Imperial College London is a public research university in London specialising in science, engineering, medicine and business. It was established by Royal Charter on 8 July 1907, merging the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines and the City and Guilds College.
Imperial had 23,248 students in 2024-25, of whom 61 per cent were international, drawn from more than 150 countries. The university employs 8,783 staff and is one of the most globally diverse institutions in the United Kingdom.
- Imperial is ranked 2nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and 8th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026
- In the 2025 UCAS cycle Imperial received 33,923 undergraduate applications, made 8,143 offers and confirmed 3,627 places, an acceptance rate of about 10.7 per cent
- Overseas undergraduate tuition for 2026-27 entry runs from 42,700 pounds to 58,600 pounds a year, while the Home fee is 9,790 pounds.
Where Are Imperial College London's Campuses?
Imperial's main campus is in South Kensington in central London, home to the central library, the Imperial College Union, the sports centre and student halls. Further campuses sit at White City, Hammersmith, Charing Cross, St Mary's, Chelsea and Westminster, Royal Brompton and the Silwood Park field station in Berkshire.
The South Kensington site places students beside the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Albert Hall, in the cultural quarter first envisaged by Prince Albert.
The White City campus is Imperial's innovation district, housing research laboratories, incubator space for spin-out companies and the Molecular Sciences Research Hub. All campuses are connected by London's Underground and bus network.
Cost of Living in UK for Indian StudentsRead →What Are Imperial College London's 2026 Rankings?
Imperial is ranked 2nd in the world and 1st in the UK and Europe in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and 8th globally and 3rd in Europe in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. Domestically it is 5th in the Complete University Guide 2027 and 6th in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
Imperial's own league tables page also records 6th place in the Times Good University Guide 2026, 1st in the Daily Mail University Guide 2026, 4th in Europe in the US News Best Global Universities 2025-26 and 7th worldwide in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026.
The QS 2027 result placed Imperial ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge, making it the highest-ranked university in Europe on that table. Rankings differ by methodology, so compare the criteria rather than assuming one table is definitive.
What Is Imperial College London's Acceptance Rate?
Imperial does not publish a single headline acceptance rate, but its official transparency data shows 33,923 undergraduate applications in the 2025 UCAS cycle, 8,143 offers and 3,627 confirmed places. That is an offer rate of roughly 24 per cent and a final acceptance rate of about 10.7 per cent across all courses.
The figures have tightened over five cycles. In the 2021 cycle Imperial received 28,905 applications and confirmed 3,308 places, so applications have grown far faster than the number of places available.
Competitiveness varies sharply by faculty. In 2025 the Faculty of Engineering confirmed 1,720 places from 15,844 applications, the Faculty of Natural Sciences 1,148 places from 11,231 applications and the Faculty of Medicine 569 places from 4,434 applications.
Benefits of Studying in UKRead →Which Courses Does Imperial College London Offer?
Imperial teaches only science, engineering, medicine and business. Undergraduate degrees are offered as BSc, BEng, MEng, MSci and the six-year MBBS/BSc in Medicine, alongside a large postgraduate taught portfolio of MSc and MRes programmes and MPhil, PhD and professional doctorate research degrees across four faculties.
Teaching is organised through the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine and Imperial Business School. Departments include:
- Aeronautics
- Bioengineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computing
- Design Engineering (Dyson School)
- Earth Science and Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Centre for Environmental Policy
- School of Public Health and the National Heart and Lung Institute
Imperial Business School adds the BSc Economics, Finance and Data Science, a suite of specialist MSc programmes and the Full-Time MBA, Weekend MBA, Executive MBA and Global Online MBA.
What Are the Imperial College London Fees in 2026?
For 2026-27 entry the Home undergraduate fee is 9,790 pounds a year and Overseas undergraduate fees run from 42,700 pounds for Mathematics to 45,500 pounds for Chemistry, Physics, Life Sciences and Computing, rising to 58,600 pounds a year for Medicine. Postgraduate taught fees vary widely by programme.
Imperial charges fees by year of entry rather than year of study, and continuing students see an annual inflationary increase. The figures below come from Imperial's own 2026-27 tuition fee pages and course pages.
| Programme (2026-27 entry) | Duration | Home Fee | Overseas Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computing MEng | 4 years | GBP 9,790/yr | GBP 45,500/yr |
| Chemistry, Physics or Life Sciences BSc/MSci | 3-4 years | GBP 9,790/yr | GBP 45,500/yr |
| Mathematics BSc/MSci | 3-4 years | GBP 9,790/yr | GBP 42,700/yr |
| Medicine MBBS/BSc | 6 years | GBP 9,790/yr | GBP 58,600/yr |
| Computing (AI and Machine Learning) MSc | 1 year | GBP 24,600 | GBP 46,000 |
| Business Analytics and AI MSc | 1 year | GBP 28,200 | GBP 47,000 |
| Full-Time MBA | 12 months | GBP 78,000 | GBP 78,000 |
Tuition does not cover accommodation, living costs, travel or optional placements. London living costs should be budgeted separately and are a required part of the Student visa financial evidence.
