study in London
The densest concentration of universities in Britain, the deepest graduate job market in Europe — and a visa requirement set £358 a month higher than everywhere else in the country.
London is not one student city but several overlapping ones. It holds more universities than any other city in Europe, spread from Bloomsbury to the Docklands, and the sheer density means almost any subject is taught somewhere at a serious level. The museums, libraries and galleries are free and genuinely world-class — a real asset when you have no money.
What London is famous for, in the terms that matter to a graduate, is concentration of employers. Finance, law, consulting, media, technology and healthcare all headquarter here. On the two-year Graduate visa, that density is the strongest argument for paying London prices.
The costs are the counter-argument, and they begin before you arrive. The Home Office requires London applicants to prove a higher monthly maintenance figure than anyone else — the only place-based financial rule in the UK student system.
A partial list — London has far more institutions than can be listed here, including specialist conservatoires, medical schools and business schools. Check that any institution you are offered holds a Student sponsor licence before you pay anything.
University College London (UCL)
Very large and broad; medicine, engineering, architecture, economics and the built environment.King's College London
Medicine, nursing, law, war studies and the health sciences, on sites across central London.Imperial College London
Science, engineering, medicine and business only — no arts or humanities.Queen Mary University of London
East London; medicine, dentistry, law and engineering, with a large international intake.City St George's, University of London
Formed from City, University of London and St George's; business, health sciences, nursing and journalism.Brunel University of London
West London; engineering, design, computing and business, on a single campus.London is the most expensive place to study in the UK, and unusually the cost shows up twice — once in what you spend, and once in what you must prove you hold before a visa is granted. Both are higher here than anywhere else in the country.
Against the other cities we cover in the United Kingdom, London is one of the more expensive. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
The maintenance money you must prove for a course here is £1,529 per month, for up to 9 months.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Mild, grey and wet rather than cold. Winter daylight is short — dark by four in December, which is a genuine adjustment.
Getting around
The Tube, buses, Overground and rail on one contactless card or Oyster. A student Oyster photocard gives 30% off travelcards — apply as soon as you enrol.
Housing
The largest single cost and the hardest to solve. University halls for the first year if you can get them; otherwise flat-shares, usually far from campus.
Working
20 hours a week in term time on a Student visa, full-time in vacations. The deepest part-time market in the UK — retail, hospitality, care, delivery.
Community
A large and long-settled Nepali population, particularly around Aldershot, Reading and parts of east London. Community organisations, temples and grocers are easy to find.
Free things
The national museums and galleries are free. So are most parks and many libraries. It is possible to live well here without spending, if you plan for it.
For a course in the City of London or the 32 London boroughs, you must show £1,529 per month, for up to 9 months — on top of your outstanding tuition fees.
For an identical course anywhere else in the UK, the requirement is £1,171 per month, for up to 9 months — a gap of more than £3,200 over nine months.
Read the rule precisely: it is set by where the course is taught, not where you live. A university with a London postcode triggers the higher figure even if you plan to commute from outside. Money must sit in your own or your parents' account for 28 consecutive days, and the closing balance must not dip below the required amount on any day in that window — a single dip resets the clock.
London is one of 5 cities we cover in the United Kingdom. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.