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University of the Arts London named Times and Sunday Times Specialist University of the Year 2025

Written byKatie Moss
Published date 20 September 2024

**Eve Lague working with wooden pieces in the studio, Camberwell College of Arts, March 2016. Photographer: Alys Tomlinson, UAL.**

University of the Arts London (UAL) has been named as The Times and Sunday Times Specialist University of the Year.

The university has been recognised for its art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts courses. The award is a testament to UAL’s commitment to providing a world-class education, where graduates go on to shape the creative landscape worldwide and make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet.

UAL now ranks 40th overall – having risen 39 places in the past 5 years. This year UAL ranks in the top 5 for its student-staff ratio and People & Planet score.

The Times and The Sunday Times’ Good University Guide 2025 provides a comprehensive guide to higher education in Britain, evaluating universities on several metrics including student satisfaction with teaching quality and student experience, entry standards, research quality, graduate prospects and social inclusion rankings. The full Good University Guide 2025 is available online now.

The award adds to a series of successes for UAL over the past year, as the institution continues to rise in a number of rankings. UAL has maintained its upward trajectory in the Guardian University Guide, securing 13th place out of 122 institutions for 2025. It also climbed to 4th in the People & Planet University Green League, which assesses universities on their environmental and ethical performance. Additionally, for the 6th consecutive year, UAL was ranked among the top 2 institutions globally for arts and design in the QS World University Rankings.

We have involved every team across the University in defining our commitment and service to students, making the student experience central to our mission to provide world-class creative education. We are doing this with our student body and ArtsSU, with humility and a long-term commitment to change.

— Professor Roni Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, UAL

This award reflects the hard work, dedication and achievements of the UAL community, who consistently push the boundaries of what is possible in art and design education. As we look to the role the creative industries can play in our national renewal, this award is a timely reminder that we shouldn’t overlook the essential role universities play in developing the skills this crucial sector needs.

— Professor Karen Stanton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, UAL