Top art & design schools in 2022

In seventh place is the Pratt Institute, which promises a creative haven for aspiring artists and designers. Based in Brooklyn, the private university offers a wide range of undergraduate degrees, for instance, graphics design/illustration, photography or fine arts with emphasis in jewellery, painting, drawing, printmaking or sculpture. 

Arguably, one of the most appealing aspects of studying at the Pratt Institute is the school’s location in New York. Ranked 18th in the QS Best Student Cities, New York is a world leader across many fields – including the arts.  

Whether you’re interested in impressionist paintings or Baroque masterpieces, New York has it all with the likes of the Met, Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim Museum on your doorstep.  

Retaining its position of sixth place from last year, Aalto University is widely considered a Nordic leader when it comes to art and design education. If you’re interested in studying sustainable design, the university’s Bachelor Programme in Design builds on the ethos of Finnish and Scandinavian design by developing solutions that are environmentally conscious. 

In terms of postgraduate options, the Nordic Master in Visual Studies and Art Education (NM NoVA) is a double degree programme between Aalto University and Aalborg University (located in Denmark).  

The NM NoVA could be well suited to those looking for a global experience as it includes a compulsory mobility during the second year of the studies, during which students at Aalto study at Aalborg either by doing an internship, a visual project, or a theoretical project in Denmark and vice versa. 

Prospective students can also take comfort in the fact that Aalto University ranks within the top 150 universities in the world, in joint 116th place. 

Halfway through the list is Italy’s best performing institution, Politecnico di Milano, which ranks 139th in the QS World University Rankings.  

Four Laurea programmes (equivalent to a BSc) are available in the department of design: communication, fashion, interior and product design. Famous for being a trendsetting city in the fashion industry, it’s no surprise that Milan is a sought-after destination for students looking to study fashion design.  

If you need extra convincing, Milan is ranked 48th in the Best Student Cities index, and the city’s status as a food and entertainment hub means that you’ll never run out of things to explore. One of its highest scores in the ranking is the employer activity indicator (21st place), with recruiters across Europe identifying universities in Milan as producers of highly employable graduates.   

Slipping one place from last year’s ranking is the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, all undergraduate students at RISD are required to take first-year studios in Experimental and Foundation Studies where they hone their creative skills in three core subjects: drawing, design and spatial dynamics.  

The Rhode Island School of Design Museum is integrated with RISD, making it the third largest art museum attached to an educational facility. To be precise, the museum’s collection currently contains more than 100,000 works of art and design dating from ancient times to today including paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, costume, textiles and furniture from all over the world. 

Studying at RISD means being surrounded by some of the most creative and experimental minds alike. RISD’s graduates have earned major honours in the world of art and design: MacArthur genius grants, Guggenheim fellowships, Academy awards and Pulitzer prizes.  

Kicking off the top three is the best school for art and design in the US, the New School’s Parsons School of Design. 

The school’s location in New York allows students to foster relationships with the wider artistic community. Examples include hackathons, prototype design opportunities for industry partners and courses that challenge students to address a need presented by a sponsor. 

Parsons is part of a larger university, so students can elevate their creative work with a wide range of courses offered throughout The New School - from social sciences and liberal arts to management and more. 

Since 2017, 224 Parsons graduates have gone on to start their own businesses and 41 graduates have been featured on Forbes ‘30 under 30’ winners since its publication in 2011. 

The institution’s accolades also include an impressive list of some of the world’s most renowned fashion designers: Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan. 

In second place is the University of the Arts London (UAL). Made up of six colleges, including the prestigious Central Saint Martins, the UK institution offers a variety of courses ranging from sound arts to fashion pattern cutting.  

The school’s upstanding reputation clearly shows in its achievements: over two-thirds of British Designer of the Year winners are UAL alumni, including four-time winner Alexander McQueen and its most recent winner, Daniel Lee. In addition, the school has produced over 40 percent of all Turner Prize winners since its inception in 1984. 

Ranked as number one in the QS Best Student Cities ranking, London is undeniably one of the best cities for a global education – particularly for art and design students. With attractions such as the Tate Modern, The National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum (most have free admission), it’s easy to see why the UK’s capital is popular with budding artists.  

The best school for art and design in 2022 is the Royal College of Art. The UK’s sole postgraduate art and design institution provides specialist facilities across cutting-edge digital technologies such as rapid prototyping, CNC milling and laser-scanning.  

For the school’s admission process, you’re required to submit a portfolio that shows technical accomplishments and creative ability, but more importantly, the school prefers students who show potential to work in teams comprising individuals of multidisciplinary backgrounds.  

Campuses are located in Battersea, South Kensington and White City, all within close distance of art exhibitions and galleries. London also ranks second for student voice in the QS Best Student Cities ranking, highlighting its status as a city that is highly regarded among students.  

If career opportunities are an important consideration for you, the city ranks fourth for employer activity, showing just how in demand graduates from London universities are by employers.