London University (1826–1836) University College, London (1836–1907) University of London, University College (1907–1976) University College London (1977–2005; remains legal name)
University College became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. As well as undergraduate teaching, it is one of the largest research universities in the country.
UCL was founded in 1826 as 'University College'. It was the first university institution to be founded in London and the first in England to be established on an entirely secular (non-religious) basis.
The university admits students regardless of their religious beliefs. UCL was also the first to admit women on equal terms with men.
UCL has over 100 departments, institutes and research centres in eight faculties. Its main campus is in the Bloomsbury area of central London. There are also a number of institutes and teaching hospitals elsewhere in central London.
University College was founded on 11 February 1826, under the name London University, as a secular alternative to the strictly Anglican universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It was founded from the beginning as a university, not a college or institute.
However, its founders got such strong opposition from the Church of England that it prevented them from getting the Royal Charter needed for the award of degrees. King's College London was specifically founded to provide an Anglican rival to UCL. It was not until 1836, when the latter-day University of London was established, that University College was legally recognised and granted the power to award degrees of the University of London.
UCL is a major centre for biomedical research; it is part of three of the 12 biomedical research centres established by the NHS in England and is a founding member of UCL Partners, the largest academic health science centre in Europe.
For the period 1999 to 2009 it was the 13th most-cited university in the world (and the most-cited in Europe). There has been at least one Nobel Prize winner from UCL every decade since the establishment of the Nobel Prizes in 1901. There are 29 Nobel Prize winners and three Fields Medalists amongst UCL’s alumni and current and former staff, the most recent being Sir Charles Kao, who received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2009.
According to a ranking of universities produced by SCImago Research Group, UCL is ranked 12th in the world (and 1st in Europe) in terms of total research output. According to data released in July 2008 by ISI Web of Knowledge, UCL is the 13th most-cited university in the world (and most-cited in Europe). The analysis covered citations from 1 January 1998 to 30 April 2008, during which 46,166 UCL research papers attracted 803,566 citations. The report covered citations in 21 subject areas and the results revealed some of UCL's key strengths, including: Clinical Medicine (1st outside North America); Immunology (2nd in Europe); Neuroscience & Behaviour (1st outside North America and 2nd in the world); Pharmacology & Toxicology (1st outside North America and 4th in the world); Psychiatry & Psychology (2nd outside North America); and Social Sciences, General (1st outside North America).
