King’s College London (KCL) and Cranfield University have announced plans to merge by August 2027, creating a new 'global' institution. The two universities have signed an agreement described as the 'first step' towards forming an 'extraordinarily powerful' unified entity.
Cranfield, a postgraduate public research university specialising in science, engineering, design, technology and management, will integrate into KCL. The merger aims to combine Cranfield's applied research and industry links with King's academic strengths.
Professor Shitij Kapur, vice chancellor of KCL, said the merger would bring new educational opportunities and a focus on partnership with industry and government. Professor Dame Karen Holford, vice chancellor of Cranfield, said it would create a global university delivering excellence with purpose and scale.
Science minister Lord Patrick Vallance welcomed the merger, highlighting its potential for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and UK research capability. The announcement follows the approval of a merger between the universities of Greenwich and Kent earlier this year.
KCL, one of England’s oldest universities founded in 1829, has grown through several mergers. Cranfield, established in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, became a university in 1969.
