University College London, also known as UCL, is a publicly owned entity headquartered in the UK. Established in 1826 and employing approximately 24,480 individuals, UCL functions as a public research university located in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London and holds the distinction of being the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment. Originally established as London University, UCL was the first university institution to be founded in London and the first in England to operate entirely secularly, admitting students irrespective of their religion. In 1878, it became the second college in the United Kingdom to admit women alongside men.