Imperial College London

Overview

Imperial College London is a public university founded in 1907 and centred on South Kensington in west London. Its subject range is narrower than most UK universities: science, engineering, medicine and business. That focus shapes the student experience. Courses are demanding in mathematics from the first term, and most students arrive having already chosen a specific degree such as Aeronautics or Chemical Engineering rather than a general faculty.

How to apply and key dates

Applications go through UCAS. For courses starting in 2027, Imperial lists these deadlines:

• 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time for MBBS Medicine and Graduate Entry Medicine.
• 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time as the equal consideration deadline for all other undergraduate courses.

Applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026. Some departments invite applicants to interview after reviewing the UCAS form and test scores; Imperial explains how this works on its interviews page.

Admissions tests

Many Imperial courses use the UAT-UK tests, and you register for them directly with the test provider, separately from UCAS. Plan the test before you write the personal statement.

For the 2027 cycle, the ESAT and TMUA each had a first window from 12 to 16 October 2026 and have a second from 4 to 8 January 2027, with booking for the January window open from 26 October to 21 December 2026. The UCAT is sat before you apply, so Medicine applicants need to plan it months ahead. Our quantitative reasoning deck and calculus readiness deck are helpful for TMUA style questions.

Requirements for US and Canadian students

Imperial publishes specific figures. For US applicants it asks for either a minimum of five AP tests at 5, 5, 5, 4 and 4, or three AP tests at 5, 5 and 4 together with a school leaving qualification such as the US High School Diploma and either an SAT of 1460 or an ACT of 31. Course pages list any required subjects.

Canadian applicants with a provincial diploma need an overall score of 85 per cent across Grade 12 subjects, including 85 per cent in at least five Grade 12 subjects that include the relevant ones. IB applicants typically need 38 to 42 points with 6 or 7 in relevant Higher Level subjects. If you are comparing your courses with these expectations, our guide to moving from high school to university covers the jump in workload.

Costs and visas

International tuition at Imperial varies by course and is set per year; check the current figures on Imperial's tuition fees pages and budget for London living costs too. Students who need a visa apply for the UK Student visa. Our United Kingdom guide covers how UCAS offers and conditions work.