University College London

University College, London (recognized by most as UCL), was originally known as London University before the creation of the University of London body in 1836. It sits in the heart of what might be termed London’s university quarter, in Bloomsbury, near the British Museum, the British Library, and a number of other distinguished universities.

The closest tube station is Euston Square or Goodge Street, while Euston and King’s Cross are nearby mainline stations (2½ hours south east from Manchester). The columned main building houses the main library and the preserved body of the university’s founding father, the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Being one of the larger of the London based universities means the student body is one of the most varied in the country.

Notable graduates from UCL include Mahatma Gandhi, comedians Ricky Gervais and Jonathan Ross, as well as the entirety of the band Coldplay.