skip to main content
Benjamin Edmunds BA Hons Fine Art - Painting Wimbledon College of Art jeans.jpg

A world class university

About UAL

University of the Arts London offers an extensive range of courses in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. Our graduates go on to work in and shape the creative industries worldwide. UAL is ranked second in the world for Art and Design in the 2019 QS World University Rankings®.

The University has a world-class reputation and is made up of 6 equally renowned 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.

Kick-start your creative future at UAL

We have launched the careers of many creative and cultural leaders:

  • Half the Turner Prize nominees and both winners in 2016 and 2017 were UAL alumni. UAL has produced over half of all Turner Prize winners since its inception in 1984.
  • 36 of the 77 Royal Academicians are UAL alumni, serving or former staff.
  • Over two thirds of the winners of British Designer of the Year are UAL alumni. UAL alumni have taken home the award for the past 3 years running (2015-2017).
  • 14% (20) of the current Royal Designers for Industry are UAL alumni.
  • Over half of the fashion designers that showed at London Fashion Week 2018 are UAL alumni.
  • Other alumni have gone on to take home some of the industry’s most prestigious art and design awards including the BP Portrait Award, Jerwood Prize, Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, Minerva Medal, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars.

What we offer to students

UAL offers courses ranging from fine art and 3D animation to graphic design and drama. Find out more about studying at UAL, our subjects and explore our courses.

Our students have access to state of the art facilities, including workshops with letterpress machinery, studio theatres and gallery space. Students can also make use of the University’s libraries and archives for research into hundreds of years of the greatest artists and designers. Find out more about the University’s Colleges.

UAL’s inspiring teaching faculty is made up of professional artists, practitioners, designers, technicians, critics and theorists, all on hand to deliver cutting-edge programmes and courses.

The University dominates when it comes to fashion education with 2 of the world’s top 4 undergraduate fashion courses taught at UAL Colleges according to the Business of Fashion (Bof) Rankings in 2017. UAL was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2017 for our Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.

Everyone's identity matters

UAL is home to a diverse body of 18,000 students from 130 countries. We are proud of our international student and staff community and we are committed to ensuring that the University offers an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. Learn more about student diversity and staff diversity at UAL.

Your career platform

UAL has a dedicated focus on careers and employability and we offer high quality external engagement experiences for students as part of our taught courses. We actively support our students to win opportunities in the creative industries and we have numerous strategic partnerships across industry, business and the community. UAL was recently ranked in the top 15 in the UK for industry connections.

After graduation, students automatically join the UAL Alumni Association – this has grown to a global network with over 200,000 members. We are proud to have produced some of the most influential talents in art, design, fashion, communication and performance.

Leaders in creative knowledge and education

In 2015 we launched an ambitious 7 year strategy with 4 key areas that will focus on ensuring UAL maintains its reputation as a world-class place of learning.

Learn more about our 4 strategic areas:

How we spend our money

UAL reinvests all of its money to support students with funds put into building development, facilities and course progression. Find out more about how we spend our money and what happens to any surplus.

UAL strategy 2015-22

Learn about our ambitious 7-year strategy.