London School of Economics and Political Science

Overview

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) was founded in 1895 and occupies a compact campus around Houghton Street in central London. Everything it teaches is a social science: economics, government, international relations, law, sociology, statistics, finance, geography and related fields. There are no laboratory sciences or engineering. For a student who already knows they want to study economics or politics in depth, that concentration is the attraction.

Programmes are usually three years and specialized from the start. As at most UK universities, expect fewer contact hours than at many North American schools and more weight on independent reading.

How to apply for 2027

Applications go through UCAS. LSE does not use the October deadline, so the relevant date for 2027 entry is 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time. Your personal statement should focus on the subject itself; LSE reads it as evidence of academic interest rather than a list of activities.

When the TMUA is needed

For September 2027 entry, the TMUA is mandatory for BSc Economics and BSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics. It is recommended but not required for a group of mathematical programmes, including Mathematics and Economics, Financial Mathematics and Statistics, Data Science, Economics and Data Science, and Actuarial Science.

• Sitting 1: 12 to 16 October 2026 (registration ran from 20 July to 28 September 2026).
• Sitting 2: 4 to 8 January 2027, with registration from 26 October to 21 December 2026.

LSE accepts either sitting but encourages the first, which has the widest choice of time slots.

For the TMUA, practice with algebra, functions and logic without a calculator pays off; our quantitative reasoning deck and microeconomics deck are good companions.

Entry requirements for US and Canadian students

LSE states that a US high school diploma alone is not sufficient. Its published options include:

Programmes that need A level Mathematics ask for AP Calculus BC at 5, including on the SAT or ACT route. Only one of Calculus AB or BC counts, AP Seminar and Research are excluded, and you must declare all AP results. For Canada, LSE publishes a standard offer for each province on its Canada page. In Alberta, for example, an A*AA offer is an average of 95 per cent in five Grade 12 academic courses, and Ontario applicants present six Grade 12 courses, five of them 4U or DU. LSE presents these as a guide only, and meeting them does not by itself lead to an offer.

Fees and visas

Your fee status decides your tuition; LSE publishes current overseas fees on each programme page. Students who need a visa apply for the UK Student visa. For a wider view of UK admissions, see our United Kingdom guide, and for a refresher on essay referencing before the first assignment, our APA 7 guide covers the basics.