The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has a distinguished alumni network including world leaders, Nobel laureates, and business titans. Famous alumni include former US President John F. Kennedy (applied but did not attend), Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, and naturalist David Attenborough. Other notable figures include investor George Soros, former EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Indian constitution architect B.R. Ambedkar.
Rockefeller was a highly successful banker and also had wide ranging political connections. At the time of his death, his fortune was estimated at $3.3 billion. Along with George Soros, this makes him one of the wealthiest famous LSE alumni on our list.
LSE has been ranked the top university in London and sixth in the world for Social Science and Management subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 published today.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) outranked both Oxford and Cambridge and landed in first place. The university leaped from fourth place to the top position in 2024 and has maintained that spot for another year.
LSE remains the top university in London for its sixth consecutive year in the Guardian University Guide 2026 league table, placing fourth across the UK overall. The university has also been named as best in the UK for Accounting and Finance, Law, and Sociology and Social Policy.
The data here indicates that LSE is potentially the most competitive university in the whole of the Russell Group, beating out even Oxford and Cambridge.
Neither KCL (King's College London) nor LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science) is definitively "better"; it depends on the subject and what you seek, but LSE generally ranks higher in social sciences (Economics, Politics, Finance) with greater prestige and selectivity, while KCL offers broader programs (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Arts) with a larger campus and diverse student body, providing a richer overall university experience for many. LSE excels in its focused fields, attracting top talent, but KCL provides a wider range of options and often a more varied student life, making it better for those wanting depth in specific areas or breadth across disciplines.
In 1935 John F Kennedy filled in an admission application form and paid the fees to attend the General Course at LSE - but didn't take a class. Out now on the LSE History blog: LSE Archivist Sue Donnelly reveals why JFK is known as LSE's almost alumnus.
If you haven't been living under a rock, you'll know that the Nobel Prize for Economics was recently announced - and that one of the winners, Philippe Aghion, is a Professor here at LSE! Angeli gives us the rundown on the Nobel Prize winners and their research 🏅
"The Big Three in Economics" traces the turbulent lives and battle of ideas of the three most influential economists in world history: Adam Smith, representing laissez faire; Karl Marx, reflecting the radical socialist model; and John Maynard Keynes, symbolizing big government and the welfare state.
Yes. He earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania—one in Physics and one in Economics. Where did Elon Musk start college? He began his undergraduate education at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is regarded as an international centre of academic excellence and innovation in the social sciences. LSE was founded in 1895 and joined the University of London in 1900.
All applicants who have taken GCSEs/iGCSEs are expected to have at least grade B/grade 6 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics or the equivalent. For some programmes this may be higher. Exceptions are made for applicants with extenuating circumstances.
First, let's look at what GCSEs you will need to get into Oxford. Oxford has explained its stance on GCSE results in multiple places. In all instances, the same message is made fairly clear; there are no set GCSE requirements but it is recommended that applicants have a high proportion of 7, 8 and 9 Grades.
Obviously, the universities located in London like LSE, UCL, and KIng's college are the most posh because London is the most expensive city in UK, but Universities like Oxford and Cambridge are also very posh because of their image and rankings.
The school has also educated 2 presidents of the European Commission, Romano Prodi and Ursula von der Leyen, billionaire investor George Soros, chief architect of India's constitution, B. R. Ambedkar, British naturalist David Attenborough, chancellor of the United Kingdom, Rachel Reeves; former chairman and CEO of ...
Overall though, LSE is slightly harder to get into than UCL. LSE ranks 8th in the Complete University Guide for entry standards (a measure of the grades students achieved) while UCL ranks 9th.
Neither KCL (King's College London) nor LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science) is definitively "better"; it depends on the subject and what you seek, but LSE generally ranks higher in social sciences (Economics, Politics, Finance) with greater prestige and selectivity, while KCL offers broader programs (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Arts) with a larger campus and diverse student body, providing a richer overall university experience for many. LSE excels in its focused fields, attracting top talent, but KCL provides a wider range of options and often a more varied student life, making it better for those wanting depth in specific areas or breadth across disciplines.
