A world-class university, shaping the creative industries worldwide
Who we are
University of the Arts London (UAL) offers an extensive range of courses in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. We are a collegiate University spread across London with six Colleges, four Institutes and five Research Centres. UAL also has two subsidiary companies, delivering specialist activities – UAL Short Courses Ltd, and UAL Arts Temps Ltd.
We’re made up of all types of people, from all kinds of places, coming together in London, the world’s creative capital. We are designers, artists, performers, thinkers, researchers and makers. Our students, staff and graduates form a global network of creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders. Together, our ideas change the world. Because the world needs creativity.
We have become one of the world’s most international Universities, welcoming over 6,000 staff and 22,000 students from 130 countries. And, as a global university, staff and students learn from different cultures and perspectives, which leads to new conversations and innovative work.
We are ranked highly across the board – we are ranked first for specialist art and design, second in the world for Art and Design in the 2022 QS World University Rankings (for the fifth year in a row), ranked fifth in sustainability and two of our colleges were rated in the top three fashion schools in the world.
At our very core, everything we do seeks to challenge the status quo by driving social purpose and standing up for what matters. Our students, staff and graduates form a global network of creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders. Together, our ideas change the world.
Our roots
The origins of UAL lie in the 19th century with the foundation of the schools that became our 6 constituent Colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts.
These schools educated young people to prepare them for a world transformed by technological change. Students learned new skills for growing industries, like architecture, communication, fashion, design and performance. And their work brought beauty into people’s everyday lives.
In 1986, the 6 Colleges joined together as one. In 2003, they became a university: University of the Arts London (UAL). Though much has changed since the 19th century, our social purpose, “to change society through our knowledge and creativity”, remains unchanged. We remain rooted in London’s heritage of vocational education. And we are developing into a global force for change, advancing the case for creativity at the regional, national and international level.