University College London

{{main|History of University College London}}

File:University of London 1829.jpg

File:The London University by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd 1827-28.JPG) as imagined by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd in 1827–28, when construction was in progress. The portico and dome were completed in 1829, but lack of funds meant it would be many years before reality matched the picture.]]

UCL was founded on 11 February 1826 as an alternative to the Anglican universities of Oxford and Cambridge.Harte, North, and Brewis 2018, pp. 16–20 It took the form of a joint stock company, with shares sold for £100 ({{Inflation|UK|100|1826|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-2}}) to proprietors, under the name of London University, although without legal recognition as a university or the associated right to award degrees.{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=13–23 |author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}}{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RD4hAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA6100 |encyclopedia=Americanized Encyclopædia Britannica |volume=10 |year=1890 |page=6100 |access-date=9 February 2011 |title=Americanized Encyclopedia Britannica, Revised and Amended: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature; to which is Added Biographies of Livings Subjects}}{{cite web |last1=Penman |first1=Colin |title=The youth of our middling rich: how egalitarian were UCL's founders? – UCL Lunch Hour Lecture |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMnaY3g7etQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/eMnaY3g7etQ |archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live |website=You tube |publisher=UCL Lunch Hour Lectures |access-date=31 March 2017 |date=27 February 2017}}{{cbignore}} London University's first warden was Leonard Horner, who was the first scientist to head a British university.{{cite book |title=John Phillips and the Business of Victorian Science |first1=Jack |last1=Morrell |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84014-239-6 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hq1VPHtxG00C&q=Leonard+Horner+first+warden}}

File:Four founders of UCL.JPG' 1923 mural The Four Founders of UCL]]

Despite the commonly held belief that the philosopher Jeremy Bentham was the founder of UCL, his direct involvement was limited to the purchase of share No. 633, at a cost of £100 paid in nine instalments between December 1826 and January 1830. In 1828, he did nominate a friend to sit on the council, and in 1827, attempted to have his disciple John Bowring appointed as the first professor of English or History, but on both occasions his candidates were unsuccessful.{{cite book |last=Harte |first=Negley |chapter=The owner of share no. 633: Jeremy Bentham and University College London |editor-first=Catherine |editor-last=Fuller |title=The Old Radical: representations of Jeremy Bentham |location=London |publisher=University College London |year=1998 |pages=5–8}} However, Bentham is commonly regarded as the "spiritual father" of UCL, as his ideas on education and society were influential with the institution's founders, particularly James Mill (1773–1836) and Henry Brougham (1778–1868).{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/who/bentham_ucl |title=Bentham and UCL |publisher=University College London |access-date=28 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306201106/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/who/bentham_ucl |archive-date=6 March 2014 }}

In 1828, the chair of political economy at London University was created, with John Ramsay McCulloch as the first incumbent.{{cite book |title=A Cyclopedia of Education: Volume Two |editor=Paul Monroe |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |year=1911 |page=388 |isbn=9780598945396 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQZXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA388}} In 1829, the university appointed the first professor of English in England, although the course concentrated on linguistics and the modern teaching of English – studying English literature – was introduced by King's College London in 1831.{{cite book |title=Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory |first1=Peter |last1=Barry |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7190-6268-1 |page=12 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=SNy26bx7L5UC&q=English}} In 1830, London University founded the London University School, which would later become University College School.{{cite book|title=World of UCL|page=51|publisher=UCL Press|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3= Georgina Brewis|year=2018|url=https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/108685}} In 1833, the university appointed Alexander Maconochie, secretary to the Royal Geographical Society, as the first professor of geography in Britain.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9NSDx4DxfVcC&pg=PA2 |first=Robert W. |last=Steel|chapter=The beginning and the end |title=British Geography 1918–1945|editor-first=Robert W. |editor-last=Steel |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=8 October 1987|isbn=9780521247900 }}{{cite journal|jstor=1793383|title= Captain Alexander Maconochie, R. N., K. H., 1787-1860|author=R. Gerard Ward|journal=The Geographical Journal|volume= 126|issue= 4 |date=December 1960|pages=459–468|doi= 10.2307/1793383|bibcode= 1960GeogJ.126..459W}} Classes in medicine began at the opening of the college in 1828, and in 1834 University College Hospital (originally North London Hospital) opened as a teaching hospital for these classes, which were organised into a faculty of medicine in 1836.{{cite book |chapter=University College Hospital Medical School |title=The University of London and its Colleges: "constituting, the most wonderful aggregation of institutions to be found anywhere in the world" |first=Stanley Gordon |last=Wilson |location=London |publisher=University Tutorial Press |year=1923 |page=129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AnAxAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA125}}

After almost a decade of attempting to win recognition as a university and the right to award degrees, including an Address to the Crown from the House of Commons, the proprietors of London University accepted the government's proposal to establish the University of London as an independent examining body, accepting the status of a college for their institution.{{cite book|title=University of London, the Historical Record: (1836–1912)|publisher=University of London|date=1912|pages=7–24|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyPiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA7}} As a result, the proprietors of London University were incorporated by royal charter under the name University College, London on 28 November 1836. On the same day, the University of London was created by royal charter as a degree-awarding examining board for students from affiliated schools and colleges, with University College and King's College, London being named in the charter as the first two affiliates.{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZtRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA564 |title=The English Universities: From the German |first=Victor Aimé |last=Huber |date=1843 |publisher=William Pickering |via=Google Books}} The first students from UCL and King's matriculated as undergraduates in 1838 and the first degrees were awarded to students of the two colleges in 1839.{{cite book|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol1/pp315-344|title=The University of London: The University|work=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 1, Physique, Archaeology, Domesday, Ecclesiastical Organization, the Jews, Religious Houses, Education of Working Classes To 1870, Private Education From Sixteenth Century|pages=315–344|publisher=Victoria County History|date= 1969|editor1=J. S. Cockburn|editor2= H. P. F. King |editor3=K. G. T. McDonnell|via=British History Online}}

There had been an intention to establish a course in engineering at the college's opening but no professor was appointed until 1840 or 1841, after engineering courses had started at Durham University (1837) and King's College London (1838).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7x8AieWYGbEC&pg=PA17|pages=17–21|title=Worlds apart: academic instruction and professional qualifications in the training of mechanical engineers in England, 1850–1915|author=Anna Guagnini |work=Education, Technology and Industrial Performance in Europe, 1850–1939|editor1=Robert Fox|editor2=Anna Guagnini |publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=15 July 1993|isbn=9780521381536 }}{{cite book|title=Universities in the Age of Reform, 1800–1870: Durham, London and King's College|author=Matthew Andrews| pages=167–173 |publisher=Springer International|date=June 2018}} The Slade School of Fine Art was founded as part of University College in 1871, following a bequest from Felix Slade.{{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of Art |first1=Ian |last1=Chilvers |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-860476-1 |page=655 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WYaRX58a0_IC}}

In 1878, the University of London gained a supplemental charter making it the first British university to be allowed to award degrees to women. The same year, UCL admitted women to the faculties of Arts and Law and of Science, although women remained barred from the faculties of Engineering and of Medicine (with the exception of courses on public health and hygiene).{{cite book |title=The University of London, 1836–1986: An Illustrated History |first1=N. B. |last1=Harte |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-485-12052-3 |page=132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PysucrsTkWAC}}{{Cite journal |title=The Place of University Education in the Life of Women. An address delivered at the Women's Institute on November 23rd, 1897 |first=Eleanor Mildred |last=Sidgwick |author-link=Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick |journal=Transactions of the Women's Institute |volume=1 |date=15 August 1897 |location=London |hdl=2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t4xg9hw0c}} UCL's admission of women in 1878 came almost three decades after Bedford College became the first institution to offer university-level education for women in Britain, and the establishment of the University of London's General Examination for Women in 1868.{{cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/first-women-university-remembering-london-nine|title=The first women at university: remembering 'the London Nine'|work=Times Higher Education|date=28 January 2018|author=Philip Carter}}{{cite web|url=https://www.london.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/leading-women/oh-pioneers-remembering-london-nine|title=Oh Pioneers! Remembering the London Nine| website=University of London|access-date=11 February 2023}}

The Ladies' Educational Association held classes for women from 1868, taught by professors from UCL but independently of the college. From 1871 to 1872 these were held inside the college building, although still independently of the college. From 1872, some professors, particularly Edward Poynter of the Slade, started to admit women to their classes.{{cite book|title=World of UCL|page=89|publisher=UCL Press|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3= Georgina Brewis|year=2018|url=https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/108685}} The full opening on the faculties of arts, science and law in 1878 came two years after the admission of women alongside men at the University of Bristol from its foundation (as University College Bristol) in 1876.{{cite web |url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/university/history/ |title=History of the University |publisher=University of Bristol |access-date=11 December 2015}} The first woman to officially enrol in architecture at UCL was Gertrude Leverkus in 1915,{{cite web|url=https://bartletthistoryproject.tumblr.com/post/76946019895/gertrude-leverkus-at-the-bartlett|title=Gertrude Leverkus at the Bartlett|work=The Bartlett History Project|date=17 February 2014}} although Ethel and Bessie Charles had been allowed to audit classes in the 1890s.{{cite web|url=https://bartletthistoryproject.tumblr.com/post/78428614670/ethel-bessie-charles|title=Ethel & Bessie Charles|work=The Bartlett History Project|date=3 March 2014}} Women were finally admitted to medical studies during the First World War in 1917, although limitations were placed on their numbers after the war ended.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LcAeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 |title=Women in Twentieth-Century Britain: Social, Cultural and Political Change |first=Ina |last=Zweiniger-Bargielowska |author-link=Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska |date=30 July 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-87692-2 |via=Google Books}}

A new royal charter granted to the University of London in 1858 effectively removed the affiliation of colleges to the university. Dissatisfaction from the colleges and the desire for a "teaching university" in London led to royal commissions that reported in 1888 and 1892 and the reconstitution of the university under the University of London Act 1898.

{{Infobox UK legislation

| short_title = University College London (Transfer) Act 1905

| type = Act

| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom

| long_title =

| year = 1905

| citation = 5 Edw. 7. c. xci

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| territorial_extent =

| royal_assent = 11 July 1905

| commencement =

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| theyworkforyou =

| millbankhansard =

| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Edw7/5/91/pdfs/ukla_19050091_en.pdf

| revised_text =

| use_new_UK-LEG =

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Following the University of London's reconstitution in 1909, transforming it from an examining board to a federal university with constituent "schools", UCL, became a school of the University of London. While most of the colleges that became schools of the university retained their autonomy, UCL chose to be merged into the university in 1907 under the University College London (Transfer) Act 1905 (5 Edw. 7. c. xci) and surrendered its legal independence in return for gaining a greater say in the running of the university. Its formal name became University of London, University College, although for most informal and external purposes the name "University College, London" (or the initialism UCL) was still used. {{As of|2022|post=,}} it remains listed as "University of London: University College" on US Federal Student Aid applications.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/us-student-financial-aid-ucl|title=US Student Financial Aid at UCL|website=UCL|date=18 November 2019 |access-date=27 January 2023}}

File:The Cruciform Building - geograph.org.uk - 727084.jpg

1900 also saw the decision to appoint a salaried head of the college. The first incumbent was Carey Foster, who served as Principal (as the post was originally titled) from 1900 to 1904. He was succeeded by Gregory Foster (no relation), and in 1906 the title was changed to Provost to avoid confusion with the principal of the University of London. Gregory Foster remained in post until 1929.Harte and North 2004, pp. 160–61.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/special-collections/a-z/foster-gregory |title=Foster, Sir Gregory: Papers |publisher=UCL}}{{cite web |title=Former Provosts |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/former-provosts |publisher=University College London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229164231/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/former-provosts |archive-date=29 February 2016 |access-date=10 June 2017}} In 1906, the Cruciform Building was opened as the new home for University College Hospital.{{cite book |title=University College Hospital and its Medical School: A History |first1=W |last1=Merrington |publisher=Heinemann |year=1976 |isbn=978-0-434-46500-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VbV1QgAACAAJ}} UCL opened the first department and chair of chemical engineering in the UK, funded by the Ramsay Memorial Fund, in 1923.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemical-engineering/about/history |title= History. UCL Chemical Engineering has a long and distinguished history as a world-leading research department – the first of its kind in the UK. Find out more about some key figures and dates in our history |website=University College London |date=19 July 2018 |access-date=16 April 2021}}

In 1904, Francis Galton donated £1,000 to the University of London for a eugenics laboratory; this transferred to UCL in 1907 with Karl Pearson as its director.{{cite report|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/ucl_history_of_eugenics_inquiry_report.pdf|title=Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at UCL Report|date=February 2020|page=24}} UCL apologised for its "fundamental role in the development, propagation and legitimisation of eugenics" in 2021.{{cite news |date=7 January 2021 |title=University College London apologises for role in promoting eugenics |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/07/university-college-london-apologises-for-role-in-promoting-eugenics |access-date=7 January 2021 |website=The Guardian}}

In 1911, UCL received an anonymous donation of £30,000 ({{inflation|UK|30000|1911|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-4}}) for a building for its school of architecture. In 1919 the donor consented to being named as Herbert Bartlett and the school was renamed in his honour.{{cite web|url=https://bartlett100.com/article/the-life-of-herbert-henry-bartlett.html|title=The life of Henry Bartlett|website=Bartlett 100|publisher=UCL The Bartlett|date=2019|access-date=27 January 2023|archive-date=27 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127145732/https://bartlett100.com/article/the-life-of-herbert-henry-bartlett.html|url-status=dead}}

