St George's, University of London

St George’s, University of London (SGUL), established in 1733 as part of St George’s Hospital, is one of the oldest medical schools in the United Kingdom. Originally located at Hyde Park Corner, central London, it formally became a medical school in 1834 and affiliated with the University of London in 1836. The school moved to a new site in Tooting, South London, in 1980 to accommodate modern facilities and clinical teaching.

St George’s has played a significant role in medical history, with notable figures such as John Hunter, considered the Father of Modern Surgery, and Edward Jenner, who developed the first smallpox vaccine. The institution published Gray’s Anatomy in 1858, a seminal work in medical literature.

The university offers a broad range of medical, biomedical, and healthcare courses, including a pioneering four-year graduate entry medicine programme introduced in 2000. This course was the first of its kind in the UK and has since been widely adopted. St George’s maintains strong clinical links with St George’s Hospital and several other hospitals across London, providing extensive placement opportunities.

In partnership with Kingston University, St George’s offers health and social care education covering nursing, physiotherapy, radiography, and related fields. It also collaborates internationally, notably with the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, offering its medical degree with overseas clinical placements.

The institution has a history of widening participation and promoting access to medical education through its Widening Participation Unit, launched in 2002. It has also developed a vibrant student community with various academic, cultural, religious, and sports societies.

In August 2024, St George’s merged with City, University of London to form City St George’s, University of London. This merger aims to combine the strengths of both institutions while continuing their educational and research missions.

St George’s, University of London (SGUL), originally known as St George’s Hospital Medical School, has a history dating back to 1733. It began as part of St George’s Hospital, which opened in Lanesborough House at Hyde Park Corner, central London. The hospital initially accommodated 30 patients in two wards. From its earliest days, physicians and surgeons were permitted to train a limited number of pupils, with a formal register of students maintained from 1752. Early teaching was informal, largely based on observation during ward rounds, until more structured lectures began.

In the mid-18th century, John Hunter, a surgeon and anatomist often credited as the Father of Modern Surgery, undertook studies at St George’s. Later, Edward Jenner, who studied there between 1770 and 1774, developed the first successful smallpox vaccination in 1796, building on previous observations by Benjamin Jesty. Jenner’s cow, Blossom, used in the experiment, remains part of the university’s collection.

During the early 19th century, the hospital expanded significantly. Between 1827 and 1834, the original Lanesborough House was replaced with a new 350-bed hospital building designed by architect William Wilkins. Although students had trained at the hospital since its foundation, the medical school was formally established in 1834 when Benjamin Brodie purchased a house on Kinnerton Street for anatomy teaching, lectures, and museum purposes. The school held its official opening ceremony in 1835, which included the dissection of an ancient Egyptian mummy.

Soon after the University of London was established in 1836, St George’s became a constituent college. Notable developments included the publication of Gray’s Anatomy in 1858, authored by Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter, both associated with the school. In 1868, the medical school relocated to buildings at the south-west corner of St George’s Hospital in Hyde Park, where the hospital and medical school shared a site thereafter.

In 1895, Patrick Manson was appointed as a lecturer in Tropical Medicine and delivered the first lectures on tropical diseases at St George’s. He later founded the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1899. Among alumni, Edward Wilson, who qualified in 1899, joined Captain Scott’s Antarctic expeditions.

The early 20th century saw the admission of the first female medical students in 1915, partly in response to wartime staff shortages. During World War II, St George’s was part of the Emergency Hospital Service, providing beds for war casualties and civilians. Post-war developments included the integration of the hospital into the National Health Service in 1948, with subsequent plans to relocate and rebuild on new sites in Tooting.

The new hospital and medical school buildings at Tooting began construction in 1973, with the medical school opening there in 1976, accommodating 80 students initially. In 1980, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the new facilities, marking the closure of the Hyde Park site. The move to Tooting allowed modern expansion and integration of clinical teaching.

