Street. Some health institutes are near hospitals, like the UCL Institute of Neurology near the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Important historic buildings in Bloomsbury include the UCL Main Building, designed by William Wilkins. The Cruciform Building, designed by Alfred Waterhouse, is also nearby.
UCL East Campus
UCL has a second campus called UCL East. It is located at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. The first building opened in 2022, and the second in 2023. More buildings are planned for the future.
Student Housing
UCL owns 26 student halls, providing about 7,000 beds. The university guarantees housing for most first-year undergraduate students and international postgraduate students.
In 2013, UCL's New Hall student accommodation building was criticized for its design. It was even called the "country's worst new building" by a magazine.
Environmental Efforts
UCL is committed to being environmentally friendly. Its new Student Centre, opened in 2019, was designed to be very sustainable. It received an "outstanding" certification for its eco-friendly design.
In 2019, UCL launched a plan for a "Sustainable UCL." This plan aims to reduce energy use by 40% and make all buildings carbon neutral by 2024. It also wants UCL to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Another goal is to reduce waste and stop using single-use plastics. UCL also plans to create more green spaces on campus to help biodiversity.
How UCL is Organized
UCL is run by a council and an academic board. These groups make sure the university follows its rules. The President and Provost is the main leader of UCL.
Faculties and Departments
UCL's teaching and research are divided into eleven main faculties. Each faculty has many schools, departments, and research institutes.
Faculty | Staff | Students | ||
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Undergraduates | Postgraduates | |||
Taught | Research | |||
Arts and Humanities | 620 | 2,684 | 943 | 226 |
Bartlett (Built Environment) | 1,272 | 925 | 2,836 | 411 |
Brain Sciences | 1,725 | 929 | 1,961 | 1,034 |
Engineering Sciences | 667 | 4,373 | 2,791 | 1,122 |
IOE (Education and Society) | 1,318 | 1,515 | 3,988 | 684 |
Laws | 175 | 844 | 450 | 49 |
Life Sciences | 964 | 2,632 | 1,084 | 592 |
Mathematical and Physical Sciences | 1,135 | 3,927 | 929 | 680 |
Medical Sciences | 1,321 | 2,356 | 1,287 | 430 |
Population Health Sciences | 1,578 | 247 | 1,365 | 447 |
Social and Historical Sciences | 1,101 | 4,130 | 2,054 | 488 |
UCL's Logo and Motto
UCL uses a modern logo instead of a traditional coat of arms. The current logo was adopted in 2005.
UCL's motto is "Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae". This is a quote from a Latin poem and means "Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward." UCL's main colors are purple and blue.
Memberships and Partnerships
UCL is a founding member of the Russell Group, a group of 24 leading research universities in the UK. It is also part of the "golden triangle" of research universities in southeast England.
UCL works with many other universities and organizations around the world. It is a partner in UCLPartners, a big health science center. UCL also helped create the Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national center for data science and artificial intelligence.

UCL also offers joint degrees with other universities, like Columbia University in the US. UCL sponsors the UCL Academy, a secondary school in London.
Academic Life at UCL
Research at UCL

UCL receives a lot of money for its research from grants and contracts. In 2021/22, it received over £524 million for research.
UCL is known for its "world-leading" research. In a 2021 national assessment, 58% of UCL's research was rated as "world-leading." UCL was ranked second in the UK for its research power.
Research Centers
UCL has many research centers that work with other institutions.
- The London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) studies tiny materials and is a partnership with Imperial College London and King's College London.
- The Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership studies the history of slavery.
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC) is a neuroscience research center that opened in 2016.
Publishing and Innovation
UCL also makes money from its research by licensing technologies and creating new companies. UCL Business helps turn research ideas into real-world products and companies.
UCL Press, launched in 2015, is UCL's own publishing house. It was the first fully open access university press in the UK. This means its books and journals are available for free online.
UCL Libraries
UCL has 18 libraries with over 2 million books. The largest is the UCL Main Library, which covers arts, humanities, and law. The UCL Science Library focuses on science and engineering.
Other specialized libraries include the UCL Bartlett Library for architecture and the Newsam Library for education, which is the largest education library in Europe. Students can also use the Senate House Library and the British Library, which are nearby.
Special Collections
UCL's Special Collections hold rare books and historical documents. It has over 150,000 rare books and 600 collections of archives. These include first editions of famous books like Isaac Newton's Principia and Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species.
UCL Museums
UCL has several museums and collections that cover many different subjects:
- Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: This museum has about 80,000 items from ancient Egypt, from prehistoric times to the Islamic period. It is named after William Flinders Petrie, a famous archaeologist.
- UCL Art Museum: This museum has a collection of art, including works by women artists.
- Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy: Started in 1827, this museum has about 68,000 animal specimens. It includes rare items like dodo bones and a quagga skeleton.
Reputation and Rankings
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the UK and worldwide.
- UK Rankings
UCL is usually in the top ten in all major UK university rankings. These rankings look at things like teaching quality, student experience, and job prospects for graduates. In 2024, UCL was named "University of the Year" by the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide.