UCL sustained considerable bomb damage during the Second World War, including the complete destruction of the Great Hall, the Carey Foster Physics Laboratory and the Ramsay Laboratory. Fires gutted the library and destroyed much of the main building, including the dome; it was not until 1954 that the main building was fully restored. The departments were dispersed across the country to Aberystwyth, Bangor, Gwynedd, Cambridge, Oxford, Rothamsted near Harpenden, Hertfordshire and Sheffield, with the administration at Stanstead Bury near Ware, Hertfordshire.{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=201–210 |author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}} The first UCL student newspaper, Pi, was founded in 1946.{{cite web|url=https://uclpimedia.com/whatispimedia|title=What is Pi Media|website=Pi Media|access-date=25 January 2023}} The Institute of Jewish Studies relocated from Manchester to UCL in 1959.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128194440/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-jewish-studies/about-0|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-jewish-studies/about-0|archive-date=28 November 2022|access-date=25 January 2023|title=About|website=UCL Institute of Jewish Studies|date=24 April 2019 }} The Mullard Space Science Laboratory was established in 1967.{{cite book |title=History of British Space Science |first1=Harrie |last1=Massie |first2=M. |last2=Robins |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-521-12338-9 |page=220 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqQsjc3BwZkC}}

In 1973, Peter Kirstein's research group at UCL became one of only two international nodes on the ARPANET, later becoming part of SATNET.{{cite news |date=19 November 2003 |title=30 years of the international internet |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3280897.stm |access-date=22 June 2012}}{{cite news |date=21 November 2003 |title=UCL marks 30 years of e-networking |work=Times Higher Education |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=185049§ioncode=26 |access-date=22 June 2012}} UCL's interconnection between the ARPANET and early British academic networks was the first international heterogeneous resource sharing network.{{Cite journal |last=Kirstein |first=P.T. |date=1999 |title=Early experiences with the Arpanet and Internet in the United Kingdom |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4773/f19792f9fce8eacba72e5f8c2a021414e52d.pdf |journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=38–44 |doi=10.1109/85.759368 |issn=1934-1547 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207092443/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4773/f19792f9fce8eacba72e5f8c2a021414e52d.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-07 |s2cid=1558618}} UCL played a significant role in the very earliest experimental Internet work and adopted TCP/IP in 1982, ahead of the ARPANET.{{cite book |author=M. Ziewitz & I. Brown |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QgI1_r61JFQC&pg=PA7 |title=Research Handbook on Governance of the Internet |date=2013 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |isbn=978-1849805049 |page=7 |access-date=2015-08-16}}{{cite encyclopedia |author1=Vinton Cerf |date=1993 |encyclopedia=The Online User's Encyclopedia| editor=Bernard Aboba|publisher=Boston: Addison-Wesley| title=How the Internet Came to Be |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237130669 |quote=We began doing concurrent implementations at Stanford, BBN, and University College London. So effort at developing the Internet protocols was international from the beginning.}}[http://mercury.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/plaque.html "Stanford University 'Birth of the Internet' Plaque"], web page, J. Noel Chiappa, Laboratory for Computer Science, MITSee also the Final Report of the Stanford University TCP project, {{Cite IETF|ien=151}}, written by Cerf in 1980. This was originally, in TCP version 2 in 1977 (IEN5), to be entitled "Final Report of the Internetwork TCP Project" and to be written by Cerf [Stanford], Stephen Edge [UCL], Andrew Hinchley [UCL], Richard Karp [Stanford], Peter T. Kirstein [UCL], and Paal Spilling [NDRE]. This title was carried over into version 3 (IEN21) and into the list of references in version 4 but the present title was adopted in the preface (IEN55).

The college's senior common room, the Housman Room, remained men-only until 1969. After two unsuccessful attempts, a motion was passed that ended segregation by sex at UCL. This was achieved by Brian Woledge (Fielden Professor of French at UCL from 1939 to 1971) and David Colquhoun, at that time a young lecturer in pharmacology.{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=241–244|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}}

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=200 |image1=Portico and steps, University College, London - geograph.org.uk - 364428.jpg |alt1=UCL |caption1=The Wilkins Building in 1956 |image2=Wilkins Building 1, UCL, London - Diliff.jpg |alt2=UCL |caption2=2014}}

In 1976, a new charter restored UCL's legal independence, although still without the power to award its own degrees.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/history/landmarks |title=Landmarks |publisher=University College London |access-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130051135/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/history/landmarks |archive-date=30 January 2008}}{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723085541/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/governance/documents/charter-and-statutes |archive-date=23 July 2013 |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/governance/documents/charter-and-statutes |title=Royal Charter granted 17 November 1976 |access-date=16 August 2013}} Under this charter the college became formally known as University College London. This name abandoned the comma used in its earlier name of University College, London.

In 1993, a reorganisation of the University of London meant that UCL and other colleges gained direct access to government funding and the right to confer University of London degrees themselves. This led to UCL being regarded as a de facto university in its own right.{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian |title=College vote brings break-up of university a step nearer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/dec/10/highereducation.administration |quote=Over the past 10 years the university has become an increasingly loose federation of independent institutions that are universities in their own right and receive their grants directly from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, although they still hand out degrees on behalf of the central university. |date=10 December 2005 |author1=Rebecca Smithers |author2=Donald MacLeod}}{{cite web|last=Grant|first=Malcolm|author-link=Malcolm Grant|title=The future of the University of London: a discussion paper from the Provost of UCL|pages=3–6|date=March 2005|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/images/Uni-Lon.pdf|website=UCL|access-date=27 January 2023|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310015350/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/images/Uni-Lon.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Mergers were a major feature of this period of UCL's history. In 1986, the college merged with the Institute of Archaeology.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/oct/22/highereducation.universitymergers |title=The merger and the man |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 2002 |first=Donald |last=MacLeod}} In 1988, UCL merged with the Institute of Laryngology & Otology, the Institute of Orthopaedics, the Institute of Urology & Nephrology and Middlesex Hospital Medical School. Middlesex and University College hospitals, together with the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, formed the University College London Hospitals NHS Trust in 1994.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2011/mar/25/university-college-london-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust-profile |title=University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – NHS hospital trust profile |work=The Guardian |access-date=2 June 2013 |first=Kable |last=Healthcare |date=25 March 2011}}

Mergers continued in the 1990s, with the Institute of Child Health joining in 1995, the School of Podiatry in 1996{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=99328§ioncode=26 |title=UCL steps up to world class |access-date=14 August 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=6 September 1996}} and the Institute of Neurology in 1997.{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=102036§ioncode=26 |title=Medicine in the capital |access-date=27 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=14 February 1997}} In 1998, UCL merged with the Royal Free Hospital Medical School to create the Royal Free and University College Medical School (renamed the UCL Medical School in October 2008). In 1999, UCL merged with the School of Slavonic and East European Studies{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=145289§ioncode=26 |title=Slavonic school to stay put after UCL merger |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=5 March 1999}}{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=147400§ioncode=26 |title=Language school keeps name in UCL merger |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=30 July 1999}} and the Eastman Dental Institute.

Proposals for a merger between UCL and Imperial College London were announced in 2002.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4184027/Imperial-and-UCL-discuss-merger-to-be-world-player.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4184027/Imperial-and-UCL-discuss-merger-to-be-world-player.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Imperial and UCL discuss merger to be world player |date=15 October 2002 |work=The Daily Telegraph |author=Richard Alleyne}}{{cbignore}} The proposal provoked strong opposition from UCL teaching staff and students and the AUT union, which criticised "the indecent haste and lack of consultation", leading to its abandonment by UCL provost Sir Derek Roberts.{{cite web |author=Donald Macleod |title=UCL merger halted to stop "damaging" rows |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/nov/18/highereducation.universitymergers1 |date=18 November 2002 |access-date=12 February 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/19/highereducation.universitymergers|title=Merger of colleges scuppered|author1=Will Woodward|author2= Donald Macleod|date=18 November 2002 |work=The Guardian}}

File:The UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies.jpg building, which was opened in 2005]]

UCL was granted its own taught and research degree awarding powers in 2005,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/sep/27/highereducation.uk3|work=The Guardian|date=27 September 2005|title=College granted degree-awarding powers|author=Polly Curtis}} and all UCL students registered from 2007/08 qualified with UCL degrees.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2008/mar/ucl-unveils-new-academic-dress| title=UCL unveils new academic dress|date=26 March 2008|website=UCL|access-date=13 April 2023}} The same year, UCL adopted a new corporate branding under which the name University College London was replaced by the initialism UCL in all external communications.{{cite news |last=Baty |first=Phil |title=Staff fury at '£600K' rebrand |newspaper=Times Higher Education Supplement |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/staff-fury-at-600k-rebrand/197437.article|location=London |date=22 July 2005}}

UCL established the UCL School of Energy & Resources (later UCL Australia) in Adelaide, Australia, in 2008 as the first campus of a British university in the country.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0805/08052901 |title=UCL School of Energy & Resources, Australia, to be established' |date=29 May 2008 |publisher=University College London |access-date=1 August 2008}} The school was based in the historic Torrens Building in Victoria Square.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/brave-new-territory-university-college-london-to-open-a-branch-in-australia-835571.html |title=Brave new territory: University College London to open a branch in |website=Independent.co.uk |date=29 May 2008}} In 2011, the mining company BHP Billiton agreed to donate AU$10 million to UCL to fund the establishment of two energy institutes – the Energy Policy Institute, based in Adelaide, and the Institute for Sustainable Resources, based in London.{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/bhp-signs-10m-deal-to-set-up-energy-research-facilities/story-e6frg8zx-1226073259419 |title=BHP signs $10m deal to set up energy research facilities |access-date=21 June 2012 |work=The Australian |date=11 June 2011 |first=Verity |last=Edwards}} UCL Australia closed in December 2017, with academic staff and student transferring to the University of South Australia.{{cite web |url=http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/news/move-ucl-engineering-australia-unisa-mawson-lakes-campus/ |title=Move of UCL Engineering in Australia to UniSA Mawson Lakes campus |date=17 January 2018 |access-date=2 September 2018 |publisher=UCL}} Since 2018, UCL and the University of South Australia have offered joint master's degrees in data science and in energy systems with study in Adelaide and London.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/engineering/news/2017/may/ucl-and-university-south-australia-sign-partnership-agreement-ucl-engineering |website=UCL|title=UCL and the University of South Australia sign partnership agreement by UCL Engineering|date=10 May 2017 |access-date=30 March 2023}}

In 2011, UCL announced plans for a £500 million investment in its main Bloomsbury campus over 10 years, as well as the establishment of a new campus, UCL East, next to the Olympic Park in Stratford in the East End of London.{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=418220 |title=UCL has sights set on new East End home |access-date=21 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=24 November 2011}} In 2018, UCL opened UCL at Here East, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offering courses jointly between the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment and the Faculty of Engineering Sciences.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/news/2018/feb/high-tech-campus-here-east-marks-new-chapter-bartlett-and-engineering-sciences-ucl |title=High-tech campus at Here East marks new chapter for The Bartlett and Engineering Sciences at UCL |publisher=UCL |date=28 February 2018 |access-date=2 September 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/here-east/programmes-and-short-courses |title=Programmes and short courses |website=UCL at Here East |date=21 August 2017 |publisher=UCL |access-date=2 September 2018}} The first undergraduate students, on a new Engineering and Architectural Design MEng, started in September 2018.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/engineering-architectural-design-meng/2018 |title=Engineering and Architectural Design MEng |work=UCL Undergraduate Prospectus |access-date=2 September 2018}} One Pool Street, the first building on the UCL East campus, opened in November 2022. UCL East was officially opened, along with the Marshgate building that completed phase 1 of the development, in September 2023 by Olympic gold medalist and UCL alumna Christine Ohuruogu.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/dec/ucl-east-campus-will-make-extraordinary-contribution-london-and-world|title=UCL East campus will make 'extraordinary contribution' to London and the world|date=6 December 2022| publisher=UCL|access-date=23 December 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/sep/ucl-officially-opens-new-east-london-campus|title=UCL officially opens new east London campus|date=18 September 2023|website=UCL|access-date=25 September 2023}}

UCL continued to grow through mergers with smaller colleges in the University of London. On 1 January 2012 the School of Pharmacy, University of London merged with UCL, becoming the UCL School of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Life Sciences.{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=416145 |title=School of Pharmacy to merge with UCL |access-date=4 July 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=13 May 2011}}[http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1112/111223-school-of-pharmacy-merged School of Pharmacy merges with UCL]. University College London (1 January 2012). Retrieved 17 July 2013. UCL and the Institute of Education formed a strategic alliance in October 2012,{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=421371 |title=Bloomsbury institutions enter 'strategic partnership' |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=2 October 2012}} followed by a full merger in December 2014.{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/ucl-set-to-merge-with-institute-of-education/2011121.article |title=UCL set to merge with Institute of Education |access-date=3 March 2014 |work=Times Higher Education |date=5 February 2014}}{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/institute-of-education-will-bring-healthy-dowry-to-ucl-marriage/2011259.article |title=Institute of Education will bring 'healthy dowry' to UCL marriage |access-date=3 March 2014 |work=Times Higher Education |date=13 February 2014}}{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/ucl-and-ioe-confirm-merger-date/2017200.article |title=UCL and IoE confirm merger date |access-date=7 December 2014 |work=Times Higher Education |date=25 November 2014}}{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/comment/opinion/ucl-and-ioe-merger-a-marriage-of-like-minds/2017298.article |title=UCL and IoE merger: a marriage of like minds? |access-date=7 December 2014 |work=Times Higher Education |date=4 December 2014}}

File:Student Centre in the afternoon, University College London.jpg]]

UCL paid tens of thousands of pounds to settle ten sexual harassment claims against staff in the 2017/18 academic year, a rise from four cases the year before. Following pressure from victims, and after physicist Emma Chapman won the legal right to speak freely about her abuse at the university, UCL announced in 2018 that it would abandon non-disclosure settlements in settlements."[https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/university-college-london-tried-to-gag-me-over-twoyear-harassment-fight-scientist-claims-a3877756.html University College London tried to gag me over two-year 'harassment' fight, scientist claims]", Evening Standard, 3 July 2018; "[https://www.bbc.com/news/education-47936662 UK universities face 'gagging order' criticism]", BBC, 17 April 2019."[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/sex-harassment-victims-force-university-college-london-to-end-gagging-orders-h9v9v279f Sex harassment victims force University College London to end gagging orders]", The Times, 28 July 2018. In 2020, UCL became the first Russell Group university to ban romantic and sexual relationships between lecturers and their students."[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/20/ucl-to-ban-intimate-relationships-between-staff-and-students-univesities UCL to ban intimate relationships between staff and their students]", The Guardian, 20 February 2020.

