Study in London, United Kingdom

Population: 8,175,000

City overview

London, capital of England and the UK, is one of the world’s great cities and a great destination for postgraduate students. Straddling the river Thames and extending for 611 square miles, this is the city that created the Underground, hosted the Olympics a record three times, gave the world punk rock and is the world’s most visited city.

It also one of the world’s major centres of education. Approximately 25% of all international students in the UK choose to study in London and it is home to some of the world’s leading universities.

Education profile

London is a hub of postgraduate education and is home to one of the highest concentrations of universities in the world. There are 43 higher education institutions in London and a student population of more than 400,000. This is one of the world’s best places to study a postgraduate course.

Major universities in London include:

• Brunel University
• City University London
• Goldsmiths
• Imperial College London
• King’s College London
• London School of Economics
• University College London

Graduate programs in London are also offered by a number of specialist institutions.

Research and taught courses are both offered as graduate programs in London, with hundreds of postgraduate courses on offer at both universities. Both types of Masters normally take 1-2 years to complete, with PhD programs taking 3-4 years full time or six years part-time.

Immigration and visas

EU citizens are permitted to take a graduate program in the UK providing they fulfil the following:

• Are studying in the UK for more than three months
• Are enrolled at an accredited university or institution
• Have proof of sufficient funds to cover your graduate program in the UK for its duration

Non-EU students will need to apply for a student visa under the tier 4 visa category. They will need to demonstrate the following:

• Proof of funding to cover a postgraduate course and living costs
• A confirmation of acceptance to study (CAS) reference from a university with sponsor status
• Adequate English language skills

You can find out more about visas at the UK Border Agency.

Life in London

London is one of the world’s most exciting and busy cities. It has everything a postgraduate student could want, from world famous museums and galleries to some of the most prestigious restaurants in the world.

London is also very cosmopolitan with every nation in the world represented. It’s not uncommon to walk down a street and hear four or five different languages being spoken. This also means you can wander into different neighbourhoods which attract different cultures – from Brick Lane’s Bangladeshi community to the Hasidic Jewish community in Stamford Hill.

Where you choose to study your postgraduate course, and wherever you choose to live, your life in London is guaranteed to be busy, full of new experiences and extremely exciting.

Working in London

Non-EU international students wanting to stay on to work in London after their studies will need to apply for a work visa. You can find out more about the various visa options through the UK Border Agency.

As the centre of the UK economy and one of Europe’s powerhouse cities, there are plenty of job opportunities for postgraduates in London. The city is a major financial centre for business and commerce and is the sixth largest city economy in the world.

London’s major industry remains finance, with plenty of banks, insurers and accounting firms located in the city.

Accommodation

London is the most expensive city to live in as a student and rents can often be double the price you would pay elsewhere in the UK.

Students tend to live in shared houses or flats or dedicated postgraduate halls of residence. Expect to pay around £400-£500 a month for a room in a shared flat.

As London is such a large city, it pays to try and live as close as possible to where you will be studying. With so much competition for flats, finding somewhere to live in London can be an extremely stressful and cut-throat business. Make sure you do plenty of research on where you want to live before taking the plunge.

Weather and climate

Despite its reputation as a rainy city, London actually receives less rain than Rome each year and benefits from warm summers and relatively mild winters. Summer months are between June and August (when most universities are closed), with the coldest months between December and February. 

What to do next

Are you interested in studying a graduate program in London? If so, you should sign up for our Free Application Service. We'll provide you with tailored information, courses to suit you and the option to apply online for the graduate program you want.