In order to provide people who had previously been denied access to higher education in England, UCL was established in 1826. It was the first university in England to admit female students on an equal basis with male students in 1878. Our current ethos and future goals are informed by academic achievement and the conduct of research that tackles real-world issues. Learn more about UCL 2034, our 20-year plan. The best academic to student ratio in the UK is at UCL (1:10), which allows for small class sizes and exceptional individualized support (Times 2013). Because UCL is one of the top two institutions in the UK for professor numbers, our students are taught by some of the most accomplished authorities in their fields (Higher Education Statistics Agency 2011). The environment offered by UCL encourages students to be aspirational but idealistic. Students at UCL established 80 social enterprises, worked 41,500 hours of volunteer labor, and ran 25 student firms in just one year. Learn more about what makes a UCL education special. The UK's top university for research strength is UCL. (REF2014) Independent study indicates that UCL received the greatest financial allocation ($135 million) from the UK research councils in 2013. The most prestigious Doctoral Training Centers are located at UCL. The third-highest rate of scholarly citations per faculty member in the UK is attracted by UCL, demonstrating the caliber and importance of the institution's research. (QS 2013) All of UCL's research is posted on Discovery, the university's public online repository, subject to permits.