It was discovered in 2018 that an annual eugenics conference, the London Conference on Intelligence, had been held at UCL, as an external paid event, between 2014 and 2017.{{cite web |date=11 January 2018 |title=UCL to investigate eugenics conference secretly held on campus |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jan/10/ucl-to-investigate-secret-eugenics-conference-held-on-campus |access-date=7 January 2021 |website=The Guardian}} An enquiry found that the organiser, an honorary lecturer, did not correctly follow the room booking procedure, including claiming that no controversial topics would be discussed, leaving the university unaware of the nature of the conference.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/lci_final_report_plus_appendices_web.pdf|title=UCL INVESTIGATION INTO LONDON CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENCE| date=January 2018|website=UCL|access-date=26 January 2023}} Following the revelation, UCL announced in 2018 that it would launch an enquiry into the university's historical links with eugenics.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/dec/06/ucl-launches-inquiry-into-historical-links-with-eugenics|title=UCL launches inquiry into historical links with eugenics|date=6 December 2023|author=Anna Fazackerley|work=The Guardian}} This reported in 2020,{{cite report|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/ucl_history_of_eugenics_inquiry_report.pdf|title=Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at UCL Report|date=February 2020}} but covered only historical eugenics and did not address the 2014–17 conferences, leading to a majority of the authors refusing to sign the final report.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/02/ucl-has-a-racist-legacy-but-can-it-move-on|title=UCL has a racist legacy, but can it move on?|work=The Observer|author=Andrew Anthony|date=2 August 2020}} The Galton Lecture Theatre, Pearson Lecture Theatre and Pearson Building were all renamed in 2020, and in 2021 UCL apologised for its part in promoting eugenics during the first half of the 20th century.{{cite web |date=7 January 2021 |title=UCL makes formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jan/ucl-makes-formal-public-apology-its-history-and-legacy-eugenics |access-date=7 January 2021 |website=UCL News}} UCL was criticised (along with Oxford, Imperial and other London universities) in 2021 for accepting money from the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust, established to hold the fortune left to Max Mosley by his father, British fascist leader Oswald Mosley. UCL received £500,000 to establish a forensic evidence interpretation laboratory.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/07/oxford-university-alexander-mosley-charitable-trust|title=Universities have lost moral compass over Mosley donations, says Oxford don|author=Mark Brown|date=7 November 2021|work=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/06/ucl-imperial-among-several-prestigious-universities-benefiting/|title=Imperial and UCL caught up in Mosley row|date=6 November 2021|author=Camilla Turner|work=Sunday Telegraph}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/13/ucl-condemned-taking-money-man-would-have-brought-death-camps/|title=UCL condemned for taking money 'from man who would have brought death camps to Britain'|date=13 November 2021|author=Camilla Turner|work=Sunday Telegraph}}

Following the passing of the University of London Act 2018, which allowed member institutions to become universities in their own right while remaining part of the University of London, UCL applied for university status in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/mar/ucl-statement-university-london-act-2018|title=UCL statement on University of London Act 2018|date=11 March 2019|website=UCL|access-date=30 March 2023}} The application was approved by the Office for Students in 2022 and a supplemental charter was sealed on 17 April 2023, granting UCL university status.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/sites/governance_compliance/files/council-190623.pdf|title=Council minutes|date=19 June 2023|website=UCL|access-date=18 September 2023}}

{{location map+|London|width=280|float=right|caption=UCL campuses (red) and other facilities (blue) within London|places=

{{Location map~|London|lat_dir=N |lat_deg=51.524568|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=0.133812|position=left|label=Bloomsbury}}

{{Location map~|London|lat_dir=N |lat_deg=51.538587 |lon_dir=W|lon_deg=0.010014|position=right|label=UCL East}}

{{Location map~|London|lat_dir=N |lat_deg=51.613634|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=0.242320|position=left|label=UCL Observatory|mark=Blue pog.svg}}

{{Location map~|London|lat_dir=N |lat_deg=51.504610|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=0.019416|position=bottom|label=UCL School of Management|mark=Blue pog.svg}}

{{Location map~|London|lat_dir=N |lat_deg=51.712053|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=0.280252|position=right|label=UCL Sports Ground|mark=Blue pog.svg}}

}}

File:John Locke by Richard Westmacott.jpg, on display in the Main Building.]]

{{see also|Filming at University College London}}

UCL is primarily based in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, in Central London. The main campus is located around Gower Street, with many other departments close by in Bloomsbury.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/location/maps |title=Campus location maps, University College London |publisher=University College London |access-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527180840/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/location/maps |archive-date=27 May 2008}} Many health institutes are located close to associated hospitals, including the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/britains-best-hospitals-a-patients-guide-798352.html|title=Britain's best hospitals: A patients' guide|work=The Independent|date=20 March 2008|author=Jeremy Laurance}} the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and Eastman Dental Hospital.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/eastman/about-us/our-facilities|title=Our facilities|website=Eastman Dental Institute|date=19 April 2018 |publisher=UCL|access-date=31 March 2023}}

Historic UCL buildings in Bloomsbury include the grade I listed UCL Main Building, including the original Wilkins building designed by William Wilkins,{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113056|title=University College (University of London) and attached railings to north and south wings|work= National Heritage List for England|publisher=Historic England|access-date=20 August 2022}} and, directly opposite on Gower Street, the early 20th century grade II listed Cruciform Building, the last major building designed by Alfred Waterhouse.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences-faculty/alumni/cruciform-tiles|title=Cruciform tiles|date=8 January 2018 |publisher=UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113059|title=University College Hospital general block only and attached railings|work= National Heritage List for England|publisher=Historic England|access-date=20 August 2022}} Nearby are the grade II listed Kathleen Lonsdale Building, UCL's first purpose-built chemistry laboratory,{{National Heritage List for England| num= 1322169 |date=14 May 1974|desc=University College chemistry laboratory and attached railings and wall |grade=II |access-date=29 January 2023}} and the grade II listed Rockefeller Building.{{National Heritage List for England| num= 1113060 |date=21 November 1990|desc=University College Hospital Medical School, nurses home 1907 building and attached railings |grade=II |access-date=29 January 2023}} Elsewhere in Bloomsbury is the 1970s grade II* Institute of Education building by Denys Lasdun and Partners.{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1246932?section=official-list-entry|title=Institute of Education, Clore Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and accommodation for University College|work= National Heritage List for England|publisher=Historic England|access-date=29 January 2023}} Much of the estate falls within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area, designated in 1968.{{cite web|url=https://bloomsburyconservation.org.uk/conservation-areas/bloomsbury-conservation-area/|title=Bloomsbury Conservation Area|website=Bloomsbury Conservation Area|date=23 December 2019 |access-date=28 January 2023}} Important contemporary buildings include the School of Slavonic and East European Studies building (RIBA Award winner 2006){{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2006/jun/ucl-ssees-wins-architectural-award|title=UCL SSEES wins architectural award|date=23 June 2006|access-date=20 February 2023}} and the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour building (LEAF Award for best façade design and engineering and overall winner 2016).{{cite news|url=https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/headlines/leaf-awards-2016-winners|title=LEAF Awards 2016 Winners|author=John Hill|date=18 October 2016|work=World-Architects}}

In August 2024, UCL won a court case to regain control of part of its campus which had been occupied by pro-Gaza protesters since May.{{cite news |last= Grew|first= Tony|date= 6 August 2024|title= UCL wins court order on Gaza protest camps|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jpp0w88w5o|work= BBC |access-date=15 August 2024}}

{{gallery

|title=UCL buildings in Bloomsbury

|File:Wilkins Building 2, UCL, London - Diliff (cropped).jpg

|Wilkins Building and Main Quad

|alt1=The UCL main building, in stone with a classical portico topped by a large dome

|File:Rockefeller Building, UCL.jpg

|The Rockefeller Building on University Street, one of UCL's largest premises

|alt2=Red brick building with stone dressing

|File:Kathleen Lonsdale Building, UCL.jpg

|The Kathleen Lonsdale Building on Gower Place, home of UCL's department of earth sciences

|alt3=Classically-styled stone building

|File:SWC Building Image.jpg

|The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour building

|alt4=Modern building with a wavy facade

}}

File:View of UCL East from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.jpg

UCL has a second campus, UCL East, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. The first building, with three floors of teaching and research space as well as accommodation for 500 students in two towers, opened in 2022, and the second, with eight floors of teaching and research space, opened in 2023.{{cite news|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/first-look-ucls-futuristic-new-campus-in-east-london-092223|work=TimeOut|title=First look: UCL's dazzling, futuristic new campus in east London|author= Annie McNamee|date= 22 September 2023}} A further four buildings are planned for construction in the 2030s.{{cite web |url=http://planningregister.londonlegacy.co.uk/swift/apas/run/WCHDISPLAYMEDIA.showImage?theSeqNo=118307&theApnkey=6925&theModule=1 |title=UCL East Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary |publisher=London Legacy Development Corporation |date=May 2018|page=3|access-date=2 September 2018}} UCL also operates a campus within Here East, the former Olympic park media centre.

File:Mill hill observatory 2009.JPG

Elsewhere in Central London are the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology adjacent to Moorfields Eye Hospital in Clerkenwell,{{cite web|url= https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioo/study/why-study-ioo|title=Why study at IoO?|date=August 2017 |publisher=UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}} the Royal Free Hospital and the Whittington Hospital campuses of the UCL Medical School, and a number of other associated teaching hospitals. The UCL School of Management is on levels 38 and 50 (penthouse) of One Canada Square in the financial district of Canary Wharf.{{cite web|url= https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/news/ucl-school-management-expands-and-acquires-level-50-canary-wharf|title=UCL School of Management expands and acquires level 50 at Canary Wharf|publisher=UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}} The UCL Observatory is in Mill Hill{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-observatory/ucl-observatory-uclo|title=UCL Observatory (UCLO)|date=23 October 2018 |publisher=UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}} and the Mullard Space Science Laboratory is based in Holmbury St Mary, Surrey.{{cite web|url= https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl|title= Mullard Space Science Laboratory|date= 7 August 2018|publisher=UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}} The UCL Athletics Ground is in Shenley, Hertfordshire.{{cite web| url= https://www7.studentsunionucl.org/services/sport/facilities|title=Facilities|publisher=Students' Union UCL|access-date=20 August 2022}}

{{main|Halls of residence at University College London}}

File:Unbridled facadism, Caledonian Road, N7 (geograph 5265516).jpg of New Hall with the student residences one metre behind, many of their windows looking at the brick wall]]

UCL owns 26 halls of residence with around 7,000 student beds.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/accommodation/|title=Accommodation|date=31 October 2018 | access-date=20 October 2022 |publisher=UCL}} The university guarantees accommodation to single full-time first-year undergraduate students who have not previously lived in London while studying at a university, and who make a firm acceptance of a place and apply for accommodation by 10 June each year, and to single overseas first-year postgraduates at UCL who have not previously lived in London while studying at a university, and who make a firm acceptance of a place and apply for accommodation by 30 June each year. Accommodation is also guaranteed for students who are under 18 at the start of the academic year and for students who are care-leavers.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/accommodation/prospective-residents/applying-ucl-accommodation |title=Applying for UCL Accommodation |date=21 November 2018 |access-date=20 October 2022 |publisher=UCL}} There is only limited accommodation available in university halls for returning students and others who do not meet the criteria for a guaranteed place.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/accommodation/alternative-accommodation/alternative-accommodation-providers|title=Alternative accommodation providers|date=5 February 2019 |access-date=20 October 2022 |publisher=UCL}} UCL students are also eligible, as students of a member institution of the University of London, to apply for places in the University of London intercollegiate halls of residence.{{cite web |url=https://www.london.ac.uk/ways-study/study-campus-london/student-services-and-support/halls-residence-and-student-accommodation |title=s |work=University of London |access-date=20 October 2022}}

In 2013, UCL's newly built New Hall student accommodation building on Caledonian Road, designed by Stephen George and Partners, was awarded the Carbuncle Cup and named the country's worst new building by Building Design magazine, with the comment "this is a building that the jury struggled to see as remotely fit for human occupation". Islington Council had originally turned down planning permission for the building, but this had been overturned on appeal. As it is classified as a hotel or guest house, it was exempt from many of the standards that cover residential buildings, such as having daylight in the rooms.{{cite news |work=BBC News |date=29 August 2013 |title=Carbuncle Cup: UCL student block crowned worst building |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-23884446 |access-date=29 January 2016}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/aug/29/carbuncle-cup-student-housing-ucl|title='Prison-like' student housing wins Carbuncle Cup for worst building|date=29 August 2013|work=The Guardian|author=Oliver Wainwright}}

The UCL East development includes 532 student rooms in One Pool Street, which opened in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://studentsunionucl.org/articles/welcome-to-one-pool-street|title=Welcome to One Pool Street|website=Students' Union UCL|access-date=3 February 2023}} Further accommodation will be available in the Marshgate building, expected to open in 2023, and at the second Pool Street site.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-east/campus-facilities-and-build|title=Campus facilities and build|website=UCL|date=18 November 2018 |access-date=3 February 2023}}

UCL's new Student Centre, which opened in 2019, was designed to be environmentally friendly and was one of only 320 buildings worldwide (at the time) to be certified outstanding by BREEAM.{{cite news|url=https://uclpimedia.com/online/ucl-pledges-to-have-net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2030|work=UCL Pi Media| date=21 October 2019| author=Joe Kenelm|title=UCL pledges net zero carbon emissions by 2030}} This certification requires innovation throughout the design, engineering and construction process, and places the Student Centre among the top 1% of non-domestic buildings in the UK for sustainability.{{cite web|url=https://smart-cre.com/the-6-breeam-certification-levels-how-to-be-outstanding/|title=The 6 BREEAM Certification Levels – How To Be Outstanding|author= Eric Rosenkranz| date= 16 March 2022}} The UCL Student Centre was a finalist at the Green Gown Awards in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/green_gown_awards_2019_ucl_finalist|title=Green Gown Awards 2019 – UCL – Finalist|work=Sustainability Exchange|access-date=24 February 2023}}

