Read About London School of Economics and Political Science University

History

• Founded by Fabians, Beatrice and Sidney Webb, Graham Wallas and George Bernard Shaw in 1895 to specialise in the advanced study of the social sciences.
• Subjects pioneered at LSE include anthropology, criminology, international relations, social psychology and sociology.
• LSE has produced 35 world leaders and heads of state, and 16 Nobel Prize winners in economics, peace and literature.
• 37 past or present world leaders have studied or taught at LSE and 31 current members of the UK House of Commons and 42 members of the House of Lords have also either taught or studied at LSE.

Location and Transport

• Located in the heart of central London, LSE's departments and institutes are concentrated on one campus.
• Communication and travel links are excellent, with access to multiple bus routes and tube stations.

Entry Requirements

• LSE welcomes applications from students with the best academic potential, from around the world and irrespective of background.
• Excellent grades at A level (including A* for some subjects) are required in traditional academic subjects plus good GCSE grades.
• Our standard minimum A level entry requirements range from AAB to A*AA.
• LSE believes that AS levels offer significant benefits, both for the student and for universities. Our evidence indicates that AS levels are an effective indicator of performance at undergraduate level and for this reason we continue to use AS grades (and in some cases the associated UMS scores) in our admissions assessments.
• We recommend that, wherever possible, students sit AS level examinations at the end of year 12. These AS results will help the LSE selectors better assess the application in a fair, consistent and transparent manner and will ensure that more subjective indicators of academic potential such as predicted grades are less important factors in the decision making process.
• LSE understands that there will be some schools and colleges that are unable to teach AS levels alongside the new linear A levels and we will not disadvantage students who submit an application without AS level grades as a result. In these circumstances we will use the information presented on the application form to make our decision (possibly in conjunction with some form of additional assessment).

• Entry Standards518 
• Student-Staff Ratio11.6 
• Research Quality3.35 
• Academic Services Spend2,105 
• Student Satisfaction3.89 
• Facilities Spend553 
• Graduate Prospects78.5 
• Degree Completion97.6 
• Good Honours86.6 

Student Mix

The 10,600 students enrolled in the academic year 2014/15 comprise:

Level of study

• Undergraduate 42%
• Postgraduate 58%

Mode of study

• Full Time 95%
• Part Time 5%

Domicile

• UK 33%
• EU 18%
• Other 49%

Student gender

• Male 49%
• Female 51%

Course Flexibility

• For 2017 entry there are 38 undergraduate programmes, many of which allow the combination of different social science subjects.
• They cover subjects including economics, politics and government, history, management, law, accounting, finance, international relations, philosophy, geography and environment, social policy and sociology.
• New areas of study are frequently introduced to keep pace with changes in the social sciences.
• Two undergraduate exchange programmes, with Sciences Po in France and the University of California Berkeley, allow 10 LSE students per institution to undertake a year of study abroad at one of the School’s partner institutions.

Teaching Standards

• The school’s most recent Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) audit found that confidence can reasonably be placed a) in the school’s current and likely future management of the academic standards of its awards, and b) in the soundness of the School’s current and likely future management of the quality of the learning opportunities available to students.
• The arrangements under the school’s 'Strategy for managing academic standards and quality' help to maintain teaching quality.
• Student views influence the school’s teaching and learning policies. The school surveys its students each year, and acts on the results. In 2014–15, LSE achieved a student satisfaction rating of 86% in its internal teaching surveys and 81% in the 2015 NSS (undergraduate only).

Research Standards

• In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the LSE had the highest percentage of world leading research of any university in the UK and topped or came close to the top of a number of other rankings of research excellence. LSE came top in the rankings for Business and Management Studies, Social Policy, Area Studies and Media and Communications.
• The school currently has 23 formal research centres focusing on a broad range of social science activities, including well-known groups such as the Centre for Economic Performance, and the Financial Markets Group established in 1987 by Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England.
• The school also hosts the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, chaired by Professor Lord Nick Stern, author of the influential 2006 Stern Review. In recent years it has also established the International Growth Centre, a £100-million programme funded by the Department for International Development to promote economic growth in developing countries; the Centre for Macroeconomics, chaired by LSE’s Nobel Prize-winning economics professor, Christopher Pissarides, in collaboration with Cambridge University, University College London (UCL), the Bank of England and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), the Systemic Risk Centre, funded by the ESRC and co-hosted by UCL and the Centre for Women, Peace and Security launched by First Secretary of State William Hague and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt. LSE is also home to the Institute of Public Affairs, the Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship and the Institute for Global Affairs.
• From its foundation, the school has sought to disseminate its research to fellow academics, the media, opinion formers and the general public. Its website, which includes an Experts Directory and an impact portal, invites audiences to join the global debate at LSE. Research Online - the institutional repository - provides access to a diverse range of research produced by the School. Everyone is welcome to attend the LSE's public events, where some of the most influential figures in the social sciences and humanities can be heard for free.
• Academics are in continual demand as commentators, analysts and advisers to governments, policy makers and charities, both in the UK and internationally.

Academic Strengths

• LSE is a specialist university with an international intake and a global reach. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance. The School has one of the largest concentrations of applied economic, financial and social researchers in the world.
• Close partnerships with other universities include Columbia University in New York, Sciences Po in Paris, Peking University in Beijing, National University of Singapore and the University of Cape Town.
• LSE attracts some of the most influential figures in the world to give public lectures, including Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and former and current UK prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron, with free access for students.