- Global Rankings
UCL is also highly ranked globally.
- In the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities, UCL was ranked 18th in the world.
- In the 2023 QS World University Rankings, UCL was ranked 8th in the world.
- In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, UCL was ranked 22nd in the world.
Admissions to UCL
Main scheme applications | |
Applications | 74,775 |
Accepted applicants | 7,420 |
Applications/accepted ratio | 10.08 |
UK applicants, June deadline | |
Applications | 31,285 |
Offer rate (%) | 29.5 |
Offers | 9,700 |
Placed applicants | 3,175 |
Placed applicants/offers (%) | 32.7 |
Summary statistics | |
Total accepted applicants | 7,530 |
Average Entry Tariff (2020) | 189 |
Getting into UCL is competitive. For 2021, UCL accepted about 36% of undergraduate applicants and 23% of postgraduate applicants. Many international students apply to UCL.
For some courses like law and medicine, applicants need to take special tests. Some courses also require interviews.
Helping More Students Access UCL
UCL has a program called Access UCL. This program offers lower entry requirements for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes students from poorer areas, those who have been in care, or young adult carers.
UCL also runs summer schools for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These programs help students learn more about university life and improve their applications.
For international students who don't meet the direct entry requirements, UCL offers one-year foundation courses.
Student Life at UCL
Students' Union
Students' Union UCL was founded in 1893 and is one of the oldest student unions in England. It represents students and provides many services. It is run by elected student officers.
The union supports over 250 clubs and societies. These include sports clubs, media groups like Pi Media, and the Debating Society. Famous people like Christopher Nolan were once part of the Film Society.
Faith and Religion
UCL was founded to be a secular university, meaning it is not linked to any religion. It has a prayer room and a silent meditation room for students of all faiths. There is also a Christian chaplain and student societies for most major religions.
Sports at UCL
The students' union runs over 70 sports clubs. These include clubs for cricket, rowing, running, and rugby. UCL teams compete in national university sports competitions.
UCL has a fitness center on its main campus. It also has a large athletics ground in Shenley, Hertfordshire.
UCL's Mascot
UCL's mascot is Phineas MacLino, or Phineas. He is a wooden statue of a Scottish Highlander. Phineas was stolen from a shop in 1900. Students from King's College London once stole Phineas, leading to a big fight to get him back. In 2019, the students' union decided to remove the mascot from the bar due to its historical links.
Rivalry with King's College London
UCL has a long-standing, mostly friendly rivalry with King's College London. Students from King's sometimes call UCL students "Godless Scum of Gower Street." UCL students call King's "Strand Polytechnic."
In 1922, King's students kidnapped Phineas, leading to a famous "Battle of Gower Street." In 1975, King's students even stole the preserved head of Jeremy Bentham from UCL.
Student Campaigns
UCL students have often campaigned for important causes. In 1956, they marched against Soviet oppression. In the 1960s, there were groups for nuclear disarmament and against apartheid.
In 2010, students and staff protested to make UCL pay a living wage to all its staff. Students also protested against increases in student fees. In 2016 and 2017, students held "rent strikes" to protest high accommodation costs and poor conditions.
In 2018, students started the Climate Action Society. This group pushed the university to stop investing in fossil fuels. In 2024, students set up an encampment on campus to protest the Israel-Hamas war.
UCL's Student Body
UCL student body 2021/22 UK undergrad (23.5%) Int undergrad (27.3%) UK taught postgrad (17.4%) Int taught postgrad (18.7%) UK research postgrad (7.5%) Int research postgrad (5.6%)
In the 2021/22 school year, UCL had 46,830 students. This included 23,800 undergraduate students and 23,030 postgraduate students. UCL has the second-largest number of students in the UK and the most postgraduate students.
About half of UCL's students (52%) are from outside the UK. Many international students come from Asia, especially China. The student body is diverse, with students from many different backgrounds and countries.
Diversity at UCL
UCL has received awards for its efforts in promoting equality. It holds a silver Athena SWAN award for supporting women in science. It also has a bronze Race Equality Charter award.
UCL used to be part of the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme, which promotes LGBT+ equality. It left the scheme in 2020.
Famous People from UCL
Many notable people have studied or worked at UCL.
- Francis Crick: Co-discoverer of the structure of DNA.
- Joseph Lister: A pioneer in using antiseptics in surgery.
- Charles K. Kao: Known as the "Godfather of broadband."
- Jomo Kenyatta: The "Founding Father" of Kenya.
- Otto Hahn: A pioneer of nuclear chemistry and Nobel Prize winner.
- Peter Higgs: Proposed the Higgs mechanism, which predicted the existence of the Higgs boson. He also won a Nobel Prize.
- A. E. Housman: A famous classical scholar and poet.
- Sir William Ramsay: Discovered all the naturally occurring noble gases.
Other well-known alumni include Mahatma Gandhi, who took English classes at UCL, and John Stuart Mill, a famous philosopher.
See also
In Spanish: University College de Londres para niños
- List of universities in the UK