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University College London

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
UCL[1]
Former names
London University (1826–1836)
University College, London (1836–1907)
University of London, University College (1907–1976)
University College London (1977–2005; remains legal name)
MottoLatin: Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae
Motto in English
Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
TypePublic research university
Established11 February 1826; 200 years ago (1826-02-11)
(University status 2023)
Academic affiliations
Endowment£175.0 million (2025)[2]
Budget£2.163 billion (2024/25)[2]
ChairVictor L. L. Chu[3]
VisitorSir Geoffrey Vos
(as Master of the Rolls ex officio)[4]
ChancellorAnne, Princess Royal
(as Chancellor of the University of London)
President and ProvostMichael Spence
Academic staff
10,350 (2023/24)[5]
Administrative staff
6,655 (2023/24)[5]
Students(2016/17)[6]
n/a FTE (2016/17)[6]
Undergraduates(2016/17)[6]
Postgraduates(2016/17)[6]
Other students
895 (studying wholly overseas; 2021/22)
Location
London, England

51°31′29″N 00°08′01″W / 51.52472°N 0.13361°W / 51.52472; -0.13361
CampusUrban
Colours     Purples and white[7]
Websiteucl.ac.uk
Map
University College London Crest

University College London (UCL) is a large university in London. It is the largest college of the federal University of London.[8]

University College became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. As well as undergraduate teaching, it is one of the largest research universities in the country.[9]

UCL was founded in 1826 as 'University College'. It was the first university institution to be founded in London and the first in England to be established on an entirely secular (non-religious) basis.[10]

The university admits students regardless of their religious beliefs. UCL was also the first to admit women on equal terms with men.[11]

UCL has over 100 departments, institutes and research centres in eight faculties. Its main campus is in the Bloomsbury area of central London. There are also a number of institutes and teaching hospitals elsewhere in central London.

It has grown through mergers. These include the Institute of Neurology (in 1997), the Royal Free Hospital Medical School (in 1998), the Eastman Dental Institute (in 1999), the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (in 1999), the School of Pharmacy (in 2012) and the Institute of Education (in 2014).

History

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The original University College was based largely on ideas of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), a lawyer, social philosopher and free-thinker. Bentham believed in libertarianism, utilitarianism, women's suffrage, and the separation of church and state. These are beliefs of liberalism. The college was unique in that it was secular, and was called "that Godless institution in Gower Street".[12][13]

University College was founded on 11 February 1826,[14] under the name London University, as a secular alternative to the strictly Anglican universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It was founded from the beginning as a university, not a college or institute.

However, its founders got such strong opposition from the Church of England that it prevented them from getting the Royal Charter needed for the award of degrees. King's College London was specifically founded to provide an Anglican rival to UCL.[13] It was not until 1836, when the latter-day University of London was established, that University College was legally recognised and granted the power to award degrees of the University of London.

Research

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UCL has over 7,000 academic and research staff and 840 professors, the highest number of any British university.[15] There are currently 56 Fellows of the Royal Society, 51 Fellows of the British Academy, 15 Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and 121 Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences amongst UCL academic and research staff.[16]

UCL is a major centre for biomedical research; it is part of three of the 12 biomedical research centres established by the NHS in England and is a founding member of UCL Partners, the largest academic health science centre in Europe.[17]

For the period 1999 to 2009 it was the 13th most-cited university in the world (and the most-cited in Europe).[18] There has been at least one Nobel Prize winner from UCL every decade since the establishment of the Nobel Prizes in 1901. There are 29 Nobel Prize winners and three Fields Medalists amongst UCL’s alumni and current and former staff, the most recent being Sir Charles Kao, who received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2009.[16]

According to a ranking of universities produced by SCImago Research Group, UCL is ranked 12th in the world (and 1st in Europe) in terms of total research output.[19] According to data released in July 2008 by ISI Web of Knowledge, UCL is the 13th most-cited university in the world (and most-cited in Europe). The analysis covered citations from 1 January 1998 to 30 April 2008, during which 46,166 UCL research papers attracted 803,566 citations. The report covered citations in 21 subject areas and the results revealed some of UCL's key strengths, including: Clinical Medicine (1st outside North America); Immunology (2nd in Europe); Neuroscience & Behaviour (1st outside North America and 2nd in the world); Pharmacology & Toxicology (1st outside North America and 4th in the world); Psychiatry & Psychology (2nd outside North America); and Social Sciences, General (1st outside North America).[20]

UCL is a member of the G5, the League of European Research Universities, the Russell Group, and other national and international groups.[21] It forms part of the 'Golden Triangle' of British universities.[22]

  • UCL had a total income of £762 million in 2009/10, of which £275 million was from research grants and contracts.[23]
  • The UCL School of Energy and Resources is based in Adelaide, Australia.
  • UCL includes world-renowned centres for architecture (UCL Bartlett) and fine art (UCL Slade School)

References

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  1. ↑ Cite error: The named reference official was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  2. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference finstat was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  3. ↑ "UCL Council". University College London. August 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "UCL Officers". University College London. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Who's working in HE?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Staff numbers by HE provider: HE staff by HE provider and activity standard occupational classification. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "2016/17 Students by HE provider, level, mode and domicile" (CSV). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Brand and Experience at UCL: Colour". UCL. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "Profile: University College London". Times Online. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  9. ↑ The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education describes it as a "research university".
  10. ↑ At the time, both Oxford and Cambridge universities required all students and dons to be members of the Church of England.
  11. ↑ "UCL | Fulbright University Partners | US-UK Fulbright Commission". Fulbright.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  12. ↑ Quotation was by Thomas Arnold, the Head of Rugby School and a religious zealot.
  13. 1 2 Crilley, Tony (2006). Arthur Cayley: mathematician laureate of the Victorian Age. JHU Press. p. 18. ISBN 0801880114.
  14. ↑ "Americanized Encyclopedia Britannica, Revised and Amended: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature; to which is Added Biographies of Livings Subjects". Americanized Encyclopedia Britannica. Vol. 10. 1890. p. 6100. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  15. ↑ "Key Facts and Figures". University College London. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  16. 1 2 "UCL". Archived from the original on 2014-08-03. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  17. ↑ Carvel, John (7 August 2008). "NHS hospitals to forge £2bn research link-up with university". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  18. ↑ "The Most-Cited Institutions Overall, 1999-2009". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  19. ↑ "SIR World Report 2010 :: Global Ranking" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  20. ↑ "Research powerhouse: UCL top-cited in UK". University College London. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  21. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2011-04-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ↑ "Golden opportunities". Nature. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  23. ↑ "Wealth and Health: Financial data for UK higher education institutions, 2009-10". Times Higher Education. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
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