Also in 2019, UCL launched a Strategy for Sustainable UCL 2019–24, including three initiatives to promote sustainability. The Positive Climate initiative saw UCL pledge to have a 40% reduction in energy usage, all energy to come from renewables, and all UCL buildings to be carbon neutral by 2024, along with achieving net zero carbon emissions for UCL by 2030. The Positive Climate initiative was the winner in the "2030 Climate Action" category at the 2020 Green Gown Awards.{{cite web| url=https://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/green_gown_awards_2020_university_college_londo|title=Green Gown Awards 2020 – University College London – Winner|work=Sustainability Exchange|access-date=24 February 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2021/03/25/ucl-wins-the-green-gown-award-for-climate-action-39945|title=UCL wins the Green Gown Award for Climate Action|work=The Tab|author=Farah Sheikh|date=25 March 2021}}

A second initiative, The Loop, promotes circular economy. UCL set a target of reducing waste per person by 20% between 2019 and 2024, while aiming for an 85% recycling rate and the elimination of single-use plastics on campus. The third initiative, Wild Bloomsbury, promotes biodiversity. UCL set a target of creating {{convert|10000|m2|ha acre|abbr=on}} of biodiverse green space on campus by 2024. The Strategy for a Sustainable UCL was a finalist in the "Sustainable Institution of the Year" category at the 2022 Green Gown Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.greengownawards.org/university-college-london|title=UCL: Making change possible today|work=Green Gown Awards|access-date=24 February 2023|archive-date=25 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225013533/https://www.greengownawards.org/university-college-london|url-status=dead}}

UCL was ranked joint fifth globally for sustainability in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/sustainability-rankings?sort_by=rank&order_by=asc|title=QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025|date=10 December 2025|website=Top Universities|publisher= QS Quacquarelli Symonds}} In the national People and Planet University League for 2023/24, it was ranked 12th (1st class).{{cite web|url=https://peopleandplanet.org/university-league|title=How sustainable is your university?|website=People and Planet|access-date=10 December 2024}}

The two main bodies in UCL's governance structure are the council and the academic board, both of which are established by the royal charter and with powers defined by the statutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/sites/governance_compliance/files/charter-and-statutes.pdf|title=Charter and Statutes|publisher=UCL|access-date=3 September 2022|archive-date=22 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822054450/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/sites/governance_compliance/files/charter-and-statutes.pdf|url-status=dead}} There is also a University Management Committee, which is the executive committee responsible for the day-to-day operations of the institution. This comprises the President and Provost, the vice-presidents, the vice-provosts, the pro-provost of UCL East, the deans of the faculties, the chief financial officer, chief information officer, and chief people officer, the chief of staff, the general consul, the executive director of media and marketing, and the director of media relations.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/university-management-committee/university-management-committee-membership|title=University Management Committee: membership|website=UCL|date=26 September 2021 |access-date=5 February 2023}}

The senior leadership team at UCL includes the visitor, a position in English charity law that oversees the operation of the institution.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/about/who/leadership-team|title=Leadership Team|website=UCL|date=11 January 2018 |access-date=22 February 2023}} That there shall be a visitor of the college is specified by the royal charter, as is that the position is to be held by the Master of the Rolls, the second most senior judge in England and Wales.

UCL's council comprises 20 members, of whom 11 are members external to UCL; seven are UCL academic staff, including the provost, three UCL professors and three non-professorial staff; and two are UCL students. The chair is appointed by council for a term not normally exceeding five years. The chair is ex officio chair of the honorary degrees and fellowships committee, nominations committee and remuneration and strategy committee.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/governance/overview |title=Governance overview |access-date=9 December 2012 |publisher=University College London}} {{as of|April 2023|post=,}} the chair of the council is international businessman and UCL alumnus Victor Chu.

The academic board plays a role similar to the senate in other institutions. It is the senior academic body responsible for advising council on academic matters and also elects academic members to council. It is, however, a much larger body than the senates at many other universities, including all professors as well as elected representatives of other academic and non-academic staff.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucu/sites/ucu/files/coi_final_report_open_version.pdf| title=UCL Academic Board Commission of Inquiry Report|date=May 2020|website=UCL}}

UCL's principal academic and administrative officer is the President and Provost, who is also UCL's designated accountable officer for reporting to the Office for Students on behalf of UCL.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/office-students-ofs|title=Office for Students (OfS)|date=18 January 2021 |publisher=UCL|access-date=21 August 2022}} The provost is appointed by Council after consultation with the academic board, and is ex officio a member of council and chair of the academic board.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/sites/governance_compliance/files/charter-and-statutes.pdf|title=Charter and Statutes|publisher=UCL|access-date=21 August 2022|archive-date=22 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822054450/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/sites/governance_compliance/files/charter-and-statutes.pdf|url-status=dead}} Michael Spence has been president and provost since January 2021, when he succeeded Michael Arthur.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/about-president-provost |title=About the President & Provost|date=28 January 2022 |publisher=UCL |access-date=21 August 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jan/ucl-welcomes-new-president-provost-dr-michael-spence|title=UCL welcomes new President & Provost Dr Michael Spence|date=11 January 2021|publisher=UCL |access-date=21 August 2022}}

Vice-provosts are appointed by council on the recommendation of the provost or the academic board, to assist and advise the provost as required. The vice-provosts are members of the provost's senior management team. There are four vice-provosts (for education and student experience; health; research, innovation and global engagement; and faculties).{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/about/who/leadership-team|title=Leadership team |website=UCL|date=11 January 2018 |access-date=5 February 2023}} There are also four vice-presidents, who are also members of the senior management team but whose role and manner of appointment is not specified in the statutes, for strategy, external engagement, advancement and operations.

The deans of UCL's faculties are appointed by the council and are members of the provost's senior management team. The deans' principal duties include advising the provost and vice-provosts on academic strategy, staffing matters and resources for academic departments within their faculty; overseeing curricula and programme management at faculty level; liaising with faculty tutors on undergraduate admissions and student academic matters; overseeing examination matters at faculty level; and co-ordinating faculty views on matters relating to education and information support.

{{see also|Category:Departments of University College London}}

File:UCL Drayton House.jpg]]

File:UCL School of Pharmacy.JPG

File:UCL Bedford Way.jpg, home to the UCL Institute of Education and the Departments of Geography, Psychology and Language]]

UCL's research and teaching is organised into eleven faculties, each of which contains a number of schools, departments and institutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/about/how-ucl-works/ucl-faculties|title=UCL faculties|website=UCL|date=19 September 2019 |access-date=19 January 2023}} The establishment of faculties and academic departments is formally the responsibility of UCL's council, with advice from the academic board.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/governance-compliance/academic-structure/academic-units|title=Academic Units |website=UCL |date=5 January 2021 |access-date=19 January 2023}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Faculty statistics 2023{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/annual-review/facts-figures-and-statistics |title=UCL Annual Review 2022/23 |date=17 November 2022 |publisher=UCL |access-date=19 February 2023}}

! rowspan=3| Faculty

! rowspan=3| Staff

! colspan=3|Students

|-

! rowspan=2| Undergraduates

! colspan=2| Postgraduates

|-

! Taught

! Research

|-

! scope="row" | Arts and Humanities

| 620

| 2,684

| 943

| 226

|-

! scope="row" | Bartlett (Built Environment)

| 1,272

| 925

| 2,836

| 411

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Brain Sciences

| 1,725

| 929

| 1,961

| 1,034

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Engineering Sciences

| 667

| 4,373

| 2,791

| 1,122

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | IOE (Education and Society)

| 1,318

| 1,515

| 3,988

| 684

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Laws

| 175

| 844

| 450

| 49

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Life Sciences

| 964

| 2,632

| 1,084

| 592

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Mathematical and Physical Sciences

| 1,135

| 3,927

| 929

| 680

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Medical Sciences

| 1,321

| 2,356

| 1,287

| 430

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Population Health Sciences

| 1,578

| 247

| 1,365

| 447

|- style="text-align:left;"

! scope="row" | Social and Historical Sciences

| 1,101

| 4,130

| 2,054

| 488

|}

There are also academic units outside the faculty structure, namely:

• Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour

The School of Slavonic and East European Studies remained autonomous until 2023. It was integrated into UCL Arts and Humanities faculty{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2023-07-26 |title=SSEES to integrate with UCL Arts & Humanities |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/news/2023/jul/ssees-integrate-ucl-arts-humanities |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES)}} at the time with 193 staff; 559 undergraduate students; 57 taught postgraduate students; 29 research postgraduate students (2022/23).

There are additional staff employed outside the faculty structure in the university administration.

In the financial year ended 31 July 2024, UCL had a total income (excluding share of joint ventures) of £2.03 billion (2022/23 – £1.93 billion) and a total expenditure of £1.47 billion (2022/23 – £1.71 billion). Key sources of income included £538.8 million from research grants and contracts (2022/23 – £526.7 million), £971.2 million from tuition fees and education contracts (2022/23 – £929.3 million), £228.1 million from funding body grants (2022/23 – £236.7 million) and £34.1 million from donations and endowments (2022/23 – £31.5 million). At year end UCL had endowments of £174.8 million (31 July 2023 – £156.8 million) and total net assets of £2.19 billion (31 July 2023 – £1.61 million).

A report by London Economics in 2022 found that UCL generates around £10 billion annually for the UK economy. The largest contributor to this is through the spread of its research and knowledge, which is worth £4 billion, with another £3 billion being added by the impact of UCL's own spending. Other contributions come from encouraging graduates to create jobs and investment, and from nurturing company spin-offs and start-ups. The report found that in 2018–19, UCL had supported 234 graduate start-ups and 83 spinout companies, with a total turnover of £110 million and employing almost 3,000 people. The report also found that UCL's spending supported 19,000 jobs across the UK, with over 7,000 of these being outside London.

The UCL academic year is divided into three terms. For most departments, First Term runs from late September to mid-December, Second Term from mid-January to late March, and Third Term from late April to mid-June, with reading weeks in early November and mid-February. Certain courses at the medical school, the faculty of education and society, and the school of pharmacy operate on different terms.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/life-ucl/term-dates-and-closures/term-dates-and-closures-2022-23 |title=Term dates and closures 2022–23 |date=18 February 2021 |access-date=1 February 2023 |publisher=University College London}}

File:UCL old logo.jpg

While many universities use their logo for most communications and branding and a coat of arms only for specific ceremonial and official use,e.g. {{cite web|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/brand/visual/logos.aspx|title=Logos}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/brand/visual/coat-of-arms.aspx|title=Coat of arms|website=University of Nottingham|access-date=4 February 2023}} UCL exclusively uses a logo and has no coat of arms. The present logo was adopted as part of a rebranding exercise in August 2005. Prior to that date, a different logo was used, in which the letters UCL were incorporated into a stylised representation of the Wilkins Building portico.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050731010200/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/|archive-date=31 July 2005|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/|url-status=unfit|title=UCL Online|website=University College London}}

A pseudo-heraldic "UCL crest" – a purple shield depicting a raised bent arm dressed in armour between two gold laurel branches holding a green upturned open wreath, with the college motto on a blue celeste ribbon beneath the laurel branches – can be found on the internet. A version of this badge (not on a shield) appears to have been used by UCL Union from shortly after its foundation in 1893.{{cite book |first1=Negley |last1=Harte |first2=John |last2=North |title=The World of UCL 1828–2004 |edition=3rd |publisher=UCL Press |place=London |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-84472-068-2 |page=154}} However, the badge has never been the subject of an official grant of arms, and departs from several of the rules and conventions of heraldry. It is not an official logo, although modified forms are used by some by sports teams and societies.e.g. {{cite web|url=https://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/cricket-club|title=UCL Cricket Club|access-date=19 February 2023}} – without the motto; {{cite web|url=https://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/fencing-club|title=UCL Fencing Club|access-date=19 February 2023}} – no motto, laurel wreath in gold The official Team UCL logo, used (with variants) by many sports teams, uses a shield divided into the colours of purple (lower) and blue celeste (upper), but none of the other elements (laurels, wreaths, armoured arm, motto) are present; the only graphic is a depiction of the UCL portico. Students' Union UCL requests teams not to modify this logo, but this is widely ignored.{{cite web|url=https://www7.studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/resources/students-union-logos|title=Students'Union logos|website=Students' Union UCL|access-date=19 February 2023|archive-date=19 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219173608/https://www7.studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/resources/students-union-logos|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/directory/category?search=&category%5B0%5D=2758|title=List of UCL sports clubs with logos |website=Students' Union UCL|access-date=19 February 2023}}

UCL's motto, "Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae" is a quotation from Virgil's Aeneid, and translates into English as "Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward".{{citation |title=The Aeneid |author=Virgil |year=1888 |editor=Storr, Francis |language=la |url=https://archive.org/details/theaeneid00virguoft/page/3/mode/1up|at=book 5, line 70}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/earth-sciences/department/geology-ucl-brief-history|title=Geology at UCL: a brief history|website=UCL|date=18 July 2018 |access-date=2 February 2023}}

UCL's traditional sporting and academic colours are purple and blue celeste. UCL uses a palette of 25 colours (including the two traditional colours) in its visual identity; the logo can be used in many different combinations of these colours.

