King’s College London is officially the third most popular university in the UK

King’s College London (KCL) is officially the third most popular university in the UK.

New figures, released in the 2025 UCAS end-of-cycle data shows the university received 70,970 applications from prospective students for 2025 entry, representing a substantial rise of 6,540 from the previous year.

This 10 per cent increase highlights the universities growing appeal among prospective students who are drawn to its central London location, academic reputation and campus experience.

Within the 24 member Russell Group, only two other universities attracted more applicants. These included the University of Manchester, with 93,195 applications and KCL’s biggest rival UCL, with 77,535, earning it’s place as the second most applied to university.

via Unsplash

Surprisingly, Cambridge received the second fewest applications of all Russell Group universities with only 23,100 applications last year.

Queen’s University Belfast was the least applied to university with a modest 18,625 applications.

KCL’s high number of applicants last year can be attributed to the variety of subjects provided to students, which include topics ranging from natural sciences to specialised offerings like English law and Australian law, enabling the university to provide students with diverse pathways.

Not only that, the university’s five campuses across central London offer students access to world class cultural institutions, professional networks and internship opportunities that few other universities can match.

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