Imperial College London

Age: 104

History: Established in 1907 as part of the University of London. In 1997 it combined with Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School. Merged with Wye College, University of London, and Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, West London, in 2000 and in 2007 became completely independent of the University of London.

Address: Eight campuses in central and west London, Berkshire, and Kent. Main campus is in posh South Kensington across the road from the Royal Albert Hall and next to Hyde Park.

Ambience: All the benefits of being in London's cultural heartland, with the drawback of the expense.

Vital statistics: A college for brainy anoraks, with a tip-top reputation. Boasts highly prestigious staff, and has around 8,600 full-time undergraduates. Nearly a third of graduates go straight on to higher degrees, with a massive focus on research. Men outnumber women by nearly two to one.

Added value: The Sir Alexander Fleming building and a sleek sheer-glass fronted business school have recently been designed by Lord Foster, giving lustre to the Victorian and sixties' campus. Good sports facilities: in April 2006, a new 'Ethos' sports centre opened, complete with a climbing wall, sports hall, gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa. Imperial also boasts the largest student cinema screen in the country. The new 'L Block' development at the college's Hammersmith site, is due for completion in 2012, and will become the flagship building for Imperial's Academic Health Science Centre.

Easy to get into? No. Average UCAS points on entry is 520. Approximately six applications per place and very few get in through clearing.

Glittering alumni: HG Wells, writer; Brian May, guitarist with Queen; scientist TH Huxley; Sir Alexander Fleming and Sir Ernst Chain, discoverers of penicillin.

Transport links: All campuses are near bus, rail or tube stations.

Who's the boss? The Sir Keith O’Nions became Rector in July 2010. Sir Keith's background lies in geology, and he is the former chief scientific advisor to the Ministry of Defence.

Teaching: 83rd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 4th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 3rd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: dB's student nightclub and Da Vinci's bar are popular during the week.

How green is it? Not great – came 78th out of 138 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2011'.

Sports Ranking: 16th in the BUCS league table.

Any accommodation? Yes, a massive choice of options, ranging in price from £55 per week for a space in a triple shared room to £227 per week for a deluxe single room.

Cheap to live there? Heck no. Local rents average a whopping £120 per week.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time home undergrads for 2011 entry. Imperial plans to charge the maximum fee of £9,000 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: Full-time home students in receipt of a maintenance grant are eligible to a bursary of up to £3,500 depending on residual income. There are also a number of universal and departmental scholarships available.

Prospectus: 020 7589 5111; www.imperial.ac.uk

UCAS code: IMP 150