File:University College Hospital - New Building - London - 020504.jpg]]

UCL is a member institution of the federal University of London and was one of the two colleges affiliated from the university's founding in 1836 (the other being King's College London).{{cite web |url=http://www.london.ac.uk/history.html |title=A brief history |access-date=7 August 2014 |publisher=University of London |archive-date=9 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209004448/http://www.london.ac.uk/history.html |url-status=dead }} UCL was a founding member of the Russell Group, an association of 24 British research universities established in 1994,{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=206624§ioncode=26 |title=Queen's gets key to Russell club door |access-date=7 August 2014 |work=Times Higher Education |date=9 November 2006}} and is regarded as forming part of the 'golden triangle', an unofficial term for the research-intensive universities located in the southern English cities of Cambridge, London and Oxford{{cite journal |url=http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2005/050707/full/nj7047-144a.html |title=Golden opportunities |journal=Nature |date=6 July 2005|quote=No longer rivals, Oxford, Cambridge and London are now working towards a common goal – ensuring the 'golden triangle' becomes a global science hub.}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=94844§ioncode=26 |title=Oxbridge windfall |magazine=Times Higher Education |date=4 August 1995| quote=A large amount of the cash awarded to humanities postgraduates still goes to the "Golden Triangle" of Oxford, Cambridge and London, British Academy figures reveal.}}{{cite web|last=Kershaw|first= Alison|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uk-universities-slip-in-rankings-8196772.html |title=UK universities slip in rankings|work=The Independent|date= 4 October 2012 |quote=Rankings editor Phil Baty said: "Outside the golden triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, England's world-class universities face a collapse into global mediocrity}}

UCL has been a member of the League of European Research Universities since January 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/media/library/LERU |title=UCL joins League of European Research Universities |access-date=9 August 2014 |publisher=University College London |archive-date=5 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805143811/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/media/library/LERU }}{{cite web |url=https://www.leru.org/members |title=Our members |access-date=2 February 2023 |website=League of European Research Universities |archive-date=5 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205071457/https://www.leru.org/members |url-status=dead }} UCL is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities,{{cite web|url=https://www.acu.ac.uk/our-members/|title=Our members|website=Association of Commonwealth Universities| access-date=2 February 2023}} the European University Association,{{cite web|url=https://eua.eu/about/member-directory.html|title= Member directory|website=European University Association|access-date=2 February 2023}} the global U7+ Alliance{{cite web|url=https://www.u7alliance.org/partners/| title=Partners| website=U7+ Alliance| access-date=4 February 2023}} and the US Universities Research Association,{{cite web|url=https://www.ura-hq.org/members/member-universities/|title=Member universities|website=Universities Research Association|access-date=2 February 2023}} and has a major collaboration with Yale University, the Yale UCL Collaborative.{{cite web|url=https://world.yale.edu/academics-research/partners-networks/yale-ucl-collaborative|title=Yale UCL Collaborative|website=Yale University|date=8 May 2019 |access-date=2 February 2023}} It also has partnerships with universities in Australia,the University of Sydney Canada,the University of Toronto China,Peking University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Hong Kong India,All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Japan,Osaka University Singaporethe National University of Singapore and Thailand.HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/regional-activity/ucl-east-asia|title=UCL in East Asia|website=UCL|date=7 July 2021 |access-date=2 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/regional-activity/ucl-south-asia|title=UCL in South Asia|website=UCL|date=20 November 2021 |access-date=2 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/regional-activity/ucl-south-east-asia-and-australasia|title=UCL in South East Asia and Australasia|website=UCL|date=8 July 2021 |access-date=2 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/regional-activity/ucl-north-america|title=UCL in North America|website=UCL|date=8 July 2021 |access-date=2 February 2023}}

UCL formed the Science and Engineering South engineering and physical sciences research alliance with the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Southampton and Imperial College London in May 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/research-heavyweights-deny-ganging-up/2003702.article |title=Research heavyweights deny 'ganging up' |work=Times Higher Education |date=9 May 2013 |access-date=7 August 2014}} It was also one of the founding members of the Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national institute for data sciences and artificial intelligence, in 2015, with the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford and Warwick.{{cite web |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200930160335/https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/news/alanturinginstitute/ |title= Business Secretary Cable announces partners in the Alan Turing Institute |website= Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council |access-date=3 February 2023}}

File:Francis Crick Institute building, Oct 2015.jpg building]]

UCL is a partner in UCLPartners, an academic health science centre, along with multiple NHS trusts, integrated care systems, research and innovation partners, and other universities.{{cite web|title=Our partners|url=https://uclpartners.com/who-we-are/our-partners/|website=UCLPartners|access-date=3 February 2023}} UCL is a partner with the National Institute for Health Research, the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and UCLPartners in the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.{{cite web |url=https://www.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/our-partners |title=Our partners |publisher=UCLH Biomedical Research Centre |access-date=3 February 2023}} UCL is also a university partner of the Francis Crick Institute, a major biomedical research centre in London.{{cite web |url=https://crick.ac.uk/research/university-partners/ |title=University partners |publisher=Francis Crick Institute |access-date=3 February 2023}}

UCL offers dual degrees and joint degrees with other universities and institutions, including the University of Cologne,{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/study/undergraduate/llb-dual-degree-english-and-german-law-universitat-zu-koln|title=LLB Dual Degree English and German Law with Universität zu Köln|date=14 September 2017 |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=University College London}} Columbia University,{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/study/undergraduate/dual-llbjuris-doctor-jd-columbia-university-new-york |title=Joint LLB/Juris Doctor (JD) with Columbia University, New York |date=14 September 2017 |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=University College London}} the University of Hong Kong,{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/study/undergraduate/llb-bachelor-laws-ucl-and-llb-bachelor-laws-hku |title=LLB Bachelor of Laws (UCL) and LLB Bachelor of Laws (HKU)|date=14 September 2017 |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=University College London}} Imperial College London (ending 2023){{cite web |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-taught/transport/|title=Postgraduate Taught MSc Transport |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=Imperial College London}} and New York University.{{cite web |url=https://wagner.nyu.edu/education/degrees/executive-mpa/global-policy-leaders |title=EMPA for Global Policy leaders |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=New York University}}

UCL is the sponsor of the UCL Academy, a secondary school in the London Borough of Camden. The school opened in September 2012 and was the first in the UK to have a university as sole sponsor.{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian |title=Academia and the academy: what makes a university open a school? |access-date=23 August 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/mar/19/ucl-academy-school-university-partnership |date=19 March 2013}} UCL also has a strategic partnership with Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1114/101114-ncs-partnership |title=UCL announces partnership with Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre |date=10 November 2014 |publisher=University College London |access-date=16 November 2014}}

File:John O'Keefe (neuroscientist) 2014.jpg, UCL neuroscientist and 2014 Nobel laureate for his discovery of place cells]]

In 2023/24, UCL had an income from research grants and contracts of £538.8 million, making up 26.6% of all revenue. The largest sources of research income were research council grants (£175.9 million) and British charities (£154.2 million). A further £164 million of recurrent research funding was allocated to UCL by Research England, making up 8% of income.

UCL submitted 3,432 staff (3,177 FTEs) across 32 units of assessment (areas of research) to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment. 58% of submitted research was rated 4* ('world leading'), the sixth highest in the REF, and a further 34% as 3* ('internationally excellent'). Overall, UCL was ranked second for both research power and market share by both Times Higher Education and Research Professional News, and sixth on research quality (GPA) by Times Higher Education. UCL submitted more units of assessment to the 2021 REF than any other university. However, UCL's market share (based on the funding formula) declined from 6.23% following the 2014 REF to 5.34%, despite the overall improvement, reflecting increases in research quality across the sector.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research/evaluation/research-excellence-framework/ref-2021|title=REF 2021|website=UCL|date=6 April 2022 |access-date=5 February 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-universities-2022-5-ref2021-the-top-10|date=12 May 2022|title=REF 2021: The top 10|author=Daniel Cressey|work=Research Professional News}}{{cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ref-2021-research-excellence-framework-results-announced|title=REF 2021: Quality ratings hit new high in expanded assessment|date=12 May 2012|author=Jack Grove|work=Times Higher Education}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/may/12/oxford-and-ucl-tipped-to-win-lions-share-of-grants-in-uk-research-audit|title=Oxford and UCL tipped to win lion's share of grants in UK research audit|author=Richard Adams|date=11 May 2022|work=The Guardian}}

UCL operates a large number of disciplinary-specific research centres in partnership with other research institutions and private enterprises. Notable examples include:

• The London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), a multidisciplinary research centre in physical and biomedical nanotechnology based at UCL's campus in Bloomsbury. It is a partnership between UCL, Imperial College London and King's College London.{{Cite news |date=12 June 2003 |title=Nanotech under the microscope |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2981480.stm |access-date=11 October 2020}} The LCN was established as a joint venture between UCL and Imperial College London in 2003;{{Cite news |date=27 January 2003 |title=London's little idea |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2698649.stm |access-date=11 October 2020}} King's College London joined the LCN in 2018.{{Cite web |title=King's College London joins powerhouse of nanotechnology research |url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-college-london-joins-powerhouse-of-nanotechnology-research |access-date=11 October 2020 |website=www.kcl.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}
• The Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership, which was established at UCL with the support of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. It incorporates two earlier projects: the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project (2009–2012) and the Structure and significance of British Caribbean slave-ownership 1763–1833 project (2013–2015).{{cite web |website=Legacies of British Slave-ownership |title=Home |publisher=University College London |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/ |access-date=12 December 2020}}
• The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC), a neuroscience research centre established at UCL with funding from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Wellcome Trust and opened in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.gatsby.org.uk/neuroscience/programmes/sainsbury-wellcome-centre-for-neural-circuits-and-behaviour|title=Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour|website=Gatsby Foundation|access-date=1 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://wellcome.org/what-we-do/our-work/directed-funding|title=Directed funding|website=Wellcome Trust|date=13 October 2022 |access-date=1 February 2023}}

In 2020/21, UCL had an income of £7.3 million from intellectual property and £25.2 million from the sale of shares in spin-off companies. As of 2020/21, UCL had the second largest patent portfolio of any UK university (after Oxford) with 2,391 patents. It granted the third largest number of intellectual property licences (after Oxford and the University of East Anglia), with 2,235.{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/business-community/ip-and-startups|date=7 June 2022|access-date=9 February 2023|website=HESA|title=Intellectual property, start-ups and spin-offs}}

UCL Business is a technology transfer company which is wholly owned by UCL. It has three main activities: licensing technologies, creating spin-out companies, and project management.{{cite web |url=http://www.uclb.com/what-we-do |title=What we do |publisher=UCL Business |access-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028021221/http://www.uclb.com/what-we-do |archive-date=28 October 2016 }} UCL Business supports spin-out companies in areas including discovery disclosure, commercialisation, business plan development, contractual advice, incubation support, recruitment of management teams and identification of investors. In the area of licensing technoloiges, the company provides commercial, legal and administrative advice to help companies broker licensing agreements. UCL Business also provides UCL departments and institutes with project management services for single or multi-party collaborative industry projects. The company transferred £11 million of royalty income to UCL in 2023/24 (2022/23: £3.1 million).

Launched in 2015, UCL Press is a new university press{{cite journal |last1=Adema |first1=Janneke |last2=Stone |first2=Graham |date=2017 |title=The Surge in New University Presses and Academic- Led Publishing: An Overview of a Changing Publishing Ecology in the UK |url=https://liberquarterly.eu/article/view/10856 |journal=LIBER Quarterly |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=97–126 |doi=10.18352/lq.10210 |access-date=March 4, 2023|doi-access=free }} wholly owned by UCL.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press |title=UCL press |publisher=UCL Press |access-date=25 July 2017}} It was the first fully open access university press in the UK, and publishes monographs, textbooks and other academic books in a wide range of academic areas which are available to download for free, in addition to a number of journals.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0515/270515-ucl-press |publisher=UCL |title=UCL launches UK's first fully Open Access university press |date=27 May 2015 |access-date=25 July 2017}} As of December 2024, UCL Press had had more than 13 million downloads of its open access books and journal articles in 242 countries and territories worldwide. More than 10 million of these were for its open access books.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uclpress.co.uk/pages/statistics|title=Statistics|website=UCL Press}} UCL Consultants is an academic consultancy services company which is wholly owned by UCL, which provides four main service offerings: Academic Consultancy, Bespoke Short Courses, Testing & Analysis and Expert Witness.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/consultants/about-us |title=What we do |date=31 August 2018 |publisher=UCL Consultants |access-date=5 November 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/consultants/our-services |title=Our Services |date=31 August 2018 |publisher=UCL Consultants |access-date=5 November 2019}}

File:Donaldson Reading Room, UCL.jpg

File:IOE Newsam Library.JPG

The UCL library system comprises 18 libraries located across the Bloomsbury and UCL East campuses.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/using-library/libraries-and-study-spaces/ucl-libraries|title=UCL Libraries|website=UCL|date=8 August 2018 |access-date=7 February 2023}} The libraries contain a total of over 2 million books.{{cite web |url=http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rereports/year/2008/reviewofhefcefundingforresearchlibraries/ |title=Review of HEFCE funding for research libraries |access-date=23 June 2012 |publisher=Higher Education Funding Council for England}} The largest library is the UCL Main Library, which is located in the UCL Main Building and contains collections relating to the arts and humanities, economics, history, law and public policy. The second largest library is the UCL Science Library, which is located in the DMS Watson Building on Malet Place and contains collections relating to anthropology, engineering, geography, life sciences, management and the mathematical and physical sciences. The Cruciform Hub contains books and periodicals in the subjects of clinical medicine and medical science.{{cite web |title=UCL Cruciform Hub |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/libraries-and-study-spaces/ucl-cruciform-hub |website=University College London |date=8 August 2018 |access-date=21 January 2019}} It holds the combined collections of the former Boldero and Clinical Sciences libraries which developed within the Middlesex Hospital, University College Hospital and Royal Free & University College Medical Schools up until their merger in 2005.{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=P. |last2=Cheney |first2=C. R. |title=Reading medicine: A history of the libraries of The Middlesex and University College Hospitals Medical Schools |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/sites/library/files/reading-medicine.pdf |publisher=UCL Library Services |date=2006 |access-date=21 January 2019}}

