The London School of Economics and Political Science, the LSE in short, is a public research university located in London, England. Founded in 1895, it is a constituent college of the federal University of London.
It became a part of the University of London in 1900. Since 2008, It has been awarding its degrees under its own name. Before that, people who graduated here were awarded the University of London degrees.
It is located in the London Borough of Camden and Westminster in an area, which is known as Clare Market. In the academic year 2019-2020, LSE had more than 12,000 students. More than 5,100 of them were undergraduate students and over 6,800 postgraduate students.
More than half of the students at LSE are foreign nationals hailing from more than 150 countries. The school has 27 academic departments and institutes which impart education and research across a range of social sciences and 20 research centers.
LSE offers around 140 MSc programs, 30 BSc programs, five MPA programs, one LLM, one LLB, four BA programs (including International History and Geography), and 35 PhD programs.
To gain admission into the school, aspiring students must have excellent academic records and good scores on GMAT and GRE and must submit letters of recommendation (LORs)
Since it is awarded £130 million per year, LSE offers various scholarships to its students so that its international students do not need to bear the burden of the full cost of study.
As of December 12, 2024, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) holds the following rankings:
Please note that university rankings are updated annually and can vary based on the criteria and methodologies of each ranking organization.
University type | Public |
Number of programs | 118 master’s programs, 40 undergraduate programs, 12 executive programs, 20 double degrees, 35 research programs, and various visitor and diploma programs |
Student to faculty ratio | 10:1 |
Student organizations | 250 |
Application fees | £80 |
Tuition fees | £22,200 |
Cost of attendance | £38,000-£40,000 |
Admission test requirements | GRE or GMAT |
English proficiency tests | IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and equivalents |
Financial aids | Provided to meritorious students |
Work-study programs | 15 hours per week |
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Campus and Accommodations at London School of Economics and Political Science
The campus of the London School of Economics and Political Science has world-class facilities and top-drawer services that connect the campus and the students who reside there. Those living in LSE are provided advice and academic assistance. The library of LSE is considered to be one of the largest social science libraries in the world. Arts Council England designated it the British Library of Political and Economic Science.
Every year, LSE hosts many events of international import. Moreover, LSE conducts more than 200 lectures, expositions, and performances.
About 4,000 international students become student residents of the London School of Economics and Political Science per year. Students can opt to live in the halls of LSE, in private halls, and intercollegiate residences of the University of London. The school also offers short-term accommodations in the residency halls during the summer. In addition, the university helps soon-to-be students in obtaining private rented accommodation in London.
Halls | Fees Range per Annum (GBP) |
High Holborn Residence | 6,555-11,818 |
Sidney Webb House | 7,644-11,606 |
Lilian Knowles House | 8,442-14,283 |
College Hall | 9,678-12,998 |
Lilian Person Hall | 8,241-10,920 |
The Garden Halls | 8,618-12,189 |
Nutford House | 5,955-8,389 |
Bankside House | 5,630-9,996 |
Passfield Hall | 3,418-7,561 |
Rosebery Hall | 4,760-9,044 |
Carr-Saunders Hall | 4,643-6,954 |
Urbanest Westminster Bridge | 8,094-20,910 |
Northumberland House | 6,092-12,117 |
Urbanest King’s Cross | 11,622-18,386 |
Butler’s Wharf Residence | 5,496-12,267 |
Programs at the London School of Economics and Political Science
LSE offers various degrees across bachelor’s, master’s, executive, doctoral, diplomas, and double degree programs. The school also provides simultaneously admission to two-year programs, accelerated programs, and part-time programs. These are the most popular programs at LSE and the annual fees for foreign students:
Programs | Fees in GBP |
M.Sc. in Accounting and Finance | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Data Science | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Economics | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Finance | 38,448 |
M.Sc. in Financial Mathematics | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Criminal Justice Policy | 23,520 |
M.Sc. in Marketing | 30,960 |
M.Sc. in Management | 33,360 |
M.Sc. in Health Data Science | 23,520 |
Master of Public Administration | 26,383 |
M.Sc. in Statistics | 23,520 |
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Admission Process at London School of Economics and Political Science
There are three important phases in the admission process for LSE. Students must submit the completed application online, pay the fee for application appraisal, and nominate two academicians as referees. The school will begin considering the applications only after receiving the references. The application fee for any program offered by LSE is £80.
As LSE follows the first-come-first-serve selection basis, LSE urges the students to apply for the programs at the earliest time possible because the numbers of seats are limited.
Admission Requirements at London School of Economics and Political Science
Students must apply and also submit online the supporting documents. Applicants must ensure that the size is not more than 2 MB. To apply for admission to programs at LSE, given below are the following significant requirements:
Some of the additional requirements for the graduate programs at LSE are listed below:
International students whose native language is not English need to show proficiency in English by taking one of the following tests. The minimum score they should get for LSE is given below:
Tests | Required Scores |
IELTS | 7.0 (in every section) |
TOEFL iBT | 100 |
PTE | 69 (in every component) |
Cambridge C1 advanced | 185 |
Cambridge C2 advanced | 185 |
Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English | Level III overall (distinction required in every component) |
International Baccalaureate English B | 7 points |
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The cost of study in LSE varies according to the programs and the personal expenses of the respective students, including the cost of commuting and housing in the UK. The approximate cost of study in LSE is as follows:
Expenses | Amount in GBP |
Tuition fees | 22,430 |
Living expenses | 13,200-15,600 |
Miscellaneous | 1000 |
Personal expenses | 1500 |
Total | 38,130-40,530 |
The London School of Economics and Political Science cooperates fully by way of scholarships and bursaries for the students. The school allows various funding from external agencies, bodies, and home governments for foreign students. Foreign students of the LSE cannot apply for UK government funds. Many awards for the LSE students are funded by corporate groups or through private donations. Precedence is given in the case of grants to students in need, followed by students who excel academically. Given below are some of the top scholarships that the London School of Economics and Political Science offers:
Scholarships | Eligibility | Award Amount |
LSE Undergraduate Support Scheme (USS) | Students in need | £6,000-£15,000 |
Pestalozzi International Village Trust Scholarships | Foreign students studying at Sussex Coast College Hastings or Claremont Secondary School, which is Pestalozzi International Village sponsored | Full fees and living costs |
Uggla Family Scholarships | Foreign undergraduate students | £27,526 |
Undergraduate Support Scheme | Dependent on financial requirements | Foreign students in undergraduate programs |
The LSE alumni community has 155,000 active members from the world over. The alumni network has access to volunteering opportunities, providing resources, and access to the intellectual capital of the school. The alumni center of the LSE offers special discounts to the members in book clubs, merchandise shops, food and drink, gym, and other facilities. Some of the notable alumni of the school are listed below:
Graduates in economics bag are among the UK’s highest paid professionals. A degree holder from the London School of Economics and Political Science has great scope to do well in a professional career. The highest earning graduates from LSE belong to legal and paralegal services, with average earnings of around US$113,000 per year. Some of the coveted jobs that international students from LSE get with average salaries are the following:
Professions | Average Salary in USD |
Legal and Paralegal | 113,000 |
Compliance, AML, KYC and Monitoring | 107,000 |
Executive Management and Change | 96,000 |
Legal Department | 87,000 |
Media, Communication and Advertising | 85,000 |
IT and Software Development | 80,000 |
LSE is ranked top both in the UK and globally in various aspects by renowned ranking agencies. Not only is it said to be the best social science research institution in the UK, but also ensures that they have a great post-study career globally. The school has seven academic partnerships globally and provides great research facilities in several disciplines.
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