Student Accommodation near SOAS, University Of London

If you're after a uni experience that's equal parts radical, international, and academically elite—with a side of student-led protest—SOAS, University of London, is that girl. Known for smashing Eurocentric syllabi and specialising in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East before it was cool, SOAS is not your average campus. It’s the kind of place where your classmates might be human rights lawyers-in-training, spoken word artists, or halfway through a thesis on decolonising the fashion industry. And yes, someone in your seminar will casually speak five languages before lunch. 

Located in Bloomsbury—aka London’s cultural and intellectual HQ—SOAS throws you into the heart of it all. The neighbourhood is packed with historic libraries, indie bookshops, quirky cafés, and every museum you’ve been meaning to visit but never actually will until exam stress hits and you’re avoiding revision. The SOAS campus itself is compact but powerful. You won’t be lost in a sea of thousands like at some mega-universities. Instead, you'll be part of a tight-knit, fiercely opinionated, and academically hungry community that knows how to turn niche knowledge into real-world impact. 

It’s more low-key community than sprawling megasite, which means smaller classes, one-on-one access to some of the most niche academic minds in the world, and actual chances to be heard in a seminar without raising your hand like you're still in sixth form. Professors here don’t just lecture—they challenge, provoke, and debate with you. You’ll leave every class questioning what you thought you knew, Googling words you swore were made up, and probably rethinking your entire worldview (again). 

SOAS students aren’t just studying—they’re activating. Expect constant workshops, panel talks, zine fairs, language exchanges, and events that don’t just tick a diversity box but dig deep into global issues. There’s always a poster advertising a talk on the geopolitics of water in East Africa, or a petition circulating about something happening on the other side of the planet—and people actually show up, sign it, and know what they’re talking about. 

And with a student body pulled from over 135 countries, your group project is basically the UN, but with more iced coffee and less bureaucracy. Cultural exchange isn’t just encouraged—it’s the norm. One moment you’re debating postcolonial feminism with someone from Brazil, and the next you’re learning slang from someone in Beirut, over overpriced vegan brownies in the JCR. 

The vibe? Think indie-intellectual meets eco-conscious rebel. You’ll find people writing essays on anti-capitalism... from a MacBook in the café. The fashion? A mashup of thrifted jackets, tote bags with slogans, and enough piercings to set off airport security. And yes, there’s always someone trying to get you to join a cause, attend a rally, or sign a petition between lectures. The good news? You're never short of opinions, conversations, or reasons to question everything. 

Academically, SOAS offers world-leading programmes in politics, anthropology, economics, law, development studies, languages, and religious studies—especially in non-Western contexts. Lectures are often more like dialogues, and reading lists? Expect them to feature authors you've never heard of—but will end up quoting in every conversation by week three. If you're into deep dives rather than surface skims, this is the place. Research-heavy, intellectually demanding, and beautifully specific—that’s SOAS in a nutshell. 

And with strong postgraduate and research scenes, SOAS students don’t just graduate with degrees—they leave with frameworks, languages, and receipts to change the world. Whether you're dissecting the ethics of climate finance, translating ancient texts, or launching a grassroots campaign, your work here isn’t just theoretical—it’s meant to matter. 

Bottom line? SOAS is not a uni for the passive or the performative. It's where you go when you want to challenge systems, think critically, and still have time to grab a falafel wrap before your 3PM seminar. It’s intense, intentional, and inspiring all at once. And whether you're here for undergrad, postgrad, or that niche PhD on postcolonial cinema—House of Students can help you find a space that’s as unapologetically bold as SOAS itself.