University of London

The University of London (UoL) is a large public research university in London, England. It was started in 1836 and was first created to give degrees to students from schools like University College London and King's College London.

Over time, it grew and now includes many colleges and schools.

Today, the University of London has 17 member schools. It offers learning both online and on campus. It is the largest university in the United Kingdom with many students.

Many famous people have graduated from the University of London, including leaders, award winners, and sports champions. The university remains an important place for learning and discovery around the world.

History

19th century

The University of London started in 1836. It was made to help students from many colleges earn degrees. Before this, students could only get degrees from Oxford or Cambridge if they were part of the Church of England. Two colleges, University College London (UCL) and King's College London, helped start the university.

At first, the University of London mainly tested students for their degrees. Later, more colleges joined and the university grew. By 1858, students from all over Britain could take its exams. Around this time, the university also began giving science degrees.

20th century

By 1900, the university changed to include many colleges. This meant students could study at places like UCL and King’s College while being part of the University of London. The university also started offering degrees in more subjects, like theology.

During the world wars, many students from the university served their country. After the wars, the university kept growing. Colleges began to have more control over their own teaching and money.

21st century

In the 2000s, some colleges decided to leave the university to become independent. Others joined later. The university kept changing to give colleges more freedom while still working together. Today, the University of London is a group of many different colleges working as one big university.

Campuses

The University of London has a big area of land in central London. It covers 12 hectares in Bloomsbury near Russell Square tube station. Some colleges, like SOAS and Birkbeck, University of London, have their main buildings there. This area has eight places for students to live, Senate House, and the Senate House Library.

The university also owns many squares that were part of the Bedford estate, such as Gordon Square, Torrington Square, and Woburn Square. It has buildings outside Bloomsbury where its colleges are located. The university also has properties outside London, including the University of London Institute in Paris, where students can study French and history.

Organisation and administration

See also: List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of London

The University of London is led by a board of trustees. This board has eleven members. It includes the vice-chancellor, the deputy vice-chancellor, and leaders from member schools.

The board works with the Collegiate Council. This council has leaders from member institutions and other important university roles.

Chancellors

William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire, first chancellor of the University of London

Anne, Princess Royal, current chancellor of the University of London

The chancellors of the University of London since it began are:

• William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Burlington, 1836–1856
• Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, 1856–1891
• Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, 1891–1893
• Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell, 1893–1899
• John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley, 1899–1902
• Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1902–1929
• William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, 1929–1931
• Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, 1932–1955
• Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, 1955–1981
• Princess Anne (Princess Royal from 1987), –present

Member institutions

Main article: Member institutions of the University of London

The University of London has 17 main schools. These schools work together but also make many of their own decisions. The university helps these schools with important rules and exams.

There are also 12 smaller groups inside the university that offer courses. Many universities around the world started as part of the University of London and later became independent. Some schools still work with the university to help students learn from far away.

Federation members

See also: List of heads of member institutions of the University of London

Under rules made in 2018, the schools in the University of London are either colleges or universities. This does not change their work with the university or the degrees they give.

The member institutions of the University of London are:

Central academic bodies

!Image description

Left: University of London Worldwide Administrative Building, Stewart House, University of London. Right: University of London Institute in Paris, located on the Esplanade des Invalides in central Paris.

• University of London Worldwide
• University of London Institute in Paris, formerly known as the British Institute in Paris
• School of Advanced Study comprising the following institutes:
  • the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
  • the Institute of Classical Studies
  • the Institute of Commonwealth Studies
  • the Institute of English Studies
  • the Institute of Historical Research
  • the Institute of Modern Languages Research
  • the Institute of Philosophy
  • the Warburg Institute

Former colleges and schools

Some schools of the University of London have joined bigger schools, closed, or left the university. These include:

City St George's, University of London – formed by merger in 2024

• City, University of London – merged in 2024
• St George's, University of London – merged in 2024

King's College London

• Chelsea College – Manresa Road, Chelsea
• Queen Elizabeth College – Campden Hill Road, Kensington
• Institute of Psychiatry – split from Maudsley Hospital; merged in 1997
• United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals – merged in 1998; now part of King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry

Queen Mary, University of London

• Westfield College – Kidderpore Avenue, Hampstead; now part of Queen Mary and Westfield College
• St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College – merged in 1995
• London Hospital Medical College – merged in 1995

Royal Holloway, University of London

• Bedford College – Inner Circle Regent's Park; now part of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
• Institute of Musical Research – moved from School of Advanced Study in 2015

