Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Imperial is a science, engineering, medicine and business university right in the middle of South Kensington, with Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall and the big museums on its doorstep. Courses are demanding and the workload is famously heavy, but you're surrounded by people who love their subject as much as you do.
The catch is cost. London rents are steep, and even Imperial's own halls run from £150 to £425 a week, with the cheapest rooms being shared twins. Many first years live in North Acton, about 40 minutes by Tube from campus. If you want a top STEM degree and can handle the price tag, it's a remarkable place to study.
Known for
Imperial College London is 101st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 41.2, below the UK median of 48.5. Our rankings are built around the student experience, combining employability, freshers experience, happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies. That means big research names don’t automatically top the table. See how we score universities.
Marker shows the UK median across all ranked universities.
| Rank | University | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | City St George's, University of London | 41.7 |
| 100 | Brunel University London | 41.6 |
| 101 | Imperial College London | 41.2 |
| 102 | University of Bradford | 41.1 |
| 103 | Abertay University | 41 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
6th of 124 · Employability Score 51.4
6th of 122 · Careers Score 47.7
38th of 124 · Value Score 55.3
59th of 124 · Inclusion Score 60.6
69th of 124 · Innovation Score 54.8
77th of 124 · Balance Score 39.4
88th of 124 · Sustainability Score 43.5
102nd of 124 · Nightlife Score 37.1
106th of 124 · Freshers Score 42.3
111th of 124 · Affordability Score 16.2
113th of 124 · Safety Score 23
116th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 23.2
120th of 123 · Happiness Score 18.5
122nd of 124 · Social Score 27.7
124th of 124 · Societies Score 19.8
London as a student city
Ranked 72nd of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 32.
Imperial College London appears in 12 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance 2026 table | 4th | of 10 | – |
| Biology | 28th | of 51 | 80 |
| Mathematics | 36th | of 61 | 90 |
| Economics | 52nd | of 85 | 97 |
| Chemistry | 27th | of 44 | 74 |
| Electrical Engineering | 42nd | of 67 | 85 |
| Biochemistry | 38th | of 60 | 78 |
| Biotechnology | 7th | of 10 | 29 |
| Medicine | 21st | of 30 | 54 |
| Statistics | 19th | of 27 | 38 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Imperial College Union is based in the Beit Quadrangle on Prince Consort Road, right next to the main campus. It runs 380+ clubs, societies and projects and its own bars, including FiveSixEight, the old-school Union Bar and Metric, a club-style venue for DJ nights and live shows. Medics have Reynolds Bar at Charing Cross. Beyond campus you have all of London, from Hyde Park and the South Kensington museums to nights out across the city, though going out in London isn't cheap.
University halls cost £150–£425 per week (2026/27 undergraduate rooms, per person; 39-week licence for first years) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
The university says first-year undergraduates who firmly accept Imperial (CF or UF status) are guaranteed a place in College accommodation if they're eligible and apply on time. For 2026/27 the conditions were: submit an accommodation application by Friday 17 July 2026, accept an unconditional academic offer by Friday 23 August 2026, come alone (partners, dependants and children can't be housed) and study full time for the academic year 26 September 2026 to 26 June 2027. Students with Imperial as their insurance choice are not guaranteed a room.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson House | Paddington (near St Mary's campus) | standard single, en-suite single and twin rooms | £150/wk | 382 places in 22 Victorian houses plus a newer block. The cheapest room is a standard twin at £150 (singles from £174). About 25 minutes by Tube to South Kensington, or 30 minutes' walk through Hyde Park. |
| Beit Hall | South Kensington | standard and en-suite singles and twins | £155/wk | Five minutes' walk from lectures, in the same building as the Union, so livelier and noisier. Standard twin £155, standard single £199, en-suite single £308. Only 297 of 339 places available in 2026/27 due to refurbishment. |
| Kemp Porter Buildings | North Acton | en-suite single and twin | £165/wk | 709 bed spaces. En-suite twin £165, en-suite single £236. About 40 minutes by Tube to South Kensington (Central line from North Acton). |
| Woodward Buildings | North Acton | en-suite single and twin | £165/wk | 689 bed spaces, two minutes' walk from North Acton station. En-suite single £236, premium £259. First years can choose a 51-week licence here. |
| Eastside Halls | South Kensington | en-suite single and twin | £194/wk | 454 bed spaces on campus. En-suite twins from £194; en-suite singles £352 and premium singles £425. |
| Southside Halls | South Kensington | en-suite single and twin | £194/wk | 405 bed spaces on campus. En-suite twins from £194; en-suite singles from £347 and premium singles up to £425. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Where Imperial's biggest first-year halls are. Further out but on the Central line, and usually a bit cheaper than central London.
Popular with continuing students: good Tube links to South Kensington and near the Hammersmith and Charing Cross medical campuses.
Handy for Imperial's White City campus, with big shopping at Westfield.
Walking or cycling distance from South Kensington, but rents are high.
Top tip
Apply for halls as soon as you've firmly accepted your offer: for 2026/27 the guarantee deadline was 17 July 2026. Twin rooms are the cheapest way to live close to campus, so consider one if budget matters. Rent includes bills, internet and basic contents insurance.
London is expensive, and Imperial is honest about it. Its living-costs page estimates £16,392–£17,042 for nine months in 2026, with college halls averaging £250 a week and private rents £267 a week. Hall rent includes bills, which helps with budgeting. Food, travel and going out add roughly £170 a week on top. Twin rooms (from £150) are the main way to cut rent.
Getting around
The main campus is a short walk from South Kensington Tube station (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines). From North Acton halls, the university estimates about 40 minutes by Tube or 35 minutes by bike. London buses cost £1.75 a single, and the Hopper fare gives unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour. The university budgets about £31 a week for zone 1–2 travel.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
Imperial College London is 101st out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 41.2. Its strongest results are for employability (6th), career prospects (6th), value for money (38th).
Yes. Imperial is one of the 24 Russell Group universities.
Yes, if Imperial is your firm choice and you meet the conditions. For 2026/27 you had to apply for accommodation by 17 July 2026, accept an unconditional offer by 23 August 2026, come alone and study full time for the year. Insurance-choice students aren't guaranteed a room.
For 2026/27, undergraduate rooms cost £150–£425 a week per person, on a 39-week licence for first years. Twin rooms start at £150, en-suite singles in North Acton cost £236 and on-campus en-suite singles cost £347–£425. Rent includes utility bills, internet and basic contents insurance.
Maybe not. Beit, Eastside and Southside are in South Kensington, a few minutes' walk from lectures. But the two biggest halls, Kemp Porter and Woodward, are in North Acton, about 40 minutes by Tube. Wilson House in Paddington is about 25 minutes by Tube.
Very. Imperial estimates £16,392–£17,042 for a nine-month academic year in 2026, or around £424–£441 a week, including rent, food, zone 1–2 travel and personal spending.
Not as a degree. Imperial's faculties are Engineering, Medicine, Natural Sciences and the Business School, so it's a place for STEM, medicine and business students.
About this guide. Rankings data comes from the Unifresher Rankings 2027 (methodology). Facts, hall prices and costs come from the university and official sources listed below. Last updated 23 October 2026.
