Founded in 1826 as London’s first university, University College London (UCL) is a leading multidisciplinary university in London. It is located in one of England’s most vibrant cities: London.
The UK remains a major destination for international students. Many Student visa holders are allowed to work during their stay in the UK, but the number of hours depends on what they are studying, their sponsor, and whether they are working during or outside term time.
University College London might be the right university for your higher education. Read about the acceptance rate at University College London to find out how competitive admission is at this prestigious university.
University College London Acceptance Rate
An acceptance rate can reveal how competitive a university’s admissions process is, but it is important to use the correct measure. UCL’s latest undergraduate application data for the 2025-26 UCAS cycle lists 89,239 applications, 38,696 offers, and 9,138 places across its listed faculties. Because this source reports applications and places rather than unique applicants and enrolled students, the most accurate way to present the figure is an applications-to-places estimate: about 10.24%.
This means UCL had roughly 9.8 applications for every place in the 2025-26 UCAS cycle, excluding Clearing applications, offers, and places. The figure should not be treated as a guarantee of an individual applicant’s chances, because entry requirements, offer rates, and competition vary by program.
UCL is highly competitive, but applicants should not rely on a single university-wide figure when choosing where to apply. Some departments and programs receive many more applications per place than others, so students should review the requirements and admissions information for their chosen course carefully.
Preparing for University College London
Knowing the university’s applications-to-places figure can give valuable insight into the competitiveness of the admission process. However, to decide whether this university suits you, other factors like the admission process, tuition fees, visa work conditions, and scholarships should also be considered.
Admission Requirements
One of the most important contributing factors to your acceptance is whether you meet the admission requirements for the course of study you have selected. UCL’s entry requirements vary by course, and all applications for full-time undergraduate degrees must be submitted through UCAS. UCL says it gives equal consideration to applications submitted by the January UCAS deadline.
Academic requirements, required subjects, admissions tests, interviews, portfolios, English-language requirements, and credit requirements can vary by program. Follow the official UCL admissions and course pages to learn more about individual courses.
Tuition Fees
As an international student, you will need to consider tuition fees and additional costs such as living expenses, transportation, books, materials, and visa-related costs. UCL says overseas undergraduate fees for 2026/27 entrants are published in its 2026/27 fee schedule. It also notes that most overseas undergraduate students benefit from a cohort guarantee, while some courses may have extra costs.
You should also check UK Student visa work conditions before planning part-time work, because work rights depend on the level of study, the sponsor, and the conditions attached to your visa.
Scholarships
You can gain significant benefits from knowing the scholarship offers available to you. Universities, governments, and other organizations can support your education abroad, and missing out on them could be a loss. For example, the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship is for prospective overseas-fee students from low-income backgrounds who have submitted an admission application for a full-time undergraduate degree at UCL.
For 2026/27, UCL says up to 33 Global Undergraduate Scholarships are available, including awards that cover full tuition fees and, for some recipients, maintenance support and a fixed allowance for additional costs. Make sure you are aware of all scholarship requirements, values, and deadlines before you apply.
University College London is a highly ranked university in the United Kingdom. UCL reports that it is 9th in the 2026 QS World University Rankings and 7th in the 2025-2026 Best Global Universities ranking. This article outlined some of the key points you need to know before applying to University College London, and we hope it will make your decision-making process easier.
We hope this article on the University College London acceptance rate was informative. Feel free to check out the Study in the UK and Programs in Europe for International Students pages for more information on courses available in the UK.