UCL

• The School of Pharmacy, University of London – merged on 1 January 2012
• School of Slavonic and East European Studies
• Institute of Education – merged on 2 December 2014
• Middlesex Hospital Medical School – merged in 1987
• Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine – merged in 1998

Institutions that have closed or left the university include:

• Heythrop College – closed in 2018
• University Marine Biological Station, Millport – closed in 2013; now run by Field Studies Council
• Imperial College London – became independent in July 2007. This had previously absorbed several schools.
• New College London – closed in 1980
• The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chelsea, London – became a science funding body in 1978
• Richmond (Theological) College – closed in 1972; campus transferred to The American International University in London
• Regent's Park College – moved to Oxford in 1927, becoming a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford from 1957

University colleges in the external degree programme

Many big universities started by teaching degrees from the University of London. These include:

• Mason College, Birmingham, became the University of Birmingham in 1900.
• Owen's College Manchester, became part of the Victoria University in 1880, then the Victoria University of Manchester in 1903.
• University College Liverpool, became part of the Victoria University in 1884, then the University of Liverpool in 1903.
• Yorkshire College, Leeds, became part of the Victoria University in 1887, then the University of Leeds in 1904.
• Firth College, Sheffield, became the University of Sheffield in 1905.
• Bristol University College, became the University of Bristol in 1909.
• University College Reading, became the University of Reading in 1926.
• Ceylon University College, became the University of Ceylon in 1942.
• University College Nottingham, became the University of Nottingham in 1948.
• Hartley University College, Southampton, became the University of Southampton in 1952.
• University College Hull, became the University of Hull in 1954.
• University College of the South West of England, Exeter, became the University of Exeter in 1955.
• University College Leicester, became the University of Leicester in 1957.
• University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, Cardiff, joined the University of Wales in 1893 and became Cardiff University in 2005.
• University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, joined the University of Wales in 1893 and became Aberystwyth University in 2007.
• University College of North Wales, Bangor, joined the University of Wales in 1893 and became Bangor University in 2007.

Other colleges also had their degrees approved by the University of London.

• St Patrick's, Carlow College, Ireland – from 1840 to 1892
• St Patrick's College, Thurles, Ireland – from 1849
• Huddersfield College
• Queen's College, Birmingham
• Stonyhurst College, a Catholic college in Lancashire.
• Wesleyan Collegiate Institution, Taunton, which became Queen's College, Taunton.
• Ceylon Technical College, 1933 – 1950
• University College Lahore
• Singapore Institute of Management
• Northwest College for Advanced Learning, India

Colleges in special relation

Between 1946 and 1970, the university worked with colleges in other countries. These colleges could give University of London degrees. Some of these colleges are listed below:

• 1946 – The University College of the West Indies, until 1961 (now the University of the West Indies)
• 1948 – University College of the Gold Coast (now University of Ghana)
• 1948 – University College, Ibadan, until 1967 (now the University of Ibadan)
• 1956 – University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now the University of Zimbabwe)
• 1961 – Royal College Nairobi (now the University of Nairobi)
• 1963 – University of East Africa (In 1970, it split into three universities)

In 1970, these special relationships ended.

Coat of arms

The University of London got its special symbol in April 1838. This symbol shows a cross of St George with a Tudor rose in the middle, topped with a crown. There is a blue area with an open book above it.

Academic dress

Main article: Academic dress of the University of London

The University of London made rules for special clothes, called academic dress, that students and teachers wear. These rules started by 1844. It was the first university to use different colors for different subjects. Many other universities later used this idea too.

Colleges that give out their own degrees have their own special clothes for those degrees.

Student life

In 2024/25, about 5% of all students in the UK went to one of the University of London's schools. Over 50,000 students are also part of University of London Worldwide.

The ULU building on Malet Street used to be home to the University of London Union, which helped all students. It was called "Student Central, London" from 2010 to 2022. Now, since 2022, the building belongs to Birkbeck and is no longer used by the university.

Sports, clubs and traditions

Most sports teams are organized by each college, but ULU also had some sports clubs, like a rowing team, that competed in BUCS leagues. The union also organized competitions for teams from different colleges. Friends of University of London Sport helps support these teams.

ULU also had clubs for sports not covered by the colleges, like the University of London Union Lifesaving Club, where students could learn lifesaving skills and compete in the BULSCA league.

There were many other societies to join, such as Ballroom and Latin American Dance, Shaolin Kung Fu, the University of London Big Band, and the Breakdancing Society. The university also has the University of London Society of Change Ringers for bellringers. The university runs the University of London Boat Club.

