St Mary’s University, London

Overview

Founded in 1850, St Mary's University in London has a long and distinguished history. Situated in a safe, green suburb near the river, the beautiful campus is only half an hour from Central London, offering students the best of both worlds. 

St Mary’s University ranks in the Top 10 for Student Experience and the Top 5 in the UK for Teaching Quality (The Times Good University Guide 2024) and the University has a welcoming community of around 6,000 students, around 10% of whom are international studying in one of London's top-performing sports institutions and providing students with Olympic-quality sports facilities equipped to world-class standards.

Other popular subjects include Business Management, Law, Criminology and Sociology, Acting, Education, Creative Writing, Psychology, Computer Science and allied health courses.  

Undergraduate students can also undertake practical part-time work placements or a one-year (paid) industry placement (across some subjects), organised by the Centre for Workplace Learning which links academic learning to personal and professional development, aiding future career prospects.

Services for International Students

St Mary’s University's active Students’ Union (SU) and location means the university offers an exciting social life both on and off campus. The SU organises all kinds of entertainment, from weekly events to major annual occasions like Freshers' Week and the Summer Ball. There are currently over 50 clubs and societies at St Mary’s.

Generous scholarships are offered to international students who demonstrate strong academic potential – and are sometimes guaranteed for certain grades/GPAs.

Ranking

• 52nd in the Times University Guide 2025
• 75th in the Guardian University Guide 2025

98% of graduates are in employment, vocation, or further study within 15 months of graduation (HESA 2023), while Which? The University group described St Mary’s as one of the top universities for athletics and sports science. Other notable rankings include:

• Rated Ofsted Outstanding for over 10 years
• 1st in London for academic support (National Student Survey 2023)

Accommodation

International undergraduate students are usually guaranteed university accommodation, provided you confirm your place by the late spring/early summer accommodation deadline. On-campus accommodation is available and very affordable for London, starting from £6,250 per academic year. The prices include a meal package (term time only), which typically includes breakfast Monday to Friday, brunch on Saturday and Sunday and a meal every evening. All meals are taken in the campus refectory, which has an extensive menu to suit various needs.

Postgraduate students have a wide range of options open to them, from local halls of residence, shared student housing and private homestay accommodation. Students can also have peace of mind knowing that the University is in one of the safest boroughs in London.

Location

St Mary’s University, London is located in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, a beautiful residential area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Teddington and Twickenham are within walking distance and offer a good range of shops, restaurants and pubs. Several famous sights can be found close by including the River Thames, Hampton Court Palace and The Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. For fresh air, nearby Richmond and Bushy Parks have hundreds of acres of beautiful, secluded woodland for get-away-from-it-all walks and bike rides alongside roaming deer.

The campus is only five-minute walk from Strawberry Hill Rail Station, where regular trains will take you to central London in under 30 minutes so you can enjoy all of London’s best attractions. The city has an abundance of museums, historical landmarks, art galleries, world-recognised shops and lively venues for you to explore.

Alumni

• Mo Farah (Double Olympic champion athlete)
• Rebecca Romero (Olympic champion)
• Joe Wicks (TV personality/professional personal trainer)
• Pete Postlethwaite (Actor)
• Tom Grennan (Singer/Songwriter)
• Emma Parton (Journalist/Sports News Presenter)
• Gordon Gray (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Edinburgh and St Andrews)