King’s College London is a public research university in central London, founded in 1829, with more than 42,000 students on five campuses.[1] It is ranked 37th in the world and 6th in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2027.[2][3]
Home undergraduate tuition is £9,790 for students starting in September 2026.[4] International fees are set per course: the postgraduate taught pages we read show £32,100 (MA Modern World History, 2026/27), £35,900 (MSc Mathematics, 2027/28) and £45,400 (MSc Economics & Finance, 2027/28).[5][6][7] Undergraduates apply through UCAS, postgraduates through the King’s Apply portal.[8][9]
Key facts
| Official name | King’s College London |
| Location | London, England; five campuses (main address Strand, London WC2R 2LS)[1] |
| Type | Public research university and part of the University of London[10] |
| Founded | 1829 (the college says its roots reach back to the 12th century)[1] |
| Students | More than 42,000 on the college’s own page[1] |
| Faculties | Nine, among them Arts & Humanities, Social Science & Public Policy, Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences & Medicine, Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care[2] |
| Alumni and laureates | More than 300,000 alumni; 14 Nobel laureates[1] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 37th in the world, 6th in the UK[2] |
| Home undergraduate fee | £9,790 for students starting in September 2026[4] |
| International postgraduate taught fee, MA Modern World History | £32,100 per year (2026/27)[5] |
| International postgraduate taught fee, MSc Mathematics | £35,900 per year (2027/28)[6] |
| International postgraduate taught fee, MSc Economics & Finance | £45,400 per year (2027/28)[7] |
| International deposit | £2,000 (£3,000 for MSc Economics & Finance), credited towards the fee[6] |
| Official website | kcl.ac.uk |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.
About King’s College London
King’s College London was founded in 1829. The college itself says its roots reach back to the 12th century.[1] According to Wikipedia, it was founded by royal charter under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington, was one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836, and received university status in 2023 while remaining part of the University of London.[10]
The college is made up of five campuses across London and says it has more than 42,000 students, over 300,000 alumni and 14 Nobel laureates.[1] Wikipedia gives 40,870 students for 2024/25 in the national HESA data, so the two figures differ by definition and year.[10]
It has nine faculties and schools, including the King’s Business School, the Dickson Poon School of Law, the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences.[2]
How is King’s College London ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, King’s College London is 37th in the world and 6th in the UK. King’s own news page says it was “ranked 6th best university in the UK and 37th in the world in the prestigious QS World Rankings” earlier this year,[2] and its study page shows “6th in the UK, QS World University Rankings 2027” and “Top 40 best university in the world”.[3] Roar News reported the same result on 20 June 2026.[11]
Note that King’s About page still states “31st in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026)”, which is the previous edition.[1] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at King’s College London?
King’s teaches in nine faculties and schools. Among them are Arts & Humanities; Social Science & Public Policy; Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences; Life Sciences & Medicine; the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; the King’s Business School; the Dickson Poon School of Law; Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences; and the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care.[2]
Every course has its own page in the online course finder with fees, entry requirements and application details.[4][9] A few postgraduate programmes, such as some nursing and genomic medicine courses, are applied for on the partner institution’s website.[9]
How much does King’s College London cost?
Undergraduate
Home fees for students based in the UK are set at £9,790 for new students starting in September 2026. Students from the EU, EEA or Switzerland who started in 2021 or later no longer get home fee status and pay the international fee.[4] Undergraduate tuition fees are shown on each course page; we could not read a reliable international undergraduate amount with a printed year, so we state none.[4]
Postgraduate taught: examples
| Programme (full-time) | UK per year | International per year |
|---|---|---|
| MA Modern World History (2026/27) | £14,450 | £32,100 |
| MSc Mathematics (2027/28) | £15,300 | £35,900 |
| MSc Economics & Finance (2027/28) | £34,000 | £45,400 |
Sources for the rows: History,[5] Mathematics[6] and Economics & Finance.[7] Part-time fees for the first two programmes are listed at half the full-time amount.[5][6] The pages state that fees may rise in later years of study in line with King’s terms and conditions.[6]
If you receive an offer you must pay a non-refundable deposit that is credited towards the tuition fee: £2,000 for international students on the Mathematics and History programmes (£500 for home students), and £3,000 (home £1,000) for Economics & Finance.[6][7] The history page shows the same £2,000 and £500 deposits.[5]
How do you apply to King’s College London?
- Undergraduate: all full-time undergraduate courses at UK universities are applied for online through UCAS, the central admissions service.[8]
- Postgraduate taught: register on the online application portal King’s Apply and submit the application there. You will typically upload transcripts, one reference contact, any English-language qualifications and a personal statement; some courses ask for more, such as a writing sample or CV.[9]
We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by course. Check the course page for dates and funding deadlines before you start.
Which English level do you need?
For undergraduate courses the level depends on the course and is grouped in bands. For IELTS Academic, the bands in the 2027/28 table run from 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each skill up to 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each skill (the highest band, for example, covers the Dentistry entry programme for medical graduates). The Arts & Humanities and Social Science & Public Policy faculties are in a band that asks for 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each skill.[12]
Tests must be taken within two years of the course start date, and every element must be met in one test; TOEFL MyBest scores and IELTS One Skill scores are not accepted.[12] The list is described as correct as of September 2026 and applies to the 2027/28 academic year.[12] For postgraduate taught courses, read the entry requirements on the course page, which include the English-language level.[9]
Frequently Asked Questions
How is King’s College London ranked?
How much do international students pay at King’s College London?
What is the home tuition fee?
£9,790 for new undergraduates starting in September 2026.[4]
How do I apply as a postgraduate?
Register on King’s Apply and submit your application there with transcripts, a reference, a personal statement and any English-language qualifications.[9]
Is King’s College London part of the University of London?
Yes. It was one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836 and remains part of it, according to Wikipedia.[10]
More about studying in United Kingdom (UK)
- United Kingdom (UK): best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in United Kingdom (UK)
- Durham University
- Imperial College London
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- Queen Mary University of London
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Birmingham
- University of Bristol
- University of Cambridge
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Exeter
- University of Glasgow
- University of Leeds
- University of Manchester
- University of Nottingham
- University of Oxford
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- University of Warwick
- University of York
Sources
[1] King’s College London: About King’s (page without a date; its QS figure (31st) is the 2026 edition)
[2] King’s College London: King’s ranks in top 20 in Guardian University Guide 2027 (news item dated 12 Sep 2026; QS positions quoted as “earlier this year”)
[3] King’s College London: Why King’s (page without a date; cites QS 2027)
[4] King’s College London: Undergraduate tuition fees (page without a date)
[5] King’s College London: Modern World History MA, fees (page without a date; fees labelled 2026/27)
[6] King’s College London: Mathematics MSc, fees (page without a date; fees labelled 2027/28)
[7] King’s College London: Economics & Finance MSc, fees (page without a date; fees labelled 2027/28)
[8] King’s College London: How to apply (undergraduate) (page without a date)
[9] King’s College London: How to apply (postgraduate taught) (page without a date)
[10] Wikipedia: King’s College London (history, type and national student figures)
[11] Roar News: King’s ranks sixth in UK in 2027 QS World University Rankings (article dated 20 Jun 2026)
[12] King’s College London: Undergraduate English language entry requirements (list correct as of September 2026, for 2027/28 entry)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.