“Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward” is the rather fitting motto for University College London (UCL). It was founded in 1826 on quite radical terms for the time, being the first secular institution in the UK to admit students regardless of religion, race or class and to admit women on equal terms with men.

This tradition continues today with people of all beliefs and social backgrounds given open access to English higher education at UCL. And it’s a good place to study. UCL is a leading multidisciplinary university, ranking fourth in the world in the 2009 Times Higher Education-QS rankings. Twenty-one Nobel prizewinners have come from UCL.

UCL is based in Bloomsbury, Camden in London. It has 8,000 staff and 22,000 students.

Student Life
The area in the immediate vicinity of the main campus on Gower St, Camden is something of a hive of learning and entertainment and students are encouraged to get out and make the most of it. There is easy access to libraries, parks, street markets and galleries.

In Camden, UCL keeps good company with other fabulous local institutes such as the British Library, British Museum, the Royal Academy of Art and the British Medical Association.

UCL is also within walking distance of Covent Garden, Oxford Street, West End and Regents Park. There are plenty of bars, cafes, restaurants and entertainment both on campus and in the surrounding area and all of London’s other amenities.

The 150 UCL clubs and societies provide much of the energy on campus and there’s always something of a political, cultural, religious, arts or environmental nature taking place somewhere. There’s even a UCL West End theatre offering discounted tickets for students. Students have free periods on Wednesday afternoons to pursue sports and leisure.

Diversity
UCL has a fine record in terms of religious, gender and ethnic diversity. One third of UCL students come from overseas, from nearly 140 countries.

Given these numbers, there are various provisions for international students including an orientation programme to help students settle in. The idea is to orient students to UCL and London facilities, welfare and medical services and give them the chance to make new friends.

There is also an electronic newsletter containing pertinent issues for international students and religious support for those of different faiths.

The International Office is open Monday to Friday for practical welfare advice.

Academic Programs & Resources
UCL’s founding liberal principles have helped to foster an innovative, relevant and dynamic education system. Programs are offered across all academic disciplines and are constantly under review to include the latest findings in the field, thanks to the research efforts of staff. UCL teaching particularly embraces e-learning but also personal interaction and small group tutorials.

UCL has one of Europe’s largest and most productive centers for biomedical science and a world-renowned centre for architecture (UCL Bartlett) and fine art (UCL Slade School).

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise UCL achieved outstanding results in academic disciplines of medicine, architecture, laws, economics, computer science and philosophy.

UCL has the second largest base of energy-related university research funding in London.

Faculty & Staff
The most recent Nobel Prize earned by UCL was in October 2009 for Professor Charles Kao’s contribution to Physics. In 2007 Professor Sir Martin Evans received a Nobel Prize for embryonic stem cell research. Kao and Evans are just two of UCL’s top professors, in fact UCL has the highest number of professors in any UK university and the highest number of female professors.

UCL is also ranked in The Times Good University Guide as having the best staff/student ratio at 8.9. They are rated as having world-leading quality and listed as third overall in the UK after Oxford and Cambridge.

UCL is committed to sustaining a position as a centre of research and teaching, and therefore encourages staff to enhance their capabilities in research, leadership and management. There are support networks for staff, research programmes and various workshops for individual departments.

Safety, Health & Wellness
UCL has an array of support services covering everything from nurseries to counselling, dental, health and sexual or racial harassment.

The Gower Street Practice is a health service available for all registered students and there is a Student Counselling Service on Taviton Street. The UCL Disability Centre is for those with mental or physical impairments.

There are also online discussion boards where you can anonymously seek help from other peers if you are suffering examination or other stress.

The Union has clubs for many sports and there are plenty of facilities including various health clubs with swimming pools and fitness programs and a sports ground shared with Watford FC.

For more information about studying at the University College London, please click here