Royal College of Art

Make change at the world’s #1 university for art and design.

The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading art and design university, having been ranked for ten consecutive years as the world’s number 1 art & design university (2015-2024) in the QS World University subject rankings. Our postgraduate programmes enable you to tackle complex issues, push the boundaries of your practice, build your networks, and find your voice as a professional in a changing world.

Committed to creating the next generation of artists, designers, researchers, creators and innovators, the RCA’s world-leading academic and technical services staff will guide and challenge you to push the boundaries of your practice. As the world’s largest community of postgraduate art and design students, you will be part of a collective of inspirational creative peers opening up new opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The RCA offers a Graduate Diploma conversion programme and Master’s, MPhil, MRes and PhD degrees. Based around the five Schools of Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Communication, Design and Research, the broad range of disciplines on offer is based on a strong foundation of practice-based research and integrates STEAM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics - providing a unique and transformative experience.

“I think it's a pretty magical space, with this energy that you most likely don't get again in life. You work next to like-minded people and you can immediately talk about things, exchange thoughts and push your practice further. It's motivating to come back every day and see everyone. It’s different from having a studio by yourself.”
• Theresa Weber, Sculpture MA 

Our Global Creative Community

Students come to the College from across the globe and bring with them a wide range of backgrounds, educational approaches and experiences - due to the cross-disciplinary nature of our work, and our growing range of courses, nearly 25% of students now come to the RCA with a Bachelor's degree in a subject other than art, design or architecture. Studying here means you'll be part of a network of inspiring students and alumni in a city known for creative culture, and part of the RCA’s rich history since its formation in 1837. Chat with our students to find out about their RCA experience.

Both the RCA and London as a whole are hubs of activity; full of places where you can socialise, explore and make new discoveries.

Our London campus is spread throughout the heart of one of the world’s most creative cities, with sites in the historic surroundings of Kensington, the future-thinking hub of White City and the cultural quarter in Battersea.

Our facilities and technical equipment are amongst the best of their kind in the world and support students in their explorations of the creative possibilities of both the new and innovative and traditional craft skills.

“I learnt how to work with people and with communities, just understanding different points of view and bringing that together. Coming to RCA with the idea of: ‘What are the things I could make?’ has completely shifted to: ‘how can we get together and make things?’”
• Rashmi Bidasaria, Design Products MA

Scholarships and funding

The RCA offers a wide range of scholarships and bursary schemes, open to UK and International students, and across our full range of courses. We also provide advice on external funding options. Visit our website for more information about our schemes and how to apply for them.

Where will the RCA take you?

Whatever your creative career aspirations, the RCA can help you realise them. A qualification from the world’s number one ranked university for Art & Design has proven invaluable to the careers and practice of thousands of graduates. You too could be part of our international network of creative individuals who have shaped, and continue to shape, the world surrounding us, and address some of the biggest global challenges of our time.

Events for Prospective Students

To provide prospective students with opportunities to find out about the RCA experience and programmes we run a number of on-campus and online open days as well as events in various countries around the world. You can find out about upcoming events or watch replays of past open days on the RCA website.  

“Throughout my academic career I’ve been interested in how to bring art and science together, while thinking about what the environment is in terms of perception, philosophy and anthropology. I came to the RCA because the architecture programmes provided lines of research that expanded my core belief about different ways of thinking about ecological systems and how we affect them.”
• Yussef Agbo-Ola, Environmental Architecture MA