University of London vs London School of Economics and Political Science

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The University of London is a federal research university comprising 17 independent member colleges and institutions, such as UCL, King's College London, LSE, and Queen Mary. Combined across all its institutions, the University of London has in excess of 200,000 students worldwide, including those registered by distance learning. The acceptance rates across member institutions differ significantly, with some colleges being very competitive (e.g., Royal Holloway ~17%) and others being more open. These graduates show median earnings between INR 60 lakhs and 1.2 crore per annum (?$72,000–145,000). 

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the University of London's 17 constituent colleges but it functions independently in admissions, research, and governance. It is a specialist social science university with approximately 12,000 students hailing from more than 150 countries. Admissions are highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of around 9%. LSE is particularly famous for Economics, Political Science, International Relations, and Law. The median salaries of alumni are reported to be INR 85 lakhs–1.3 crore (?$102,000–156,000) ten years post-graduation.

Overview Comparison
University of LondonLondon School of Economics and Political Science
Collegedunia Score-6.5 Out of 10
ranking (overall)-# 4 The Guardian 2026
# 52 Times Higher Education 2026
# 56 QS World University 2026
Subject Strength-# 51 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025
# 201 for Medicine by QS World University 2025
# 1 for Law by The Guardian 2026
ProgramsUG Programs -8
PG Programs -11
Doctorate Programs -8
UG Programs -33
PG Programs -60
Acceptance Rate63.0 %9.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT-600
IELTS-6.5
SAT-1100
TOEFL-86
GMAT-681
GRE-319
IELTS-7
PTE-65
TOEFL-100
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   32970
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  144950
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 929 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   27489
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  32457
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 43577 Per Year
placement (average package)

Average Salaries By Degree:

  • Masters in Management : $117,000 
  • Executive Masters : $110,000 
  • PhD : $105,000 
  • LLM  : $91,000 
  • Masters in Finance : $88,000 
  • MBA : $84,000

Graduate Employability Ranking 2020: 45; Top paying degrees with annual salary are MBA: 159,000 USD, Executive MBA: 151,000 USD, PhD: 144,000 USD, LLM: 120,000 USD


application requirements

Check program specific requirements

Submit English language proficiency test scores

87% in previous degree for most programs; Personal Statement; at least 2 recommendation letters; CV

Campuses and B-SchoolsRoyal Central School of Speech & Drama
London Business School
NA
CollegeDunia Reviews7.0/10 Read 5 reviews7.5/10 Read 4 reviews

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ranking-# 51 for Statistics by QS World University 2025
# 37 for Statistics by Times Higher Education 2023
application--
exam scoresIELTS - 7.0/9PTE - 65/90TOEFL - 80/120IELTS - 7/9PTE - 69/90TOEFL - 100/120
cost to studyTotal Cost (Tuition + Living) -8714Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -27489
application datesNov 1, 2025 (Programme start date For 2025 Nov Intake)
Nov 1, 2025 (Registration Deadline For 2025 Nov Intake)
May 1, 2026 (Programme start date For May 2026 Intake)
May 6, 2026 (Registration Deadline For May 2026 Intake)
Oct 1, 2025 (Application Deadline For Nov 2025 Intake)
Apr 6, 2026 (Application Deadline For May 2026 Intake)
Jan 31, 2025 (Application Deadline For 2025 Intake)
General Facts Comparison
General FactsUniversity of LondonLondon School of Economics and Political Science
Type of UniversityUniversity
School
Established1836
1895
Student:Faculty Ratio21:1
12:1
Male:Female36% Male, 64% Female48% Male, 52% Female
Location Facts

The university owns a considerable central London estate of 12 hectares of freehold land in Bloomsbury, near Russell Square tube station.

Some of the university's colleges have their main buildings on the estate. The Bloomsbury Campus also contains eight Halls of Residence and Senate House, which houses Senate House Library, the chancellor's official residence and previously housed the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, now part of University College London (UCL) and housed in its own new building


Has one campus in central London close to River Thames, Covent Garden and Theatreland and the Royal Court of Justice; Houses of Parliament is are also easily accessible from the campus


Library

Located in the centre of London the eight collaborating libraries, at Senate House and in the immediate vicinity, provide services to over 100,000 registered readers every year.Senate House Library offers individual and group study areas with access to WiFi and power. Our study spaces provide both silent study areas, and group working spaces.

Get online and in-person support for your studies and research, offered by librarians.

The Reading Room is an invigilated space for the use of Archives and Manuscripts and printed Special Collections. It also houses the Palaeography and Manuscript Studies and Book Studies Collections.


