International Study Centre

Four students on Kingston's riverside.

Student life in Kingston University International Study Centre

Where is Kingston? 

Kingston University is located in the beautiful riverside town of Kingston upon Thames. An ancient market town, it is the ideal place to experience both quiet small-town life whilst having easy access to vibrant city living. A train to central London only takes 25 minutes. By living in Kingston, you have the benefit of experiencing all London has to offer, without the hectic lifestyle.

Kingston is also one of London's safest boroughs — in 2023, it was ranked as the fifth safest out of 32 (HomeViews, 2023) — so you can explore your new home with confidence. 

Top things to do in Kingston 

  • Visit beautiful parks - Bushy Park and Richmond Park are both nearby and offer a great green space for a picnic. 
  • Explore local history and culture – As a traditional British town, you’ll find plenty of historical artefacts and buildings. There are also multiple museums so you can fill your downtime. 
  • Hit the shops – There’s always something going on in Kingston. You'll find high-street stores, cafés, and restaurants in Kingston, alongside cinemas and theatres.

Cost of living 

Despite everything there is to see and do, Kingston is not a very expensive place to live compared to central London. With the free university bus available around the clock, you can travel quickly and easily between campuses and the town centre. You will also be able to take advantage of exclusive student discounts throughout your time here. 

Afaq from Pakistan, in a computer lab

Kingston is welcoming to all the international students. They offered a lot more opportunities and facilities.

Afaq, from Pakistan
Studying International Foundation Year in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Career opportunities 

As an international student in the UK, you are able to work for up to 20 hours as part of your Student visa. Discover more about the Graduate Immigration Route.

Become a Student Ambassador

We have an exciting opportunity available at the International Study Centre to develop your social media skills and contribute to our social channels!

Get involved in taking over our social media, writing fun blogs, hosting Q&A sessions, shining bright at events, starring in our marketing materials, sharing your daily activities, and creating engaging content through photos and videos.

Of course, this would also be an impressive experience worth adding to your CV. Once your Student Ambassador role comes to a finish, you will receive a LinkedIn recommendation from us based on your performance.

“Choosing to apply to the student ambassador position was way out of my comfort zone, I can just be honest about that. But I'm grateful for the opportunity and it made me get more skills and apply them in my daily life. It made me more open to speaking to different people and getting different perspectives from other ambassadors” – Awrad, a previous Student Ambassador

Kingston University students sat in a class

Programmes

We offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, to help prepare you for your degree and make the most of your career.

Explore our programmes
Kingston University students talking to a tutor

How to apply

See how to apply for a course at the International Study Centre and view the documents you need to provide with your application.

Learn how to apply

Join us today

Our student enrolment advisors are available to answer your questions and help you with your application. We can’t wait to meet you.