LSE has a cosmopolitan student body, drawing its students from around 140 countries worldwide. It also has an influential network of over 97,500 alumni in 190 countries, with more than 70 active alumni groups.
In 2008/09 the School had 8,700 full-time students and over 800 part-time students. Of these, just over half were postgraduates. Around two-thirds of students came from outside the UK.
LSE also has a cosmopolitan staff, with about 44 per cent drawn from countries outside the UK.
In all, over 1,700 people work full-time for LSE and 1,323 part-time [in 2010]
LSE staff are at the forefront of their disciplines. They advise governments, public bodies and government inquiries, and are frequently seconded to national and international organisations.
LSE academics are frequently in the news, commenting on major issues of the day, from the credit crunch and the recession to Afghanistan and climate change.
See also Comment and opinion| and Research highlights|.