King’s College London and Cranfield University to merge in bid to create ‘global university’

King’s College London (KCL) is to merge with Cranfield University in Bedfordshire in a bid to create a “global university.”

The proposed merger will create a UK university tailored for an evolving world, with enhanced opportunities and resources for students, as well as a focus on inter-disciplinary courses.

In an email sent to students and staff, King’s College London acknowledged that it was still in the early stages of negotiations, but the merger will be in place from August 2027.

King’s College London, UK

It also outlined what this would mean for students, saying: “We want to be clear that your day-to-day experience as a student at King’s will remain unchanged. This will not affect the content of your course, where you study, the cohort you are part of, or the degree you graduate with.

“What this will do is strengthen what we can offer in the future. Through this proposed merger, which is planned for August 2027, Cranfield will become part of King’s and together we will recognise and build on Cranfield’s distinct culture and contribution.”

It added: “For our students, this will open up new opportunities over time. Cranfield brings world-leading facilities and capabilities in areas such as advanced manufacturing, bio renewables, water security and aerospace – including access to specialist environments and equipment that are rare within UK universities.

“As our institutions come together, this will expand opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, collaboration and exposure to industry, helping to prepare our students for a wider range of careers and enabling us to contribute even more strongly to the challenges facing society and the wider world.”

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Cranfield University and KCL vice-chancellors

The merger follows the joining of the universities of Kent and Greenwich in 2025 and is set to benefit King’s through its access to Cranfield’s world-renowned expertise in technology, engineering and management, alongside its deep and long-standing partnerships with industry and government.

Cranfield will also benefit from the interdisciplinary breadth and scale of King’s.

Prof Dame Karen Holford, chief executive and vice-chancellor at Cranfield University, said the merger would “create a global university” delivering excellence with “purpose, drive and scale”.

King’s College London’s vice-chancellor and president, Professor Shitij Kapur, also said it was “a deliberate step to bring some of the best of UK to compete with the best in the world.”

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