The is unlike many other universities. It consists of 19 self governing Colleges and 10 other smaller specialist research Institutes. In many ways the Colleges are considered universities in their own right: they set their own entrance criteria for their courses and they offer their own services to students. Some now also have their own degree awarding powers. All students from all the Colleges and Institutes are also students, making them part of a community of over 120,000 students and giving them access to many services in London.

The university was first established by a Royal Charter in 1836, which brought together in federation London University (now University College London) and King’s College (now King’s College London), to establish today’s federally-structured .

Graduates of the may use the post-nominal letters ‘Lond.’ (Londiniensis) after their degree abbreviations.

In and Around the Campus
The owns a considerable central London estate of 180 buildings in Bloomsbury, near Russell Square tube station.

Some of the University’s colleges have their main buildings on the estate. The Bloomsbury Campus also contains eight Halls of Residence and Senate House, which houses the Senate House Library, the chancellor’s official residence and previously housed the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, now part of University College London (UCL) and housed in its own new building. Almost all of the School of Advanced Study is housed in Senate House and neighbouring Stewart House.

The University also owns many of the squares which formed part of the Bedford Estate, including Gordon Square, Tavistock Square, Torrington Square and Woburn Square.

The estate includes several properties outside Bloomsbury also, with many of the University’s colleges and institutes occupying their own estates across London. Clare Market and part of Aldwych where the London School of Economics and Political Science is based, as well as the West Wing of Somerset House, the location for the Courtauld Institute of Art and King’s College London, St Bart’s Hospital, the Boat Club in Chiswick and the Egham campus of Royal Holloway with its historic Founder’s Building are also examples of properties which form part of the University’s estate.

In addition, there are several properties outside London, including the University Marine Biological Station, Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae, a number of residential and catering units further afield and the premises of the Institute in Paris which offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in French and Historical Studies.

Many levels of study are covered at the including Foundation degrees, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas and research degrees. The Colleges also have a wide range of short courses and summer programmes. Pre-university school students are also able to sample courses and life through the Taster Course programme.

Colleges of the
The constituent colleges of the are divided as follows:

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