How competitive is King's College London for international undergraduate applicants?

King’s College London is fairly competitive for international undergraduates, but the level of selectivity depends a lot on the course. It is generally considered one of the stronger and more selective UK universities, especially in globally popular subjects.

For international applicants, courses like Medicine, Law, Politics/International Relations, Psychology, Economics, and some health sciences tend to be much more competitive than the university overall. Other programs can be selective too, but not all have the same level of demand.

Compared with other UK universities, King’s is usually seen as more selective than many solid Russell Group universities, but typically a step below the extreme competition of Oxford, Cambridge, and often the very hardest programs at places like LSE or Imperial. In practical terms, that means a strong applicant absolutely has a real shot, but you should expect high academic standards.

As a US student, what matters most is whether you meet or exceed the published entry requirements for your specific course. King’s often looks for AP scores, SAT/ACT results in some cases, and strong overall grades, rather than evaluating applications in the same broad holistic way many US colleges do. Your course choice matters a lot because in the UK you apply directly to a subject, not just to the university.

One important thing to know is that UK admissions can feel more numbers-driven and course-focused for international applicants. If a course asks for, for example, several AP scores of 5, then hitting that standard is usually very important, and your personal statement needs to show clear academic interest in that subject.