Other libraries include the UCL Bartlett Library (architecture and town planning), the UCL Eastman Dental Institute Library (oral health sciences), the UCL Institute of Archaeology Library (archaeology and egyptology), the UCL Institute of Education's Newsam Library (education and related areas of social science), the UCL Institute of Neurology Rockefeller Medical Library (neurosurgery and neuroscience), the Joint Moorfields Eye Hospital & the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Library (biomedicine, medicine, nursing, ophthalmology and visual science), the UCL Language & Speech Science Library (audiology, communication disorders, linguistics & phonetics, special education, speech & language therapy and voice) and the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Library (the economics, geography, history, languages, literature and politics of Eastern Europe). The newest library is the UCL East Library, currently located in the Learning Hub on the first floor of One Pool Street. Uniquely among UCL libraries, it offers a 'click and collect' service allowing books from any UCL library to be delivered to UCL East rather than having to be picked up from the library that holds them. It is expected to relocate to the new Marshgate building when that opens in September 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/using-library/libraries-and-study-spaces/ucl-east-library|title=UCL East Library|website=UCL|date=22 June 2022 |access-date=7 February 2023}}

UCL staff and students have full access to the main libraries of the University of London – the Senate House Library and the libraries of the institutes of the School of Advanced Study – which are located close to the main UCL campus in Bloomsbury.{{cite web |url=http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/libraries/index.asp |title=Libraries |access-date=29 September 2010 |publisher=University of London Research Library Services |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105171247/http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/libraries/index.asp |archive-date=5 November 2010}} These libraries contain over 3.7 million books and focus on the arts, humanities and social sciences. The British Library, which contains around 14 million books, is also located close to the main UCL campus and all UCL students and staff can apply for reference access.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/other-libraries/#special |title=Libraries with special UCL arrangements |access-date=17 July 2016 |publisher=University College London}}

UCL's open access institutional repository, UCL Discovery, and UCL Press, UCL's open access academic press are managed by UCL Library Services.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/about-us/about-ucl-library-services|title=About UCL Library Services|website=UCL|date=8 August 2018 |access-date=3 February 2023}}

UCL's Special Collections contains UCL's collection of historical or culturally significant works. It holds over 150,000 rare books, including 179 incunabula, as well as over 600 collections of archives and manuscripts. The incunabula include a 1477 edition of Dante's Divine Comedy, and a 1493 edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle donated by Jeremy Bentham.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/collections/special-collections/our-collections|title=Our collections|website=UCL Library|date=13 September 2019 |access-date=5 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/special-collections/a-z/incunabula|title=Incunabula|website=UCL Library|date=23 August 2018 |access-date=5 February 2023}}

UCL's most significant works are housed in three strong rooms. The special collection includes first editions of Isaac Newton's Principia, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and James Joyce's Ulysses.{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Library/special-coll/srbooks.shtml |title=UCL Library Services – Special Collections Library |publisher=University College London |date=10 February 2005 |access-date=26 April 2010 |archive-date=12 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212125520/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Library/special-coll/srbooks.shtml }}

File:Flaxman Gallery, UCL.JPG

UCL is responsible for several museums and collections in a wide range of fields across the arts and sciences, including:{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/ |title=UCL Museums & Collections {{pipe}} Home |publisher=University College London |access-date=26 April 2010}}

• Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: Founded in 1892 by a donation from Amelia Edwards of several hundred Egyptian items, the museum now contains around 80,000 items and covers the history of the Nile valley from prehistoric times through to the Islamic period. It is named after William Flinders Petrie, the first Edwards Professor at UCL, who excavated dozens of sites in his career and sold his collection to the college in 1913.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/node/21/about |title=About the Petrie Museum|website=UCL |access-date=5 February 2023}} The Petrie Museum is a designated collection under the Arts Council England Designation Scheme for "pre-eminent collections held in museums, libraries and archives across England".{{Cite web|url=https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication/designated-outstanding-collections|title=Designated Collections |website= Arts Council England|access-date=5 February 2023}}
• UCL Art Museum: the art collection originated as a teaching and research collection for the Slade, and contains works by women artists dating back to the 1890s. A series of plaster casts of full-size details of sculptures by John Flaxman is located inside the library under the dome of the UCL Main Building.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/node/25/about |title=About UCL Art Museum |website=UCL |access-date=5 February 2023}} It was announced in 2024 that this would be closed to allow the area to become a flexible event space, with the objects placed in storage until a new gallery could be provided elsewhere.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/oct/27/university-college-london-art-museum-redevelopment-ucl-staff-concern|title=University College London staff voice concern over 'dismantling' of Art Museum|work=The Observer|date=27 October 2024|author=Dalya Alberge}}
• Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy: Established in 1827 by Robert Edmund Grant, UCL's first professor of comparative anatomy and zoology, for teaching purposes. Grant bequeathed his collection of 10,000 specimens to UCL upon his death. With other additions, the museum now contains around 68,000 specimens, including dodo bones and a rare quagga skeleton.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/node/7/about |title=About the Grant Museum of Zoology |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=UCL}}

{{Infobox UK university rankings

| ARWU_W = 16

| QS_W = 9

| THE_W = 22

| LINE_1 = 0

| Complete = 9

| The_Guardian = 9

| Times/Sunday_Times = 7

| LINE_2 = 0

|USNWR_W=7}}

File:UCL 10 Years.png performance over the past ten years]]

;National

UCL is ranked as one of the top ten universities in all three of the main UK university league tables. These place more emphasis on teaching and student experience than global rankings, using criteria such as teaching quality and learning resources, entry standards, employment prospects, research quality and dropout rates.{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article6866395.ece|title=UK universities top the league table in Europe|access-date=28 September 2010|work=The Sunday Times|location=London|first=Zoe|last=Thomas|date=11 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716154856/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article6866395.ece|archive-date=16 July 2011|url-status=dead}} It went through a dip in rankings in the mid 2010s, particularly in The Guardian University Guide, but returned to that publication's top ten in the 2022 rankings, when its ninth position was its best result since 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/sep/11/always-hungry-to-do-better-how-ucl-rose-up-the-rankings|title='Always hungry to do better': how UCL rose up the rankings|author=Richard Adams|work=The Guardian|date=11 September 2021}}

In the 2023 Complete University Guide subject tables, UCL was ranked in the top ten in 34 subjects out of 42 offered (81%). It was ranked top for American studies, linguistics, speech and language therapy, and building.{{cite web |url=https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/universities/ucl-university-college-london |title=UCL (University College London) |publisher=The Complete University Guide |access-date=8 February 2023}}

In the 2023 Guardian University Guide subject tables, UCL is ranked top in construction, surveying and planning. It was ranked in the top ten for 21 of 31 subjects offered (68%).

UCL is ranked top in the 2023 Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide for American studies, building, information systems and management, liberal arts, and town and country planning. It is ranked in the top ten for 31 of 44 subjects offered (70%). The 2023 Good University Guide also ranked UCL 98th in their social inclusion ranking (covering England and Wales). UCL was named University of the Year in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide for 2024.

Analysis by the Department for Education in 2018, found that UCL had an impact on earnings of graduates five years after graduation of +15.5% for women (7th highest impact) and +16.2% for men (10th highest impact) compared to average graduates with similar background characteristics (prior attainment, socio-economic status, etc.) and subject choice.{{cite web |title=Undergraduate degrees: relative labour market returns (Table 7: HEI – conditional impact on earnings five years after graduation) |date=7 June 2018 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/undergraduate-degrees-relative-labour-market-returns |publisher=Department for Education |access-date=17 December 2018}}

;Global

UCL has been consistently ranked in the top 25 of the three major global rankings published over 2013 to 2022, including being in the top ten of the QS World University Rankings over the whole of that period.

In the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities, UCL was ranked 16th in the world,{{cite web |title=ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities |url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2024 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=www.shanghairanking.com}} having been placed between 15th and 21st in the rankings from 2013 to 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2013|title=2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2014|title=2014 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2015|title=2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2016|title=2016 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2017|title=2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2018|title=2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2019|title=2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2020|title=2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2021|title=2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}} {{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2022|title=2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities|access-date=12 April 2023|publisher=ShanghaiRanking Consultancy}}

In the 2023 QS World University Rankings (published 2022), UCL was ranked 8th in the world. It has ranked between 4th and 10th in the 2014 to 2024 league tables.{{cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/ucl|title=UCL|website=QS Top Universities|access-date=13 April 2023}}

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 (published 2022), UCL was ranked 22nd in the world, having ranked between 14th and 22nd in the 2014 to 2023 tables.{{cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/ucl|title=UCL|work=Times Higher Education|date=12 October 2022}} In the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2022, UCL was ranked 25th, while in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 it was ranked 101–200.

In the 2024–2025 USNWR's Best Global Universities, UCL was ranked joint 7th in the world.{{Cite web | url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings | title=2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings | website=www.usnews.com}}

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;"

|+ UCAS admission statistics (2022)

|colspan=2|Main scheme applications{{cite web |url=https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2022 |title=UCAS undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2022 |year=2023 |at=Provider > Applications & acceptances > U80 UCL (University College London) |publisher=UCAS |access-date=6 February 2023}}

|-

|Applications

|74,775

|-

|Accepted applicants

|7,420

|-

|Applications/accepted ratio

|10.08

|-

|colspan=2|UK applicants, June deadline{{cite web|title=2022 entry UCAS undergraduate reports by sex, area background, and ethnic group |at= U80 UCL (University College London)|url=https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2022/2022-entry-ucas-undergraduate-reports-sex-area-background-and-ethnic-group|year=2023|publisher=UCAS|access-date=30 January 2023}}

|-

|Applications

|31,285

|-

|Offer rate (%)

|29.5

|-

|Offers

|9,700

|-

|Placed applicants

|3,175

|-

|Placed applicants/offers (%)

|32.7

|-

| colspan=2|Summary statistics

|-

|Total accepted applicants

|7,530

|-

|Average Entry Tariff (2020){{cite web |url=https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?tabletype=full-table&sortby=entry-standards |title=Top UK University League Table and Rankings |publisher=Complete University Guide |access-date=30 January 2023}}

|189

|}

File:Bentham House, UCL.jpg]]

Admission to UCL is highly selective with an average entry tariff for 2020–21 of 189 UCAS points (approximately equivalent to AAAB at A-level), the 9th highest in the country. According to a Freedom of Information request response, UCL's offer rate for 2021 admission was 36.1% at undergraduate level and 23.5% at postgraduate level across all applicants.{{Cite web |url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/application_statistics_for_the_2#incoming-1784113 |title=Application Statistics for the 2021 entry – a Freedom of Information request to University College London |date=22 April 2021}}The UCAS offer statistics given in the table above cover only UK domiciled applicants

International students have made up the majority of main-scheme applicants to UCL since 2015 and the majority of acceptances since 2017. The ratio of main-scheme applicants to acceptances in 2022 was 10.3 for UK applicants and 9.9 for international applicants. Within the UK, UCL is a local recruiter,{{cite web|title=University College London Access and participation plan 2020–21 to 2024–25|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/widening-participation/sites/widening_participation/files/universitycollegelondon_app_2020-21_v1_10007784_0.pdf|page=1|website=UCL|access-date=7 February 2023}} with 47.4% of 2022 UK admissions coming from the London region and a further 28.1% from the adjacent East of England and South East regions.

Of UCL's young UK domiciled undergraduates, 32.7% were privately educated in 2019–20, the eighth highest proportion amongst mainstream British universities.{{cite web |title=Widening participation: UK Performance Indicators 2019/20 |at=Table T1 – Participation of under-represented groups in higher education |url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/widening-participation |website=hesa.ac.uk |publisher=Higher Education Statistics Authority |access-date=9 August 2021}}

Undergraduate law applicants are required to take the National Admissions Test for Law{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/how-apply/how-we-assess-your-application|title=How we assess your application|website=UCL|date=10 March 2022 |access-date=30 January 2023}} and undergraduate medical applicants are required to take the BioMedical Admissions Test. Applicants for European Social and Political Studies are required to take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) should they be selected for an assessment day. Medicine, pharmacy and English also interview undergraduate applicants prior to making an offer of admission.

