Royal College Of Art Ranking

Last Updated on July 30, 2023

Founded in 1896, Royal College of Art is a non-profit public higher-education institution located in the urban setting of the large metropolis of London (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants). Officially recognized/chartered by the Privy Council, Royal College of Art (RCA) is a small (uniRank enrollment range: 2,000-2,999 students) coeducational UK higher education institution. Royal College of Art (RCA) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 124 years old UK higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. RCA also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

Royal College of Art Rankings

Ranked the World’s number one art and design university for five consecutive years (2015-2019),  the Royal College of Art is the world’s most influential postgraduate university of art and design. Specialising in teaching and research, the RCA offers Graduate Diploma, MA, MRes, MPhil and PhD qualifications across the disciplines of fine art, architecture, applied art, design, communications and humanities. There are over 2,100 masters and doctoral students from 75 countries and more than 1,000 professionals interacting with them – including scholars, leading art and design practitioners, along with specialists, advisors and distinguished visitors. The RCA is the most concentrated community of artists, designers and communicators to be found anywhere; a community focused on art in a design environment and design in an art environment. At the College’s heart is a firm belief in project-based education, face-to-face teaching and learning and professional orientation. Our mission is to recruit talented students of great variety and complexity – whatever their background. www.rca.ac.uk

• In Top Universities in the World 2021, the Royal College of Art was ranked 806 by UniRank.
• The Royal College for art was ranked in the 1st position in Art and Design by QS world rankings 2020.
• According to UniRank, the college stood at the 76th position in top Universities in the Country 2020.

Highlights

Royal College of Art Campus and Accommodation

Campus

• The college has three campuses: Battersea, Kensington and White City.
• The RCA Battersea campus houses Ceramics and Glass, Painting, Contemporary Art Practice, etc. It also hosts a number of art exhibitions and events. It was also provided with funding in 2016 by the UK Government to come up with a new building for the campus.
• The Kensington Campus, located in Albertopolis in London is surrounded by the Imperial College and Victoria and Albert Museum on both sides. It also has Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park in its vicinity. It is home to the School of Architecture, School of Design and the School of Arts and Humanities programs as well as the RCA library.
• The White City campus is the newest addition to the RCA. Opened in 2017, Located in the BBC Media Village, it offers graduate diploma programs in Art & Design, houses the School of Communication as well as research programs in Communication Design. It also has a number of art studios, technical spaces and workshops that cater to students’ needs.
• A student’s union has been put in order in the college that acts as the representative of the students and provides a premise to bond and network. Various events dedicated to different talents are also organized for the students.
• The college has introduced a new campus expansion project on the Battersea site, which will include the construction of a 16,000 sq. km building along with the following features:
  • New Research Centres, RCA innovation incubation program;
  • Better connectivity with the city;
  • Additional cycle parking space;
  • New publicly accessible art shop and café;
  • New cultural program.

Housing facilities/ Residence

The college does not offer any on-campus boarding however, below are some useful tips regarding the accommodation for students:

• Students admitted to the university have access to the University of London Housing Service. This will give them advice on housing, accommodation, legal advice among other things.
• The price of accommodation varies from place to place, in and around London.
• This price will also vary depending on the type of boarding the student chooses to live in.
• Below are some approximate prices for long term and short term accommodation:

Royal College of Art Courses

• The university offers a variety of courses for international students in different areas of study including Arts and Humanities, Design, Business, Communication and Architecture, etc.
• Some of these include MA in Service Design, MA in Architecture, MA in Animation, MA in Design Products, MPhil/Ph.D. in Communication, etc.
• Programs are also segregated into Pre Master’s which includes Diploma, Taught Master’s depending upon the major chosen and Postgraduate research programs.
• It also has a number of research centres that offer interdisciplinary research and expertise from the field of science, engineering and technology in combination with art and design.
• Royal Academy also provides preparatory programs and international exchange programs or student exchange programs.

Royal College of Art Application Process

Seeking admission at the institute could be difficult, however, if you do get in, you will have access to some of the best world-class facilities and teaching experience. It is recommended that you have a strong balanced profile in your undergraduate years. Here are some of the requirements for your graduate Master’s application:

How to apply?

Application Portal: Apply online at the official website

Application deadlines: Admissions are available in 2 intakes of round 1 and round 2. Application Aldine for Graduate Diploma Art & Design is July 2020.

