The London School of Economics (LSE) was founded in 1895 as a specialist social science university. The school has a long-standing rivalry with Cambridge University that began because of squabbles over economic policy during the Great Depression.
Students at LSE can study for bachelor's degrees in Economics and Economic History, as well as nine master's degrees in Economics and three doctoral research programs. In 2010, 8,800 students studied at LSE, including 3,800 undergrads.
The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) by the U.K. government ranks LSE as the highest-performing economics institution in the United Kingdom. In addition, graduates of LSE have the second-highest likelihood of finding employment after graduation, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), which tracks the labor market for new graduates.
London School of Economics and Political Science
Houghton St.
London WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom
011-44-207-405-7686
lse.ac.uk
Oxford is the oldest university in the United Kingdom, with its history dating back to the 11th century. The school is famous for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which is awarded to international students pursuing postgraduate work.
Oxford offers five undergraduate Economics degrees, with concentrations in Management, Engineering, Materials, History and Philosophy. The university also offers master's degrees in Economics, Economics for Development, and Economics and Social History, as well as doctoral degrees in research fields.
According to the European Commission report, Oxford has a significant number of internationally renowned researchers, second only to LSE. In the same report, Oxford's Economics program was ranked as the second-best in Europe.
University of Oxford
Wellington Square
Oxford OX1 2JD
United Kingdom
011-44-186-527-0000
ox.ac.uk
Cambridge was founded in 1209 by dissenting scholars from the University of Oxford. According to the HESA, Cambridge graduates have the nation's best employment prospects upon leaving school.
In 2010, Cambridge had more than 18,000 students, 12,000 of whom were undergraduates. The university offers an undergraduate Economics degree, as well as master's degrees in Economics and Economic History and a doctoral program.
University of Cambridge
The Old Schools
Trinity Lane
Cambridge CB2 1TN
United Kingdom
011-44-122-333-7733
cam.ac.uk
University College London (UCL) is part of the U.K.'s "Golden Triangle" of prestigious universities, which also includes Oxford and Cambridge. Founded in 1826, UCL is a public university with more than 21,000 students, nearly half of whom are postgraduates.
UCL has four undergraduate Economics programs: Economics, Economics and Business with East European Studies, Economics and Geography, and Economics and Statistics. Students can also pursue a master's degree in Economics or Economic Policy.
University College London
Gower St.
London WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom
011-44-207-679-2000
ucl.ac.uk
The University of Warwick is the U.K.'s only top economics school that is not based near London: the campus is in Coventry, West Midlands. The school had nearly 22,000 students as of 2010.
The European Commission's Economic report named the University of Warwick the fourth-best economics program in Europe, based on the number of publications, citations and the number of internationally-recognized faculty who teach at the school. Warwick finished ahead of UCL in the final rankings.
Warwick offers undergraduate degrees in Economics, with three optional concentrations: Economic History, Industrial Organization, and Politics and International Studies. The university also offers five Economics master's degrees, a postgraduate diploma and a doctoral research degree.
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
011-44-247-652-3523
warwick.ac.uk