{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible mw-collapsible"; style="font-size:85%; text-align:right;"

|+ class="nowrap" |HESA Student Body Composition (2023/24)

|-

!Domicile{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-1|title=HE student enrolments by HE provider, permanent address, level of study, mode of study, entrant marker, sex and academic year|publisher=HESA|access-date=3 April 2025}} and Ethnicity{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/whos-in-he/characteristics|title=Who's studying in HE?: Personal characteristics|date=3 April 2025|publisher=HESA|access-date=3 April 2025}}

! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total

|-

|British White{{efn|Not be confused solely with White British}}

|align=right| {{bartable|24|%|2||background:red}}

|-

|British Ethnic Minorities{{efn|Includes those who indicate that they identify as Asian, Black, Mixed Heritage, Arab or any other ethnicity except White.}}

|align=right| {{bartable|24|%|2||background:green}}

|-

|International EU

|align=right| {{bartable|7|%|2||background:blue}}

|-

|International Non-EU

|align=right| {{bartable|46|%|2||background:gray}}

|-

! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Undergraduate Widening Participation Indicators{{cite web |date=24 September 2024 |title=Good University Guide: Social Inclusion Ranking |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings/league-table |work=The Times}}

|-

|Female

|align=right| {{bartable|58|%|2||background:purple}}

|-

|Independent School

|align=right| {{bartable|30|%|2||background:orange}}

|-

|Low Participation Areas{{efn|Calculated from the Polar4 measure, using Quintile1, in England and Wales. Calculated from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) measure, using SIMD20, in Scotland.}}

|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:black}}

|}

UCL runs a contextual offer scheme called Access UCL, whereby eligible applicants can receive conditional offers for courses at UCL that have lower requirements than the standard conditional offers for those courses. Eligibility for Access UCL can be through an applicant living in a deprived areas or an area with low participation in higher education, through having spent time in care, though being a young adult carer, or through being estranged from their family. Except for applicants that have spent time in care, the scheme requires applicants to have attended a state school. Mature applicants are assessed on the same criteria, and are additionally not eligible if they have completed or are on the final year of an undergraduate degree. While the scheme enables applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive contextual offers, it does not guarantee that an offer will be made.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/access-ucl-scheme| title=Access UCL Scheme| website=UCL| date=23 March 2022|access-date=30 January 2023}} Contextual offers vary by course. For example, a contextual offer for the law LLB reduces the requirement from A*AA to BBB at A level,{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/law-llb|title=Law LLB|website=UCL|access-date=4 February 2023}} but for the physics MSci from A*AA to AAB.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/physics-msci|title=Physics MSci|access-date=4 February 2023}}

UCL also runs week-long UCL Summer Schools for high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds in partnership with the Sutton Trust. These give participants the opportunity to explore London, to develop skills in their chosen subject, to improve their university applications through personal statement workshops and talks by admissions tutors, and to take part in social activities.{{cite web|url=https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/university-partners/ucl/|title=UCL|website=UK Summer Schools – The Sutton Trust |access-date=30 January 2023}}

From the 2023/24 academic year, UCL will be launching an engineering foundation year based at UCL East for students who do not meet the standard entry requirements, who attended UK state schools for A levels or equivalent (unless refugees), and who live in an area with high levels of at least one axis of deprivation.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/engineering/study/engineering-foundation-year|title=Engineering Foundation Year|website=UCL|date=April 2022 |access-date=5 February 2023}}

For international students who do not meet the requirements for admission to the college, it runs intensive one-year foundation courses, called Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates, in either sciences or humanities.{{cite web |title=Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates – UCL's International Foundation Year |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/language-centre/preparatory-certificates|website=UCL|date=11 July 2018 |access-date=25 January 2023}}

For UK domiciled young full-time undergraduate entrants in 2020/21, 67.6% came from state schools, significantly below the location-adjusted benchmark of 74.5%, and 4.3% came from low participation neighbourhoods, not significantly different from the location-adjusted benchmark of 4.0%.{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/widening-participation|title=Widening participation: UK Performance Indicators 2020/21|date=22 February 2022|access-date=9 February 2023|website=HESA}} For UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants in 2022/23, UCAS data shows no significant difference in offer rate with ethnicity or gender. Applicants from the 20% of neighbourhoods with the lowest rates of participation in higher education receive offers at a rate 4.9% higher than would be expected based on their subject choice and predicted grades alone, a statistically significant difference, accounting for 6.3% of all offers. The offer rate for applicants from the 20% of neighbourhoods with the lowest rates of participation in higher education is not significantly different from that expected, with applicants from those neighbourhoods accounting for 48.9% of all offers.

File:University College London Union.jpg

{{main|Students' Union UCL}}

Founded in 1893, Students' Union UCL, formerly the UCL Union, is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which formed a student representative council in 1892.{{cite web |title=History of the Guild |publisher=Liverpool Guild of Students |url=http://www.lgos.org/main-menu/guild-life/history-of-the-guild |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621211819/http://www.lgos.org/main-menu/guild-life/history-of-the-guild |archive-date=21 June 2014 }} Students' Union UCL operates both as the representative voice for UCL students, and as a provider of a wide range of services. It is democratically controlled through General Meetings and referendums, and is run by elected student officers. The union also supports a range of services, including numerous clubs and societies, sports facilities, an advice service, and a number of bars, cafes and shops.{{cite web |url=http://www.uclunion.org/index.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040427165044/http://www.uclunion.org/index.php |archive-date=27 April 2004 |title=UCL Union |publisher=University College London Union |date=13 April 2010 |access-date=26 April 2010}}

{{as of| 2021|post=,}} there are over 250 clubs and societies under the umbrella of the UCL Union.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/why-choose-ucl/vibrant-social-life |title=A vibrant social life |work=Undergraduate Prospectus 2022 |date=17 February 2021 |publisher=UCL |at=Get involved with Students' Union UCL |access-date=14 September 2021}} These include: UCL Snowsports (one of the largest sports society at UCL, responsible for organising the annual UCL ski trip),{{cite web |url=http://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/snowsports-club |title=UCL Snowsports Club |publisher=UCL Union |access-date=16 August 2018}} Pi Media (responsible for Pi Magazine and Pi Newspaper, UCL's official student publications),{{cite web |url=http://www.pimedia.org.uk |title=University College London student publications – Home |publisher=Pi Media |access-date=14 December 2010}} the Debating Society (established 1829),{{cite web |url=https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=MS+ADD+51&pos=1|title=University College, London: Guild of Graduates Minute Book |work=UCL Archives |publisher=UCL Library Services |access-date=7 February 2023}} and the UCL Union Film Society, with past members including Christopher Nolan.{{Cite web |last=UCL Film and TV Society |date=12 September 2017 |title=Christopher Nolan Returns To UCL To Receive Honorary Degree And Visit The Film & TV Society – UCL Film & TV Society |url=https://www.uclfilmsociety.co.uk/blog/christopher-nolan-returns-ucl-receive-honorary-degree-visit-film-tv-society/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913094115/https://www.uclfilmsociety.co.uk/blog/christopher-nolan-returns-ucl-receive-honorary-degree-visit-film-tv-society/ |archive-date=13 September 2019 |access-date=18 June 2020 |website=UCL Film and TV Society |language=en-GB}}

From its foundation the college has been deliberately secular; the initial justification for this was that it would enable students of different Christian traditions (specifically Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Nonconformists) to study alongside each other without conflict.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7cZLAAAAcAAJ&pg=PR3 |pages=iii–v |title=London University Calendar |date=1832 |publisher=UCL}} In order to cater to people of all faiths, UCL opened a prayer room (with attached ablution facilities) and a silent meditation room in the student centre in February 2019, and there is a quiet contemplation room behind 16–26 Gordon Square. There is also a Christian chaplain (who also serves as interfaith advisor) and there are student societies for most major religions.{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/support-and-wellbeing/resources-and-information/information-and-support-specific-student-groups-3 |title=Religion and faith|date=6 July 2017 |publisher=UCL |access-date=3 February 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/university-college-london-welcomes-new-chaplain-and-inter-faith-adviser/ |title=University College London welcomes new chaplain and Inter Faith Adviser |date=8 November 2013 |publisher=Diocese of London |access-date=29 December 2018}}

The union runs over 70 sports clubs,{{cite web |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/news/2020/jun/sports-all-whatever-your-ability |title=Sports for all, whatever your ability |access-date=26 June 2020 |publisher=UCL |date=22 June 2020}} including the UCL Cricket Club (Men's and Women's), UCL Boat Club (Men's and Women's clubs), UCL Running, Athletics and Cross Country Club, and UCL Rugby Club (Men's and Women's), as well as RUMS sports clubs for medical students (from Royal Free, University College and Middlesex, the three medical schools that merged into UCL).{{cite web|url=https://studentsunionucl.org/clubs-societies/rugby-club-rums-mens|title=Rugby Club (RUMS Men's)|website=Students'Union UCL|access-date=4 April 2023}}

UCL clubs compete in inter-university fixtures in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition in a range of sports, including athletics, basketball, cricket, fencing, football, hockey, netball, rugby union and tennis. In the 2021/22 season, UCL finished in 16th position in the final BUCS rankings.{{cite web |url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/bucs-points/overall.html |title=BUCS Points |access-date=20 August 2022 |publisher=British Universities and Colleges Sport}}

UCL sports facilities include a fitness centre at the main UCL campus in Bloomsbury and a {{convert|90|acre|ha|adj=on}} athletics ground in Shenley, Hertfordshire,{{cite book |title=Student Book 2007 |first1=Klaus |last1=Boehm |first2=Jenny |last2=Lees-Spalding |publisher=Crimson Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84455-073-9 |page=711 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygBJv9ks7Q0C}} part of which is used as the Watford Football Club Training Ground.{{cite web|url=https://weuro-teamcatalogue.uefa.com/training_ground/watford-fc-training-ground/|title=Watford FC Training Ground|website=UEFA|access-date=8 February 2023}} It also exercises effective control over Somers Town Community Sports Centre, with the power to appoint five of the nine trustees. The sports centre includes a six-court sports hall,{{cite report|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sports_halls_report_2017.pdf|title=Strategic Assessment of Need: Sports Halls Provision in London 2017 – 2041|author=Sport England|date=September 2017}} as well as an activity/dance studio and an all-weather outdoor multi-use games area.{{cite web|url=https://schoolhire.co.uk/london-camden/somers-town-community-sports-centre|title=Somers Town Community Sports Centre, London – Camden|website=SchoolHire|access-date=8 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://schoolhire.co.uk/london-camden/somers-town-community-sports-centre/multi-use-games-area/18596|title=Outdoor MUGA Pitches|website=SchoolHire|access-date=8 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://schoolhire.co.uk/london-camden/somers-town-community-sports-centre/dance-studio/18597|title=Activity/Dance Studio|website=SchoolHire|access-date=8 February 2023}}

File:Pencil etching of Phineas Maclino.jpg

The UCL mascot was Phineas MacLino, or Phineas, a wooden tobacconist's sign of a kilted Jacobite Highlander stolen from outside a shop in Tottenham Court Road during the celebrations of the relief of Ladysmith, part of the Second Boer War, in March 1900.{{cite web |url=http://www.kingscollections.org/exhibitions/archives/mayhem/origins/mascots |title=King's Collections : Online Exhibitions: The College mascots: Phineas and Reggie |website=www.kingscollections.org}} In 1922, Phineas was stolen by students from King's, marking the start of 'mascotry', leading to an hour-long battle and the eventual return of Phineas.{{cite web|url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/mascotry-is-born-reggie-the-lion|title=Mascotry is Born: Reggie the Lion|date=18 October 2019|access-date=17 October 2022|publisher=King's College London}} In 1993, the students' union's centenary year, Phineas was placed in the third floor bar of 25 Gordon Street and the bar named after him.{{cite web |url=https://uclu.org/about-uclu/who-is-phineas-0 |title=Who is Phineas? – UCLU |website=UCLU |access-date=30 July 2016 |archive-date=20 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820084901/https://uclu.org/about-uclu/who-is-phineas-0 |url-status=dead }} In 2019, the students' union voted to remove the mascot from the bar due to its links to imperialism and British colonialism.{{cite news|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2019/12/13/ucl-officially-removes-statue-of-phineas-due-to-links-to-racially-prejudiced-colonial-policies-35660|title= UCL officially removes statue of Phineas due to links to 'racially prejudiced' colonial policies|date=13 December 2019|author=Olivia Rose|work=The Tab}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/university-discharges-imperialist-soldier-mascot-phineas-maclino-kkdp529b2|work=The Times|date=13 December 2019|title=University College London discharges 'imperialist' soldier mascot Phineas Maclino|author=Charlie Parker}}

File:UCL-KCL Varsity Rugby 2014.jpg.]]

{{main|King's College London–UCL rivalry}}

UCL has a long-running, mostly friendly rivalry with King's College London, but there were frequent clashes in the interwar period which have historically been known as "rags".{{cite web |url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040810173356/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/ |archive-date=10 August 2004 |title=Mayhem in the Metropolis: King's College versus University College in Student Rags |publisher=King's College London |access-date=26 April 2010}} UCL students have been referred to by students from King's as the "Godless Scum of Gower Street", in reference to a comment made at the founding of King's, which was based on Christian principles. UCL students in turn referred to King's as "Strand Polytechnic".{{cite web|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2013/10/30/ucl-vs-kcl-10900|title=UCL Vs KCL|author=Freddie McNicholas|date=30 October 2013|work=The Tab}}{{cite web|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2020/03/04/ucls-better-than-strand-poly-and-heres-why-36301|title=All the reasons UCL's better than Strand Poly|author=Sophie Parker|date=4 March 2020|work=The Tab}}

In 1922 Phineas, the UCL mascot was kidnapped by King's students, leading to a pitched battle in the King's College quad as UCL students recovered their mascot.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-ucl-mascot-phineas-reco/122800057/|title=London students' battle|work=Evening Standard|via=Newspapers.com|date=4 December 2022}}{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814040018/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/rag09.htm|title=The great rag of 1922|archive-date=14 August 2004|work=Mayhem in the Metropolis|publisher=King's College London Archives|url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/rag09.htm}} Shortly after this, King's adopted their own mascot – initially a large papier-mâché beer bottle, soon replaced by Reggie the Lion. During the 1927 rag, Reggie was captured by UCL students and his body filled with rotten apples. During the same year, an attempt by King's students to capture Phineas led to the "Battle of Gower Street", caught on camera by British Pathé.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cdui03tP18 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/3Cdui03tP18 |archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live |title=Battle Of Gower Street (1927) |date=13 April 2014 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}} On another occasion, Reggie was castrated by UCL students.{{cite web |url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/rag05.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814040509/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/rag/rag05.htm |archive-date=14 August 2004 |title=Mayhem in the Metropolis: King's College versus University College in Student Rags |publisher=King's College London |access-date=26 April 2010}}

King's students stole the embalmed head of Jeremy Bentham in October 1975, only returning it after UCL paid a ransom to charity. The head is now kept in the UCL vaults.{{cite web | url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bentham-project/about-jeremy-bentham/auto-icon |title=Auto-Icon |date=17 May 2018 |publisher=University College London |access-date=18 October 2022}}

In 1956, UCL students organised a silent march progressing against the Soviet oppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Around 1,300 students from across institutions in London matches from the Royal Albert Hall to the Soviet Embassy. There were active Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and anti-apartheid students groups at UCL in the 1960s and a pioneering GaySoc group that helped drive the National Union of Students gay rights campaign in the 1970s. 1977 saw a student occupation of administrative offices and the Slade School in protest against government cuts to higher education.

In 2010, protests by students and staff led UCL to promise to pay a living wage to all UCL staff.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/education-11427323|date= 28 September 2010|title=UCL agrees to pay 'living wage'|publisher=BBC News}} As part of the protests against the UK government's plans to increase student fees, around 200 students occupied the Jeremy Bentham Room and part of the Slade School of Fine Art for over two weeks during November and December 2010.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11829102 |title=Students stage day of protests over tuition fee rises |publisher=BBC News |date=24 November 2010 |access-date=13 December 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11954418 |title=University College London granted eviction order |publisher=BBC News |date=8 December 2010 |access-date=13 December 2010}} The university successfully obtained a court order to evict the students but stated that it did not intend to enforce the order if possible.