Basic Admission Requirements

• The RCA Application consists of two stages, stage one is where student information has to be submitted and stage two consists of submission of a portfolio along with a short self-introduction video and references.
• International Students are required to demonstrate English Language Proficiency with a score of 6.5 in IELTS with 6.0 in the Test of Written English.
• Portfolios showcasing different skill sets required for the discipline you choose to major in. The requirements for each portfolio change from major to major.
• Visa information is required if you are not from the UK.
• Information regarding your past academic institutions and qualifications and its transcripts
• If selected, applicants may be required to give an interview.

Royal College of Art Cost of Attendance

The basic cost of living for international students to stay in the UK while enrolled at the institute is as tabulated below.

*This fee is for the MA in Animation program, while most programs have a similar fee structure, do check program fees for your respective discipline of interest.

Royal College of Art Scholarships for International Students

The institute provides a number of scholarships to eligible candidates who demonstrate the academic qualifications as financial support for international students looking to study in the UK for the same. The awards at the college are extremely competitive, therefore, students are also advised to look into external funding options.

Before considering applying for any of the scholarships, make sure you read the conditions and terms of requirements for the same. Below are some of the Scholarships offered by the Institute:

• Karakusevic Carson Scholarship for MA Architecture worth GBP 10,000.
• The Leathersellers’ Bursaries are eligible for MA Fashion and Textile students using leather in their studies worth GBP 5000.
• Heveningham Concours Scholarship for students of intelligent mobility worth GBP 30,000.
• School voor Jong Talent Foundation Fund: 500 GBP to 1,750 GBP
• Holland Scholarship: 5,000 GBP (one-time)
• VSB Fund: 7,000 GBP to 10,000 GBP

External funding is available in the form of loans as well as funding for MPhil and MRes students. Indian students can avail of the Inlaks scholarships while applying here.

Royal College of Art Alumni Network

Some of the alumni benefits are Degree letters, Professional Development classes, LSW Discounts, Invitation to college events, Alumni networking, access to Publication and library. The University has produced some noteworthy alumni throughout the years, creating major success in their fields of interest. Some of them are:

• David Hockney – British Painter
• Yvonne McGuinness – Visual Artist
• Bridget Riley – Fine Art Artist

Royal College of Art Placements

Students graduating from the institute have landed some of the best high paying jobs in the industry they choose to work for. Some of the corporations include Fashion: Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Gap, H&M; Automotive Industry: Jaguar, Bentley, Hyundai, Volkswagen; MNCs: Google, Apple, Sony, Philips; Cultural Organisations: BBC, National Trust, English Heritage, among others.

According to the Royal College of Art, 90% of the students have claimed to have a positive impact on their careers due to Royal College of Art. The college organizes various seminars and fairs to encourage students in gaining exposure of the real world.

London Remains Top Choice for Art and Design

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is ranked the number 1 university for art & design internationally for the sixth consecutive year according to the QS World University Rankings by subject 2020 – the largest world-wide survey of academic and industry opinion. 

The RCA leads the table of 200 of the world’s top universities for the study of art and design, ahead of much larger institutions around the globe. The accolade firmly puts London at the top of the map for art and design, with the College amongst some of the Capital’s leading institutions.

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, said: “Creativity, research and pedagogy are as strong as ever at the RCA and this accolade is a testament to the quality and commitment of our staff and the enormous talent of our students.

“Part of our continued success stems from the ability to evolve, by continuing to support world-class art and design but also embracing new areas of expertise and innovation from robotics and AI to computing and materials science. I would like to thank our students, academic staff and researchers for their enormous contribution and unparalleled passion.”

The QS University Rankings assesses the best international universities based on three assessment areas: academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. The rankings are based on the opinions of academics and employers. 

Jack Moran, QS Spokesperson, said: “Achieving exceptional renown from the global academic world and consistently positive feedback from employers about the quality of its graduates, the Royal College of Art continues its relentless run at the top of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. 

As the UK higher education sector prepares for its post-Brexit existence, our latest dataset continues to illuminate the enduring quality of its constituent institutions. 2,212 universities offering Art & Design programs were assessed in the compilation of this ranking: a testament to both the analytical scope of QS’s Intelligence Unit and the unique educational experience provided by the RCA.”