Student housing

Connaught Hall is located in Tavistock Square

The university has eight places where students can live together, called halls of residence, for students from its different colleges:

• Bonham Carter and Warwickshire House, Gower Street, WC1E
• College Hall, Malet Street, WC1E
• Connaught Hall, Tavistock Square, WC1H
• Eleanor Rosa House, Lett Road, E15
• Garden Halls, Cartwright Gardens, WC1H
• Handel Mansions, Handel Street, WC1N
• International Hall, Lansdown Terrace, WC1N
• Nutford House, Brown Street, W1H

Notable people

For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of London people and Category:Alumni of the University of London.

Alumni

Many famous people have studied or worked at the University of London. Some well-known graduates include Mahatma Gandhi, who helped India gain independence, and Nelson Mandela, who worked for peace in South Africa. Other notable alumni are John Snow, who helped start the study of disease spread, and Tom Wolf, who became the governor of Pennsylvania. The university has also educated leaders like Achim Steiner, who works for the United Nations Development Programme, and Tedros Adhanom, who leads the World Health Organization.

The university has produced many important figures in science, politics, and the arts. Some famous names include Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, and George Soros, a well-known investor. Royalty such as Margrethe II, the Queen of Denmark, and Camilla, the Queen of the United Kingdom, have also received honorary degrees.

Academic staff

The university has had many respected teachers and researchers. Some famous academic staff include poet T. S. Eliot and scientist Alexander Fleming, who discovered a medicine that helped fight infections.

In addition to scientists, the university has been connected to many writers, artists, and musicians. Famous writers who were linked to the university include Malcolm Bradbury, H. G. Wells, and Arthur C. Clarke. Musicians such as Elton John and members of bands like Coldplay and Iron Maiden also have ties to the university.

Honorary alumni

The University of London began giving honorary degrees in 1903. These degrees are given to people who have done great things in many fields. Some of these honorary graduates include kings and queens like George V and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as famous thinkers like Albert Einstein. Other honorary degree recipients include Winston Churchill, who was a prime minister of the United Kingdom, and Amartya Sen, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in economics.

Controversy

In recent years, the University of London has had many disagreements about how it treats its staff and students.

In 2012, workers who cleaned the university started a campaign called “3 Cosas” to ask for better sick pay, holidays, and pensions. After many protests and strikes, the university agreed to make some changes, but they were not as big as the workers wanted.

In 2013, students occupied a building to make several requests, including fair pay for workers and stopping plans to close the student union. Police came to the building, leading to many students being arrested.

In 2018, a report talked about worries regarding the university’s security at Senate House. Some students who had taken part in an occupation were not allowed to use university buildings.

In December 2018, a workers’ union asked people to avoid events at the university’s main buildings to push for better treatment of workers.

In May 2019, a group of university staff decided to avoid the university’s main buildings to put more pressure on the university.

In May 2025, the Vice Chancellor was suspended while investigations into claims of poor leadership took place. She later left the university.

The federal model elsewhere

In 1850, the Queen's University of Ireland was created to give degrees to students from colleges in Belfast, Cork, and Galway. Later, in 1879, it was replaced by the Royal University of Ireland, which worked like the University of London. This was then replaced by the federal National University of Ireland in 1908.

When the University of New Zealand began in 1874, it was set up like the University of London, mainly testing students. The same idea was used for the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1875 for South Africa. In Canada, a similar system was used in regions. The University of Toronto gave degrees and tested students in Ontario from 1853 to 1887, using the University of London’s model.

In India, three universities were created in 1857 in Calcutta, Mumbai, and Madras to meet the need for higher education, following the University of London’s example. The University of Wales started in 1893 with colleges in Aberystwyth, Bangor, and Cardiff, but decided to dissolve in 2017.

Literature and popular culture

See also: Category:University of London in fiction

Literature

Dr. Watson, a character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, studied at St Bart's Hospital Medical School (now part of QMUL) and got his medical degree from the University of London. There, he met Sherlock Holmes.

In the 1980s British sitcoms Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, the character Jim Hacker got a degree from the university (LSE).

Films and others

A teacher at the university (SOAS) named William McGovern helped inspire the movie character Indiana Jones.

The Senate House and the university's colleges have appeared in many Hollywood and British films.

In 1916, Alfred Hitchcock joined the University of London for evening classes in drawing and design. This helped him get a job making title cards for films in 1920.