The late 2010s saw student campaigns around the cost of university-run accommodation. In 2016, over 1000 students took part in a rent strike in protest against high rents and poor conditions. Organisers said they had won over £1 million in rent cuts, freezes and grants from UCL in the settlement that ended the strike.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/19/why-i-refuse-to-pay-my-university-rent |title=Why I refuse to pay my university rent |author=Anonymous blogger |work=The Guardian |date=19 October 2016}} Another rent strike in 2017 lead to UCL pledging around £1.4 million in bursaries and rent freezes, mostly in the form of accommodation bursaries for less well-off students totalling £600,000 per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 academic years.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jul/06/students-win-15m-pledge-from-ucl-after-five-month-rent-strike |title=Students win £1.5m pledge from UCL after five-month rent strike |author=Alfie Packham |date=6 July 2017 |work=The Guardian}} Another rent strike was held at two halls of residence in the third term of the 2017/18 academic year due to complaints over conditions at those halls.{{cite news |url=https://leftfootforward.org/2018/05/students-strike-on-rent-pay-after-mice-and-flooding-complaints/ |title=Students strike on rent pay after mice and flooding complaints |author=Joana Ramiro |date=8 May 2018 |work=Left Foot Forward}}

In 2018, Aliza Ayaz, then a first year student founded the university’s first environment student campaign by setting up the Climate Action Society.{{cite web | url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/ucl-masters-student-appointed-un-youth-ambassador | title=UCL master's student appointed as UN Youth Ambassador | date=5 February 2021 }} The student society led pressure on the university to divest from fossil fuels and make the announcement publicly.{{cite web | url=https://arynews.tv/pakistani-student-aliza-ayaz-ucl/amp/ | title=Pakistani student Aliza Ayaz leads student engagement at UCL | date=19 October 2019 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/ucl-divests-fossil-fuels-it-launches-bold-new-sustainability-strategy | title=UCL divests from fossil fuels as it launches bold new sustainability strategy | date=16 October 2019 }}

In 2024, students protesting against the Gaza war set up an encampment in the campus, emulating the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests that took place across universities in the United States. The UCL encampment followed similar movements by students in other UK universities, such as the University of Leeds and the University of Bristol.{{cite web |title=UCL students attempt to replicate US protest encampments against Gaza war |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-ucl-students-launch-encampment-demand-university-divest-israel |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=Middle East Eye}}{{cite news |last1=Somerville |first1=Ewan |last2=Swerling |first2=Gabriella |last3=Mendick |first3=Robert |last4=Barton |first4=Alex |date=2024-05-03 |title=Pro-Palestinian protests spread across British universities |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/03/university-college-london-pro-palestine-tent-camp/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} On 15 November 2024, students protested the visit of Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, criticising the Czech government's support for Israel.{{cite news |title=Pro-Palestine protesters bring Czech foreign minister's UCL speech to abrupt end |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/16/palestine-protest-czech-foreign-minister-ucl-jan-lipavsky/ |work=The Telegraph |date=16 November 2024}}

{{pie chart|caption=UCL student body 2021/22|label1=UK undergrad|value1=23.5|color1=darkgreen|label2=Int undergrad|value2=27.3||color2=lightgreen|label3=UK taught postgrad|value3=17.4|color3=darkblue|label4=Int taught postgrad|value4=18.7|color4=lightblue|label5=UK research postgrad|value5=7.5|color5=darkred|label6=Int research postgrad|value6=5.6|color6=lightcoral}}

{| class="wikitable floatright collapsible mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"; style="font-size:85%; text-align:right;"

|+ class="nowrap" |Student body composition (2021/22)

|-

!colspan="3"|Domicile and ethnicityHESA only collects ethnicity information for UK domiciled students.

|-

|British – white

|align=right| {{bartable|25.6|%|2||background:gold}}

|-

|British – Asian

|align=right| {{bartable|12.8|%|2||background:firebrick}}

|-

|British – Black

|align=right| {{bartable|3.1|%|2||background:goldenrod}}

|-

|British – mixed heritage

|align=right| {{bartable|3.7|%|2||background:red}}

|-

|British – other/unknown

|align=right| {{bartable|3.2|%|2||background:darkgoldenrod}}

|-

|International – European Union

|align=right| {{bartable|9.4|%|2||background:green}}

|-

|International – China

|align=right| {{bartable|23.0|%|2||background:dodgerblue}}

|-

|International – rest of Asia

|align=right| {{bartable|10.7|%|2||background:turquoise}}

|-

|International – rest of the world

|align=right| {{bartable|8.4|%|2||background:cyan}}

|-

! colspan="3"|Gender

|-

|Female

|align=right| {{bartable|60.8|%|2||background:red}}

|-

|Male

|align=right| {{bartable|39.1|%|2||background:blue}}

|-

|Other

|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:purple}}

|-

! colspan="3"|Age

|-

|30 and over

|align=right| {{bartable|12.1|%|2||background:gray}}

|-

|25–29

|align=right| {{bartable|13.8|%|2||background:gray}}

|-

|21–24

|align=right| {{bartable|34.8|%|2||background:gray}}

|-

|20 and under

|align=right| {{bartable|39.3|%|2||background:gray}}

|}

In the 2021/22 academic year, UCL had a total of 46,830 students, of whom 23,800 were undergraduates (11,000 UK, 12,800 international), 16,910 were taught postgraduates (8,160 UK, 8,745 international) and 6,120 were research postgraduates (3,520 UK, 2,600 international).{{cite web |url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-study |title=Where do HE students study? |access-date=8 February 2023 |publisher=HESA}} In that year, UCL had the second-largest total number of students of any university in the United Kingdom (after the Open University) and the largest number of postgraduate students; however, in terms of UK undergraduates it was 68th by size. It had been the UK university with the highest number of international students every year since 2014/15.{{cite web|url=https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/student-migration-to-the-uk/|title=Student Migration to the UK|date=23 September 2022|website=The Migration Observatory|publisher= University of Oxford|access-date =11 February 2023}}

In 2021/22, 87% of UCL's students were full-time and 13% part-time, although among undergraduates only 3% were part-time. The student body was split 60.8% female, 39.1% male and 0.1% other gender identity. 24,145 UCL students (52%) were from outside the UK, of whom 15,795 were from Asia, 4,400 from the European Union, 1,440 from North America, 890 from elsewhere in Europe, 790 from the Middle East, 370 from Africa, 310 from South America, and 155 from Australasia; 45% of overseas students at UCL – 10,785 – came from China.{{cite web |url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from |title=Where do HE students come from? |access-date=8 February 2023 |publisher=HESA}} Additionally, UCL had 895 students studying wholly overseas in 2021/22 (10 undergraduate, 785 taught postgraduate and 80 research postgraduate) that are not included in the count of the student population.{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from/transnational|title=Transnational education by HE provider|access-date=8 February 2023 |publisher=HESA}}

For UK domiciled students, UCL's student body in 2021/22 was 52.9% white, 26.4% Asian, 7.6% mixed, 6.4% black and 4.6% other, compared to an average across London institutions of 47.8% white, 22.2% Asian, 6.7% mixed, 15.5% black and 4.9% other. Over the whole student body, 12.5% had a known disability, compared to 15.8% across all institutions.{{cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/whos-in-he/characteristics|title=Who's studying in HE?: Personal characteristics|date=31 January 2023|publisher=HESA|access-date=8 February 2023}}

UCL holds an institutional silver Athena SWAN award. It gained its first institutional award (bronze) in 2006 and was promoted to silver in 2015. {{As of|November 2021|post=,}} 21 departments across UCL hold bronze awards, 17 hold silver awards and three hold gold awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/equality-areas/equality-charter-marks/athena-swan-ucl|title=Athena SWAN at UCL|website=UCL|date=25 July 2018 |access-date=25 February 2023}} UCL also holds an institutional bronze Race Equality Charter award, which it first gained in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/equality-areas/equality-charter-marks/race-equality-charter|title=Race Equality Charter|date=25 February 2023}}

UCL was formerly a member of Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme, promoting LGBT+ equality. It left in February 2020 as a cost-cutting measure and then controversially decided in late 2021 not to rejoin, against the advice of its equality diversity and inclusion committee, following a vote of the academic board that expressed fears that membership of the scheme could inhibit academic freedom. The decision not to rejoin was strongly opposed by staff and student LGBT+ groups at UCL and by the students' union.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/dec/21/ucl-becomes-first-university-to-formally-cut-ties-with-stonewall|work=The Guardian|title=UCL becomes first university to formally cut ties with Stonewall|author=Richard Adams |date=21 December 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/12/23/ucl-stonewall-lgbt/|title=UCL slammed for ignoring LGBT+ staff and students in cutting Stonewall ties over 'academic freedom'| date=23 December 2021|author= Maggie Baska|work=Pink News}}

{{Main list|List of people associated with University College London}}

{{Further|List of people associated with University College London in the Law|School of Slavonic and East European Studies#Notable alumni and staff|The Bartlett#Notable alumni|Slade School of Fine Art#Notable alumni}}

UCL alumni include Francis Crick (co-discoverer of the structure of DNA),{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/medicine-obituaries/5796359/Francis-Crick-OM.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/medicine-obituaries/5796359/Francis-Crick-OM.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Obituary: Francis Crick, OM |access-date=20 April 2013 |work=The Telegraph |date=30 July 2004}}{{cbignore}} Lord Herschell (Lord Chancellor of Great Britain),{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/debrettshouseo1886londuoft/page/286/mode/1up|page=286|title=Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench|publisher=Dean & Son|location=London|author=Robert Henry Mair|year=1886 }} William Stanley Jevons (an early pioneer of modern economics),{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=39, 116|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}} Charles K. Kao ("Godfather of broadband"),{{cite journal |title=Sir Charles Kuen Kao. 4 November 1933—23 September 2018 |publisher=The Royal Society |journal=Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society |author=John Midwinter |year=2021 |volume=70 |pages=211–224 |doi=10.1098/rsbm.2020.0006 |s2cid=226291122 |doi-access=free }} Jomo Kenyatta (considered the "Founding Father" of Kenya){{cite news |url=http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/2008/6/20/the-big-read |title=Jomo Kenyatta: emblematic figure of the Independence Movement |access-date=20 April 2013 |work=Daily Observer |date=20 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530222404/http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/2008/6/20/the-big-read |archive-date=30 May 2013}} and Joseph Lister (pioneer in the use of antiseptics in surgery).{{cite book|last=Godlee|first=Sir Rickman John|title=Lord Lister|date=October 1924|edition=3rd, Revised|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1333634315|url=https://wellcomecollection.org/works/j6yczh59/items|pages=15–22}} Notable former staff include Hugh Gaitskell (leader of the Labour Party 1955–63),{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |page=195|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}} Otto Hahn (pioneer of nuclear chemistry, discoverer of nuclear fusion and Nobel laureate),{{cite web |date=11 January 2018 |title=History |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/about/who/history |access-date=3 November 2022 |publisher=UCL}} Peter Higgs (proposer of the Higgs mechanism, which predicted the existence of the Higgs boson, and Nobel laureate), A. E. Housman (classical scholar and poet, who wrote A Shropshire Lad while a professor at UCL),{{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=125, 127|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}} Sir William Ramsay (discoverer of all of the naturally occurring noble gases){{cite book |title=The World of UCL |pages=108–111|author1=Negley Harte |author2=John North |author3=Georgina Brewis |publisher=UCL Press |date=2018}} and Klaus Roth (mathematician and Field's Medal winner).{{cite web|url=https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal/fields-medals-1958| title=Fields Medals 1958|website=International Mathematical Union|access-date=10 April 2023}}

Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 32 UCL academics (including visiting academics) and alumni (16 in Physiology or Medicine, eight in Chemistry, six in Physics and one each in Literature and Economic Sciences) as well as three Fields Medals in Mathematics.

File:Francis Crick crop.jpg| Francis Crick

File:Picture of jevons.jpg| William Stanley Jevons

File:Lister Joseph.jpg| Joseph Lister

File:Otto Hahn (Nobel).jpg| Otto Hahn

File:Nobel Prize 24 2013.jpg| Peter Higgs

File:Charles K. Kao cropped 2.jpg| Charles K. Kao

File:Jomo Kenyatta.jpg| Jomo Kenyatta

In the 19th century UCL operated as a college, with many students taking individual lecture courses rather than studying for degrees.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f-cKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA11|work =University Colleges, Great Britain – Grant in Aid| page=11|title=University College, London|author1= T.H. Warren|author2 =G.D. Liveing|publisher=HMSO|date=1897}}

These included well-known alumni such as Mahatma Gandhi, who took English classes with Henry Morley in 1888–89,{{cite news|url=https://indiacurrents.com/my-experiment-with-truth/|title=My Experiment with Truth|author=Swapnajit Mitra|date=12 October 2014|work=India Currents}} and John Stuart Mill, who attended lectures on jurisprudence by John Austin.{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2006/mar/ucl-marks-place-british-intellectual-history-john-stuart-mill-0|title=UCL marks a place in British intellectual history for John Stuart Mill|date=23 March 2006|website=UCL|access-date=12 January 2023}}

• Armorial of UK universities
• List of universities in the UK

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• {{cite book |last1=Bellot |first1=H. Hale |author-link=Hugh Hale Bellot |title=University College, London 1826–1926 |date=1929 |publisher=University of London Press |location=London}}
• Furlong, Gillian (2015). [https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/82991 Treasures from UCL]. London: UCL Press. {{ISBN|978-1-910634-36-3}}.
• {{cite book |last1=Harte |first1=Negley |last2=North |first2=John |last3=Brewis |first3=Georgina |title=The World of UCL |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/the-world-of-ucl |publisher=UCL Press |location=London |edition=4th |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-78735-294-0}}

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