Kingston University London

About Kingston University London

Kingston is a modern public university in Kingston upon Thames (a riverside town ~30 minutes by train from central London). It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, foundation, research and apprenticeship routes with a strong vocational and industry-connected focus. The university highlights recent research strengths and a sector-leading Future Skills curriculum.

Why choose Kingston (quick selling points for international students)

• Location: close to London but a more affordable, student-friendly town with fast transport into central London.

• Career focus & employer links: teaching is designed around employability and industry experience (placements, live projects).

• Strong creative & professional reputation: Kingston School of Art and fashion/creative subjects score highly in national subject tables.

• Student experience recognition: Kingston holds a TEF Gold rating for teaching and student outcomes.

University rankings & research snapshot

• Times Higher Education (World Rankings): Kingston appears in the THE World University Rankings band (listed in the 801–1000 range in the 2026 THE listing). THE also reports key stats such as ~44% international students.

• Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): Gold (recognition for student outcomes/experience).

• Subject strengths: top performance in art, design, fashion and certain health/nursing subjects in UK subject tables.

Campus locations & what’s on each campus

Kingston’s main campuses and specialist sites (good to know which you’d be studying at):

• Penrhyn Road (main campus) — central hub, Town House building, student services, labs and unions.

• Knights Park — creative arts and performance facilities (part of Kingston School of Art).

• Kingston Hill — some art, business and health courses.

• River House — riverside building focused on art & design, close to Knights Park / Penrhyn Road.

• Roehampton Vale / Sutton / other specialist sites — for particular subjects, placements or research facilities (check course pages for exact teaching location).

Types of courses / study levels

Kingston offers:

• Undergraduate (BA, BSc, BEng, etc.) — full-time, part-time, sandwich placement options.

• Postgraduate taught (MSc, MA, MBA), postgraduate research (MPhil/PhD).

• Foundation courses, short courses and degree apprenticeships (industry-aligned apprenticeships).

Mode of learning

• Primarily on-campus (in-person) teaching across most programmes.

• Some distance / blended / online options exist (check individual course pages — a small number of courses or modules are offered part-time / distance). Kingston also runs short online CPD and apprenticeship delivery.

Number of programmes offered

Public course listings show hundreds of programmes across undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels. (Official course search and UCAS listings show many course entries — depending on how you count pathways and modes this is typically reported as “200+” to “300+” courses). Use the university course search to check exact course availability for the year you plan to apply.

Highlights & student life

• Town House (2020) — new civic building on Penrhyn Road with study spaces and facilities.

• Strong creative sector reputation: especially for art, design, fashion and interior design.

• Future Skills programme: new curriculum elements embedded to build employability & practical skills across degrees.

• Active student union, sports & fitness facilities and a compact campus feel with easy access to London.

Latest updates (examples from the university news feed)

(These are pulled from Kingston University’s official news feed—good to check the news page regularly for new campus developments and course announcements.) Recent items include:

• Planning application for a new landmark education building at Middle Mill (Oct 30, 2025).

• University news about embedding the Future Skills programme across undergraduate teaching (Sept 2025).

Practical next steps for international applicants

Use the Kingston course search to confirm the exact course code, entry requirements, tuition fee and campus for the year/intake you want.

Scholarship

1) Kingston University — International Scholarships

What: A set of scholarships and bursaries for international undergraduate and postgraduate students — amounts and exact schemes vary by year, faculty and course. Many awards reduce first-year tuition (or provide a fixed discount).

Who’s eligible: International (non-UK) students holding an offer to study at Kingston; specific awards have additional eligibility rules (e.g., faculty, nationality, academic merit).

2) GREAT Scholarships (Kingston & British Council partnership)

What: A £10,000 tuition award (single awards to students from selected countries). Kingston offers GREAT Scholarships for selected countries (recent rounds included Indonesia, Thailand, Ghana, Kenya — country list changes by year). Typically available for full-time, one-year postgraduate taught degrees.

Who’s eligible: Citizens of the named countries who have an offer for a qualifying postgraduate course at Kingston.

3) Postgraduate Progression Scholarship

What: 15% fee reduction for Kingston undergraduate students who progress to a Kingston postgraduate degree (taught or research) starting the following academic year.

Who’s eligible: Kingston undergrads graduating in a specified year (e.g., 2024/25) and receiving an offer to start a postgraduate course in the following intake.
 

4) Kingston University International Study Centre (ISC) — Global / Partial scholarships

What: Partial tuition scholarships for students who take pathway/Foundation/ELP programmes at the Kingston ISC. These are often regionally allocated and awarded on a first-come first-served basis.

Who’s eligible: Students with an offer to the ISC pathway who are not government-sponsored and meet the criteria for the regional award. Application usually via ISC admissions.

5) Faculty or small awards (example: Niloufar Ebrahim Scholarship)

What: Smaller, faculty-level awards (e.g., up to £1,000 for certain postgraduate students in the Faculty of Business & Social Science) — availability and amounts change.

Who’s eligible: Depends on the specific award (faculty, course, academic merit). These are university or donor funded and may run annually or periodically.

6) External UK & international scholarships students often use with Kingston

• GREAT (covered above via British Council).

• Chevening, Commonwealth, and other country/regional scholarships — these are external UK/global scholarships that can be used at Kingston if the university/degree meets the sponsor’s conditions. Always check sponsor rules.

Documents & common requirements (typical)

• Valid offer letter from Kingston University (required).

• Passport / proof of nationality (for country-specific awards like GREAT).

• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (for merit-based awards).

• Personal statement (short, 200–500 words) explaining why Kingston and how you’ll contribute. Some schemes ask for a 1-minute video.

Deadlines & timeframes

• Deadlines vary by scheme and year (GREAT scholarship windows are usually in spring/summer before the academic year; ISC awards operate year-round by intake). Because these change, always confirm the current year’s deadline on Kingston’s official pages.

Realistic expectations & tips to improve chances

• Many Kingston awards are partial tuition scholarships (some major, like GREAT, are large at £10,000). Expect competition.

• Apply early and have your offer letter ready — some awards are first-come.

• Strong academic record + clear purpose sells: tailor your statement to how the course links to your career and how you’ll represent Kingston.

• Demonstrate fit for faculty-level awards (e.g., show how your background matches the Business & Social Science faculty for the Niloufar Ebrahim award).

• Consider applying to external scholarships (Chevening, Commonwealth, country government awards) that can fully or partially fund study at Kingston.