Undergraduate Tuition Fees 2016

Bursaries and Scholarships

• UK students in receipt of full means tested support (grant or loan): LSE Bursary of £4,000 or £3,500.
• UK students in receipt of partial means tested support (grant or loan): LSE Bursary between £2,750 and £750.
• EU students from low income backgrounds are also eligible to receive the LSE Bursary.
• Discretionary Bursaries are available for students with exceptional financial need.
• Scholarships are available for specific programmes of study or for students from certain countries/regions.
• Three LSE Awards for undergraduate Asylum Seekers are available.
• LSE Careers provides part-time employment opportunities for students.
• 50% of additional fee income is to be earmarked for bursaries, widening access and retention work.

Sports Opportunities for All StudentsLSE is the home of 40 student-run sports clubs playing at a range of abilities, with athletes in the Sports Ambassador Programme competing for Great Britain. Students also stay active with a range of free on-campus fitness classes and sessions for all levels.

The Athletic Union (AU) has 40 sports clubs, which offer sport at a range of abilities from British Universities and College Sports (BUCS) Premier League competition to beginners classes.

Active Lifestyle: LSESU Active LifeStylE is a free programme funded by Sport England. A range of sessions – including dance, football, yoga and fencing – happen throughout the term, perfect for students looking to stay active whilst studying. Expect drop-in sessions, beginner courses, inter-hall leagues and one-off events.

The Sports Ambassador programme recognises and rewards exceptional sporting talent and sportsmanship amongst our students. It supports and develops students who are high-level athletes in any recognised sport to pursue their chosen sporting career and develop sport leadership skills.

Team Participation in BUCS Leagues

In 2015–16, LSE had 39 teams competing in BUCS leagues and 28 teams competing in London Universities Sport Leagues (LUSL).

Intramural Leagues

The Active Lifestyle programme runs multiple 5-aside football tournaments and cricket matches throughout the year.

The badminton, tennis and netball Cclubs also run social training and playing opportunities on a weekly basis

Sports Facilities

Facilities include a fitness suite, badminton courts, dance studio, and gym on campus.There are netball/tennis courts, plus football, rugby, lacrosse, and cricket pitches at the Berrylands Sportsground location in New Malden.

Students can also access the University of London's sports facilities.

How Much Does Sport Cost?

Club memberships range between £10 and £80 for the academic year.

Our Students’ Union provides over £120,000 for sports clubs each year, including a Participation Fund and Travel Fund to help students who would otherwise not be able to participate.

Our Active Lifestyle sessions are free.

Sports Bursaries and Scholarships

Students on the Sports Ambassadors programme receive individual grant funding, free membership at the LSESU Gym, and access to physio, kit, media exposure, and skills development workshops.

AU club members also receive subsidised access to club activities and travel reimbursements.

Why Study Here?

• LSE is widely regarded as the world’s leading dedicated social science institution.
• The school recruits the best students and employs leading academics from the UK, Europe and overseas. Its alumni occupy prominent positions in global companies and organisations, and its graduates receive, on average, the highest starting salary of those from any UK university.

English Language Requirements

• GCSE: grade B or above.
• IELTS: 7.0 overall, and 7.0 in each of the four components.
• TOEFL: 107 in IBT, with 25 out of 30 in each of the four skills.

Fees and Funding

The following are the typical annual course fees for overseas students submitted to us by the university :

Type of Course	Undergraduate	Taught Postgraduate
Classroom	£17,712	£19,344–31,608
Mixed	-	-
Laboratory	-	-
Clinical	-	-

Bursaries and Scholarships

• All international undergraduate offer holders are invited to apply for LSE's Undergraduate Support Scheme and specific named scholarships (where available).

Pre-Arrival and Welcome

• All LSE offer holders receive an Offer Pack prior to arrival that provides essential help and advice designed to make their preparation for study at the School as stress-free and simple as possible.
• The school’s alumni around the world organise annual pre-departure events for offer holders, providing new students with an opportunity to socialise with both each other and the School’s graduates, and to have their questions about life at LSE and in London answered,
• After arrival at the school, all students receive a comprehensive introduction to the academic and social life of the institution through a range of presentations, meetings and social events.

Accommodation for International Students

• All first year undergraduates and study abroad (General Course) students are guaranteed a place in university accommodation.
• LSE housing is located in central London but not on LSE's Houghton Street campus.
• International students at LSE are housed across the School's residential sites.
• Accommodation closest to LSE is a five minute walk from the School; the furthest away is approximately 45 minutes' walk from the LSE campus. The average walking time from LSE's campus is 20 minutes.
• LSE offers a range of different options for students, including both catered and self-catered residences.
• Students have access to LSE's intranet in all its halls of residence.
• Typical weekly accommodation costs range from £91.70–382.90.
• Visit our website for more details about student accommodation at LSE.

Organisations for International Students

• 65% of LSE’s students come from outside the UK, so everything the school does is designed to accommodate students unfamiliar with British education, London, and the UK. 
• LSE hosts pre-departure events for international offer-holders around the world to help prepare them for their time at LSE.
• The Students’ Union supports a wide range of clubs and societies, many of which reflect the institutions’ cosmopolitan student body.