In academic developments, St George’s was the first institution in the UK to offer a four-year graduate entry medical degree starting in 2000, modelled on the programme from Flinders University, Australia. This programme has since been adopted by other universities.

The university has maintained a close relationship with Kingston University through the Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, established in 1995, offering a range of allied health courses such as nursing, physiotherapy, and radiography. Collaborative work also includes the South West London Academic Network (SWan) alongside Royal Holloway.

In 2005, the institution formally changed its name to St George’s, University of London. It expanded its international reach by partnering with the University of Nicosia in Cyprus from 2011, delivering its medical degree with clinical placements overseas.

Leadership milestones include the appointment of its first female Principal, Professor Jenny Higham, in 2015. She has served as Chair of the Medical Schools Council.

In August 2024, St George’s merged legally with City, University of London to form City St George’s, University of London. The merged institution carries forward the legacy of both universities, with the original names continuing provisionally as trading names until March 2025.

St George’s, University of London offers a wide range of courses in medicine, biomedical sciences, and allied health professions. The university provides undergraduate and foundation degrees in medical, biomedical, and healthcare sciences at its Tooting campus. These include Biomedical Science BSc (Hons), Biomedical Science Foundation Degree, Healthcare Practice DipHE and BSc (Hons), Healthcare Practice Foundation Degree, Healthcare Science (Physiological Sciences) BSc (Hons), and Clinical Pharmacology BSc (Hons). The core medical degree programmes consist of a four-year graduate entry Medicine course (MBBS4), a five-year Medicine course (MBBS5), and a six-year Medicine course (MBBS6). St George’s also offers a Physician Associate Studies MSc, aimed at training healthcare professionals to support medical teams.

In collaboration with Kingston University, the Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences offers degrees in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, paramedic science, nursing, midwifery, social work, and diagnostic or therapeutic radiography. This joint faculty broadens the scope of healthcare education available at St George’s and caters to a variety of allied health professions.

St George’s works with INTO University Partners to provide an international foundation programme, the Foundation in Medical, Biomedical and Health Sciences, designed for international students who do not meet direct entry requirements for bachelor’s level study in the UK. This partnership also supports international students enrolling on the six-year MBBS and the four-year graduate stream MBBS programmes, which include clinical placements overseas.

Outside the UK, St George’s medical degree programme is offered at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. This course commenced in 2011 and includes international clinical placements in Israel and the United States, providing students with diverse practical experiences.

Additionally, St George’s offers a variety of postgraduate research and taught degrees across medical and health disciplines. Teaching at St George’s combines case-based learning, problem-based learning, and traditional lectures, tailored to different courses. Clinical teaching is supported by placements across several hospitals, including St George’s Hospital and other NHS trusts in the London area.

As of 2025, St George’s, University of London (SGUL) holds various positions in national and international university rankings. Nationally, the Complete University Guide 2025 ranks SGUL 69th overall in the UK, marking a rise of nine places from the previous year. The university notably achieved third place nationally for graduate prospects. Similarly, the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 places SGUL 79th overall in the UK and 12th in London. In this guide, it ranks second in the UK for graduate prospects.

Internationally, SGUL is ranked in the 301–350 band globally by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025. Within the subject area of Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health, it ranks among the top 175 institutions worldwide. The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2024 places SGUL in the 701–800 range globally. Additionally, the QS World University Rankings 2025 lists SGUL in the 1201+ category internationally.

In terms of subject-specific rankings, SGUL is positioned 28th in the UK for Medicine and 34th for Physiotherapy according to the Complete University Guide 2025.

As of the 2023–2024 academic year, City St George’s, University of London (formerly St George’s, University of London) has demonstrated strong graduate employment outcomes. According to the Complete University Guide 2025, the university ranks third in the UK for graduate prospects, with 92.4% of students on track to secure employment or further study, and 85.8% achieving positive outcomes within 15 months of graduation. 

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