3 libraries: British Library of Political and Economic Science (main), Shaw Library, Women’s Library; Main library has 4 million print volumes, 60,000 online journals, 29,000 electronic books


Campus Life
  • University of London's campus in Paris has the benefit of being both small enough to navigate and big enough to discover new locations and things to do by the end of the trip. It is stunning, diverse, and full of fantastic cafés, bars, markets, parks, and galleries.
  • Students have access to standard IT resources such as PC workstations, laptop plug-ins, wifi access scanners, colour printing, and photocopying throughout the school.
  • It offers staff and students open free wifi, enabling remote access to high-speed internet in every location of the facility. Additionally, it offers an Eduroam service.
  • The Queen Mary University of London campus's Careers & Enterprise division offers a free, specialized careers service to all University of London students. This jobs centre is a component of the Careers Group, the largest university careers centre in Europe, which offers goods and services aimed at assisting people in finding and sustaining job satisfaction during their careers.
  • The University's Student and Academic Services division oversees all administrative matters, including providing helpful guidance on health care, funding, visa applications, and welfare support.

Over 200 societies including Student Union’s clubs, societies, media and representation; volunteering and charity; public lectures; arts and music; faith and reflection; Saw Swee Hock Student Centre has main office of Student’s Union, cafes, pubs, nighclub, study spaces, gym and Residential Service Office.


Hostel#Weekly Double Room and board - $200
#Weekly Single Room and board - $330
#Weekly studio room - $399
#Single Studio Room - $13416
#Single Room - $14833
#Single En-suite Room - $15328
Famous Alumni

Over 250,000 alumni from 190 nations, including nearly 48% of international students, have attended the University. It also has 29 Nobel Prize winners. Some of the alumni are Alexander Graham- who invented the telephone. William Stanley- a pioneer of modern Economics. Wole Soyinka - a Nobel Prize for Literature, Dr. Rolph Payet - A joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and Dr. Dipu Moni - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh.


Susan Rasky (journalist); Ursula von der Leyen (first female President of European Commission); Vanessa Kerry (physician); Daniel Akerson (former CEO of General Motors); Amartya Sen (Nobel laureate, economist); Leonid Hurwicz (Nober laureate, economist)


City Life

London is one of the hottest spots for students right now.

There are over 7000 bars and pubs, over 5000 restaurants and incredibly for one city, over 350 music venues!

Studying in London will put you at the heart of one of the places best equipped to handle your educational needs. There is a stunning amount of libraries, local businesses and support networks which could all aid you in your studies.

Lastly, Studying in London will give you the opportunity to meet a wide range of professionals, both on your course and in your chosen field. This will obviously require work on your side, but meeting the right contacts could boost your future career prospects.


London ranks 1st in QS News Best Student Cities for 2019; With some amazing bars, buzzing night clubs, and restaurants at its doorstep, London is among the top cities to live in UK. Even though the city is comparatively expensive locations, you can find student discounts while shopping, eating, as well as traveling in London. It is a global capital of culture with hundreds of museums, festivals, live performances, etc and thousands of open spaces, and green parks. The unemployment rate was around 4.4% in 2019. It is one of the highest paying cities in UK


Weather
Comparison Notes

University of London vs London School of Economics and Political Science

Subject Strength & Rankings (2025/2026)

The University of London system is held in high regard worldwide, as it comprises several world-ranked institutions. Rankings depend on the college — UCL and King's are top 40 internationally, others are in the 300–600 range. LSE is ranked Top 50 globally consistently, and frequently Top 5 globally for Economics, Social Policy, and Politics.

General Information

The University of London is a huge federal entity with breadth of choice, ranging from humanities and sciences to professional programs within various colleges. LSE, on the other hand, is a specialist institution, dealing almost entirely with the social sciences. University of London is gigantic in size, whereas LSE is a much smaller, highly international campus setting.

Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Admission selectivity is highly variable for University of London schools, ranging from moderate to very competitive. LSE is one of the most competitive institutions of higher education in the UK, accepting fewer than 1 out of every 10 applicants. 

Research Impact & Facilities

Collectively, the University of London has vast research output across the board, from medicine (through UCL and St George's) to law and business. LSE, while smaller, packs a punch well above its weight with world-class policy impact, economics research, and scholarship in law, backed by specialist libraries and research institutes.

Cost & Financial Aid

Fees for foreign students at both schools vary between £22,000–30,000 annually (~INR 22–30 lakhs), to which is added £12,000–15,000 (~INR 12–15 lakhs) for living in London. Both schools provide scholarships, although LSE is extremely competitive and offers fewer scholarships.

Career Outcomes & Alumni Success

University of London graduates have varied career options in business, health, technology, and academia. LSE alumni, on the other hand, specialize in finance, politics, law, consulting, and international organizations with the best alumni network in the world.