Imperial College London is a more than century-old UK-based private institution in London. Imperial College London is among the top 10 global institutions as per THE, QS and other rankings. The consist of 94 bachelor’s courses and 186 master’s courses in science, engineering, medicine and business. Imperial College is accredited by AACSB, BCS, and IET. As per the, the university ranks-
- Second in the QS World University Rankings 2026
- #11 in Best Global Universities
Imperial College acceptance rate for UG students is around 11-15%. This means that 11-15 out of every 100 applications get accepted by Imperial College. The Imperial College London Admissions are moderate to high in selectivity. This rate is derived from aggregate data from all the unofficial sources.
Imperial College London Acceptance Rate 2026
Imperial College London is among the top global institutions that accept around 3,000+ students every year. There are around 23,000+ students at the Imperial College London Campus.
- Selectivity- Admissions to Imperial College London are moderately to highly selective. The UG acceptance rates are around 115 for the past two years
- Popularity- Imperial College London is a popular choice for Indian and other internationl students, with a total applicant pool of around 30,000+ students every year.
- Growth- It seems that ICL is trying to grow its intake with a larger number of UG acceptances in 2025 than in 2024.
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Criterias
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2024-25
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2025-26
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Total Students
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23,248
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23,000+
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Applications
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30,040
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30,020
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Accepted Applications
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3,255
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3,495
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Acceptance Rate
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10.83%
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11.64%
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Source: UCAS
Imperial College London Acceptance Rate for International Students
India was one of the top 5 internationl nationalities, with about 935 students on the . As per the stats in the table below, we can say that-
- Internationl Popularity- ICL is one of the most international and in-demand college of UK.
- Growth- The ICL 2025 intake takes in around 100 more internationl students than 2024-25.
- Internationl admission have become slightly less competitive over time. This can be good news for Indian students who are wishing to apply to ICL now.
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Particulars
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FTE Headcount 2024-25
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FTE Headcount 2025-26
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Internationl Applications
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17,205
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16,855
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International Acceptances
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1,530
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1,630
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International Students
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Around 14,181 students
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Not available
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Countries Represented
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150+
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140+
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Can Indian Students get into Imperial Collge London?
Yes, there is a large Indian community of more than 935 students already on campus. The Indian students form around 6.5% of the total population at Imperial College London, as per the latest official international statistics available.
How can Indian students get into Imperial College London?
Indian students can fill out the UCAS application and apply to Imperial College London. There are a few admission requirements that Indian students need to follow, which are-
Academic Requirements
- For UG admissions, a high academic score of 90-95%
- STEM courses require high scores in Maths and Physics
- PG and other requirements depend on the course and subjects you choose
Admission Tests
- Indian students might need to give ESAT, TMUA, or UCAT exams for admissions
- . The university doesn't accept ACT or SAT scores from UG students.
English Language Proficiency
- Overall score: 6.5 to 7.0 in IELTS
Tips to get selected at Imperial College London
Students can follow the tips below to maximise their chances of selection:
- Collect strong LORs- Build a positive profile in front of your academic counsellors and professors for high-value LORs. Collect subject experts’ views and LORs with a similar academic research background.
- Take Deadlines Seriously- Keep an eye on the official website for University information, course-specific requirements and deadlines.
- Portfolio- Keep your academic records above average and focus on your non-academic and academic profile equally.
- SOPs- Understand and explain your academic and professional goals in your SOPs well. Choose your academic goals and academic program and build your portfolio strongly around it for better placements.
- Course Specific Needs- Cross-verify your course-specific eligibility and requirements from the official website well before application deadlines.
Imperial College London Acceptance Rate Trends
The acceptance rate trends for Imperial College London Admission reflect that-
- Competition- The competition for Imperial College London has increased in the past 5 years, with a decline in the acceptance rate to 11.64% in 2025 from 14.74% in 2020.
- Acceptance Rate- The ICL accepts around 11 students in every 1090 applicatiosn received now. The
- Popularity- The popularity and number of applications for the ICL admission are fairly stable, around 23,000-30,000+ applicants, with acceptance rates from 2020-2026
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Year
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Applicants
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Accepted Applicants
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Acceptance rate
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2025-26
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30,020
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3,495
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11.64%
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2024-25
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30,040
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3,255
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10.84%
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2023-24
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28,185
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3,135
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11.12%
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2022-23
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26,330
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3,090
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11.74%
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2021-22
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26,300
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3,305
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12.57%
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2020-21
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23,360
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3,450
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14.77%
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Imperial College London Acceptance Rate vs University of Cambridge Acceptance Rate
The University of Cambridge acceptance rate is higher than Imperial College London's by 3-6%. Comparing the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, we can say that-
- Size/ Popularity- The University of Cambridge is a larger university than ICL. But the popularity of both the instuitituioons are same.
- Winner Uni- The better university out of both depends on your course and interests. But the University of Cambridge can be easier to get admission to compared to ICL.
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Criteria
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Imperial College London
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University of Cambridge
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Acceptance Rate
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11-15%
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18-21%
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Selectivity Level
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Highly Selective
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Highly Selective
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Annual Applicants
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30,020 students |
around 22,000-23,000 students
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Annual Offers
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3,000-3,500
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4,500-5,000
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Known for
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Top STEM-focused university
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World-leading research university
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QS World University Rankings 2027
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#2
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#6
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Most Competitive Courses
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Medicine, Computing, Engineering, Mathematics
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Medicine, Computer Science, Economics, Law
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