Scholarships in UK for Indian StudentsRead →What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Indian Students?
Indian applicants need a CBSE, CISCE or state board Class XII certificate with very high marks for undergraduate entry, plus any required admissions test. For master's entry Imperial expects a three or four-year bachelor's degree from a recognised university, with the exact percentage or CGPA threshold set by the individual department.
Undergraduate offers are pitched at UK A-level standards. Computing MEng, for example, asks for A*A*A including A* in Mathematics, or 41 points at International Baccalaureate with 7 in Higher Level Mathematics, and requires the Test of Mathematics for University Admission.
Departments set their own postgraduate thresholds, typically an upper-second-class UK honours equivalent or higher. Applicants should check the entry requirements tab on the specific course page rather than relying on a single college-wide figure.
All international applicants must also meet Imperial's English language requirement at either the standard or higher level, depending on the department.
Which Documents Do You Need to Apply?
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS and postgraduate applications through Imperial's own online portal. Applicants upload academic transcripts and certificates, an English language test result, a personal statement, academic references, a CV where required, and admissions test scores for courses that use them.
- Official academic transcripts and Class XII or degree certificates
- English language test scores meeting the departmental level
- Personal statement, or statement of purpose for postgraduate entry
- Academic or professional references
- Admissions test results where required, such as the TMUA or the UCAT for Medicine
- Passport identity page for the CAS and visa stage
Some departments interview shortlisted candidates. Interview practice varies by department, and applicants who are invited receive detailed guidance in advance.
What Are the UK Student Visa Requirements?
You need an unconditional offer, a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from Imperial, financial evidence covering tuition and living costs, and, for some science and engineering courses, ATAS clearance. Imperial confirms you cannot apply for the visa more than six months before your course start date.
Imperial issues the CAS only once every condition of the offer has been met, including ATAS where it applies, and does not process CAS requests earlier than five months before the start date. Visa decisions from outside the UK usually take about three weeks.
Applicants also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which Imperial states is 776 pounds per year for the main applicant, pro-rated for shorter visa lengths, in addition to the visa application fee.
How Much Does the Imperial MBA Cost?
The Imperial Full-Time MBA costs 78,000 pounds for the standard 12-month format, or 79,500 pounds for the 16-month version with an extended work placement. The fee is identical for Home and Overseas candidates and a 7,800 pound deposit counts towards the total rather than adding to it.
The fee covers the length of the programme, flights and accommodation for the Global Experience Week, and core reading and study materials. Accommodation and living costs in London are not included.
Admission requires at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree or an approved professional qualification and three years of continuous relevant full-time work experience, though candidates with less can be considered exceptionally. Imperial Business School asks for a GMAT at the 55th percentile or above, equivalent to 600 or more on the current test, or an equivalent GRE score.
Scholarships for the Full-Time MBA include the Advisory Board Scholarship at full tuition, the Sainsbury Management Fellowship at 50,000 pounds, the Dean's Impact Scholarship at 30,000 pounds and Forte and ROMBA Fellowships worth up to half of tuition.
Which Data Science and Analytics Masters Are Available?
Imperial does not run a programme called MSc Data Science. The closest options are the Computing (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) MSc in the Department of Computing, the Machine Learning and Data Science MSc delivered online, and the Business Analytics and AI MSc at Imperial Business School.
The Computing (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) MSc is a one-year full-time course for graduates who have already covered roughly two years of computer science content. Tuition for 2026 entry is 24,600 pounds for Home students and 46,000 pounds for Overseas students.
The Business Analytics and AI MSc prepares graduates for data-driven decision-making and is available full-time on campus or as a part-time online programme studied from anywhere. Tuition for 2026 entry is 28,200 pounds for Home students and 47,000 pounds for Overseas students.
What Scholarships Does Imperial Offer in 2026?
Imperial's flagship international award is the Imperial Inspires scholarship, worth 15,000 pounds a year for every year of the course. At least 300 are being offered for autumn 2027 entry to overseas fee-paying students on full-time undergraduate courses and selected postgraduate taught programmes across all four faculties.
Applicants are considered after submitting a UCAS or My Imperial application, and those who meet the minimum entry and eligibility requirements are invited to complete an additional essay question. Applications open in September 2026.
Imperial also runs the Imperial Bursary for eligible Home undergraduates, International Baccalaureate Excellence Scholarships, scholarships for students of Black heritage, departmental awards and a central scholarships search covering external funders.
Who Are Imperial College London's Notable Alumni?
Imperial's award winners page records 14 Nobel prize winners connected with the university, along with Fields Medallists and 78 staff who are Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Alumni and former staff include Alexander Fleming, Abdus Salam, Dennis Gabor, Geoffrey Wilkinson and Cyril Hinshelwood.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin at St Mary's Hospital Medical School, now part of Imperial. Abdus Salam shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for electroweak unification and Dennis Gabor won the 1971 prize for inventing holography.
Outside science, Imperial's graduates include Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May, Canadian astronaut and politician Marc Garneau, and the writer H. G. Wells, who studied at the Normal School of Science, a predecessor institution.