Kingston University

Overview

Located in the Kingston-upon-Thames borough of London, Kingston University is just a 30-minute journey from the centre of the capital. As such it benefits from excellent transport connections, including an extensive network of local buses, the tube network and easy links to national and international travel hubs. 

The university is split across four campuses, offering the benefit of campus life alongside easy access to London giving you the best of both worlds, and has a huge range of undergraduate courses on offer for you to pick from. 

Students at Kingston University have easy access to one of the major shopping outlets of outer London meaning there’s no need to be making regular trips into the capital unless you want to. 

The Union of Kingston Students offers a wide range of societies for students to join, with memberships starting from as low as £2. Societies may be course-specific, designed to help students connect with course-mates, or may be related to hobbies, or students’ backgrounds or passions. 

The university also has strong graduate prospects, with over 95% of graduates in work or further study six months after graduating according to HESA 2018/19.

Most undergraduate courses at Kingston University are three years long as standard. Most courses have the option to become four-year courses, however. You may want to embark upon a foundation year if you are concerned about meeting entry requirements, or you may opt to add a placement year, also known as a year in industry. The availability of these options is dependent on the course you’re interested in.

Kingston University also offers part-time study for some subjects, accommodating students who may have more responsibilities outside their studies that prevents them from engaging in full-time study. There is also the opportunity to undertake a Degree Apprenticeship, offering you a combination of classroom learning and workplace-based, practical experience.

For those intending to study forensic science, Kingston University is ranked among the top twenty universities in the UK offering the course according to the Complete University Guide 2024.

Kingston University also has a range of joint honours undergraduate degrees for students wishing to combine subject areas. Joint honours degrees might be split evenly between subjects, or students might opt to take a major/minor style degree.

Kingston University accepts a range of different qualifications for entry. These may vary across courses and include (but are not limited to) A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. 

Entry requirements vary across courses. For example, BSc International Business requires 112–128 UCAS tariff points, including at least two A-level qualifications or equivalent. For this course with a foundation year, 48 UCAS points is considered a typical offer. 

BA Creative Writing also requires 112–128 UCAS points or 48 with foundation year, but the applicant should hold a Level 3 qualification in creative writing or English language or literature (or a similar subject) in a minimum of grade C or equivalent. 

Entry requirements given are a guide only and vary based on the merit of individual applications as well as the desired year and point of entry. Contact the university admissions department with any questions. 

Kingston University has over 2,000 rooms available to accommodate students in halls. The halls include ensuite and shared bathroom options. All halls have accessible rooms available to cater for a range of disabilities and access requirements, for example Walkden Hall has deaf-adapted bedrooms available.

Flats are arranged in groups of 2–18 rooms, and many of the different accommodations offer a range of differently priced rooms to suit different budgets. Each flat has access to its own kitchen and living space for students to socialise with their flatmates. These shared spaces are proportionate to the number of students sharing them, ensuring there is space for all.

For any students who don’t wish to live in university accommodation, there is a wide range of private accommodation available across Kingston. The university can support you in finding these options. 

Kingston University offers all students and recent graduates support with their careers. They provide support to assist you in discovering your ideal career as well as assistance to secure jobs or go on to postgraduate study. As a student at Kingston, you can benefit from careers workshops, online resources, one-to-one guidance and larger events. 

Students and graduates will have access to the Handshake platform, which hosts job listings, workshops and webinars, and connects you to employers. There is also a Career Zone available, which helps students and graduates to find job opportunities, develop their CV and prepare for interviews. 

The uni’s careers festival offers students a chance to connect with employers as well as showcasing the range of different career possibilities available. Attending one of these events might just lead you to find your perfect career! These festivals also offer the chance to network and make personal connections with potential employers. 

Students and graduates also have access to LinkedIn learning to help you build skills and develop your CV.

Kingston University has a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to support students in addition to the tuition fee loan and maintenance loan. Scholarships and bursaries are non-repayable, so don’t add to your student debt. 

Some of the bursaries Kingston University offers includes the Kingston Bursary, offering £2,000 to 500 undergraduate students per year from low-income UK households, the care leavers bursary of £1,500 per year of study, and the estranged students bursaries, which offers £1,500 per year of study. The estranged students’ bursaries and care leavers’ bursaries can be combined with the Kingston Bursary. 

Scholarships at Kingston University are currently offered by Salutem and Winch Design, available for students on certain courses and who meet certain criteria. These scholarships are subject to change, so always check the university website for updates on the financial support available.