London School of Economics

London School of Economics and Political Science
	Coat of arms
Motto	Latin: Rerum cognoscere causas
Motto in English	To understand the causes of things
Type	Public research university
Established	1895
Endowment	£255.5 million (2024)
Budget	£525.6 million (2023/24)
Chair	Susan Liautaud
Visitor	Lucy Powell; (as Lord President of the Council ex officio)
Chancellor	The Princess Royal; (as Chancellor of the University of London)
President and Vice-Chancellor	Larry Kramer
Academic staff	1,920 (2023/24)
Administrative staff	2,690 (2023/24)
Students	12,910 (2023/24); 12,430 FTE (2023/24)
Undergraduates	5,680 (2023/24)
Postgraduates	7,230 (2023/24)
Location	London, England; 51°30′50″N 0°07′00″W / 51.51389°N 0.11667°W
Campus	Urban
Newspaper	The Beaver
Colours	Purple, black and gold
Affiliations	ACU; CEMS; EUA; Russell Group; University of London; Universities UK; CIVICA;
Mascot	Beaver
Website	lse.ac.uk

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the pure and applied social sciences.

Founded by Fabian Society members Sidney Webb, Beatrice Webb, Graham Wallas and George Bernard Shaw, LSE joined the University of London in 1900 and offered its first degree programmes under the auspices of the university in 1901.^[6] LSE began awarding degrees in its own name in 2008,^[7] prior to which it awarded degrees of the University of London. It became a university in its own right within the University of London in 2022.^[8]

LSE is located in the London Borough of Camden and Westminster, Central London, near the boundary between Covent Garden and Holborn. The area is historically known as Clare Market. As of 2023/24, LSE had just under 13,000 students, with the majority being postgraduate students and just under two thirds coming from outside the UK. The university has the sixth-largest endowment of any university in the UK and in 2023/24, it had an income of £525.6 million of which £41.4 million was from research grants.^[1]

LSE is a member of the Russell Group, Association of Commonwealth Universities and the European University Association, and is typically considered part of the "golden triangle" of research universities in the south east of England.

Since 1990, the London School of Economics has educated 24 heads of state or government, the second highest of any university in the United Kingdom after the University of Oxford.^[9] As of 2024, the school is affiliated with 20 Nobel laureates.^[10]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Financial Statements for the Year to 31 July 2024" (PDF). London School of Economics. p. 56. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
^ "Council". London School of Economics. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Who's working in HE?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Staff numbers by HE provider: HE staff by HE provider and activity standard occupational classification. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Students by HE provider: HE student enrolments by HE provider. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
^ "Woolen Scarf with Crest Embroidery". LSE Students' Union. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
^ "Beginnings : LSE : The Founders" (PDF). London School of Economics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
^ "Academic dress". The London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021. Since the granting of its own degree awarding powers in July 2008, students have worn LSE-specific gowns
^ Liautaud, Susan. "Chair's Blog: Summer Term 2022". Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
^ Weale, Sally (24 February 2025). "UK universities educate the most national leaders globally, analysis shows". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
^ "LSE People: Nobel Prize Winners". London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

[LSE_Financial_Statement_23/24-1] "Financial Statements for the Year to 31 July 2024" (PDF). London School of Economics. p. 56. Retrieved 12 December 2024.

[2] "Council". London School of Economics. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.

[HESA_staff_citation-3] "Who's working in HE?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Staff numbers by HE provider: HE staff by HE provider and activity standard occupational classification. Retrieved 28 January 2025.

[HESA_citation-4] "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Students by HE provider: HE student enrolments by HE provider. Retrieved 3 April 2025.

[5] "Woolen Scarf with Crest Embroidery". LSE Students' Union. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.

[6] "Beginnings : LSE : The Founders" (PDF). London School of Economics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.

[AcademicDress-7] "Academic dress". The London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021. Since the granting of its own degree awarding powers in July 2008, students have worn LSE-specific gowns

[8] Liautaud, Susan. "Chair's Blog: Summer Term 2022". Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2022.

[9] Weale, Sally (24 February 2025). "UK universities educate the most national leaders globally, analysis shows". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 February 2025.

[Nobel_Prize_Winners-10] "LSE People: Nobel Prize Winners". London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

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