UCL

University College London has long been a top 20 university globally, but was recently reassigned by the respected Times Higher Education’s World Rankings to become a global ‘star’.

The university has long been classified as one of the top 20 in the world, but more recently moved into the ‘old stars’ category, alongside Harvard and Oxbridge.

UCL has a very strong science and research pedigree, and is top-rated for research. It is the hub for the UK’s national dementia research institute, while its medical school is a major international centre of biomedical research.

It has also invested in its humanities over the past decade, and instilling a cross-disciplinary approach to learning and research. It is the most cited university in Europe.

UCL was founded in 1826 by social reformer, Jeremy Bentham, whose embalmed corpse remains on display at the campus in Bloomsbury. It was the first secular British university and the first to accept women. It is now the UK’s largest university by post-graduate enrolment.

The university boasts 33 Nobel Prize winners among its alumni. Notable alumni include Mahatma Ghandi, Francis Crick, John Stuart Mill, Marie Stopes, Christopher Nolan and Chris Martin.