Russell Group

King's College London — can you afford it?

London · 35,000 students · Est. 1829

£155/wk
Cheapest halls
+£506/mo
After halls
3 hrs/wk
Work to break even
92%
Graduate employment
30
Affordability score

The monthly maths

Maintenance loan (max — London rate)+£1,178
Cheapest halls (£155/wk × 4.33)£672
After halls+£506
Transport (city avg)−£185
Food (estimate)−£200
Monthly balance-£139

Work hours to break even: 3 hrs/week at £12.21/hr

Annual shortfall: -£1,668

Over 3 years: -£5,004

Typical (median) room: -£624/mo if not in the cheapest option

Based on maximum loan. Calculate your actual loan →

Halls vs private in London

🏠 King's halls

Cheapest£155/wk (£672/mo)
Median£267/wk (£1,157/mo)
Most expensive£481/wk (£2,084/mo)
BillsIncluded ✓
Contract40–51 weeks
Monthly surplus£506per month

🏢 Private rental in London

Average rent£1,200/month
Bills estimate+£180/mo
Total housing cost£1,380/mo
Contract12 months (summer risk)
BillsExtra ✗
Monthly deficit-£202per month

King's by the numbers

Total students35,000
Undergraduates18,000
International students45%
Student:staff ratio11.5:1
Graduate employment92%
Average graduate salary£34,000
TypeRussell Group
Founded1829

Student numbers: HESA 2024/25. Graduate salary: SalaryDex data for London. Graduate salaries in London

Notable King's alumni

F
Florence Nightingale
Founder of modern nursing
→ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/florence-nightingale
D
Desmond Tutu
Archbishop and anti-apartheid activist
→ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/desmond-tutu

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Compare King's with others

King's vs Leeds
£83/month better off at Leeds
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King's vs UCL
£38/month better off at King's
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King's vs LSE
£11/month better off at LSE
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Or compare any two universities →

What happens after King's?

Newly qualified Software engineer in London
Entry gross: £35,000 · Take-home after rent: +£1,008/mo
Full salary breakdown →
Newly qualified Nurse (Band 5) in London
Entry gross: £30,959 · Take-home after rent: +£650/mo
Full salary breakdown →
Newly qualified Teacher in London
Entry gross: £31,650 · Take-home after rent: +£675/mo
Full salary breakdown →

Take-home estimates based on 2025/26 PAYE rates including student loan Plan 5 repayments.

Accommodation data source

Accommodation costs verified 2026-05-22 from King's College London official accommodation page. Monthly costs use the formula: weekly rate × 40 contract weeks ÷ 9 academic months. Bills included in all quoted rates.

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