University of the Arts London

Overview

The University of the Arts London (UAL), our Arts University of the Year, is made up of six world-class colleges scattered across the capital: Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, London College of Communication and the Colleges of Arts in Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon. It is one of the few British universities not facing a cash crisis, thanks to its reputation. Tuition fees from international students made up 55% of UAL’s total income last year and overseas students account for around 40% of its undergraduates. Its graduates are hugely in demand, with end-of-year shows a magnet for the creative industries looking for the ‘next big thing’. The six colleges span all of those industries – from fashion to media, from acting to sculpting, from fine art to jewellery design and from games art to prosthetics. They came together to form UAL in 2004. Recent investment has transformed the university’s estate with the introduction of new premises for the London College of Fashion in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Applications are, unsurprisingly, running at record levels. Only the best get a place, but the list of famous alumni – who make up more than half of the Turner Prize winners – suggests that talent will out. UAL had the most student-run start-ups of any university last year, showing students here have the business brains to go with the creativity.

Paying the bills

Some of the biggest names in fashion ensure that students at UAL are generously supported. There are numerous scholarship schemes; some are targeted at specific courses while others are designed to meet particular needs and encourage diversity. UAL itself offers £1,400 annual bursaries to all students on maximum maintenance loans, which effectively benefits all students coming from homes with an annual income of less than £25,000. But it is the scholarships for the lucky few that catch the eye. These include the Gucci Changemakers scholarship worth £25,250 a year (£75,750 in total) for three students at the London College of Fashion who have been involved with the UAL Insights outreach programme. The Capri Holdings [owners of the Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors brands] Foundation scholarship is worth £43,100, paid over two years to three UK students taking the diploma in professional studies placement year on a BA fashion design or BA fashion communication degree at Central Saint Martins. Students in extreme financial difficulties can turn to UAL’s hardship fund, which paid out £2.4m in 2023-24, with awards ranging from £500 to more than £5,000. Overall, 28% of undergraduates across all years received some form of financial assistance. UAL’s 3,643 places in student accommodation are split among 12 halls. Prices range from £8,375 for a standard twin room in Portland House to £19,650 for a large premium studio in the same development, both for 50-week tenancies.

What’s new?

Two initiatives will expand the university’s reach considerably. UAL has launched its first fully online degrees this year: three MAs in graphic design, fashion marketing and fashion business. The two-year programmes can be started in January, May or September, with no requirement to attend campus. The development should further broaden UAL’s ability to reach groups often under-represented in higher education and is expected to appeal to older students in particular. Courses will be delivered through a mobile-first virtual learning environment, which will offer alternative formats to support low-bandwidth access. The new UAL School of Pre-Degree Studies brings together all of UAL’s pre-degree and further education courses in art, media, design and fashion. Based at the university’s Lime Grove site in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, the new site includes facilities for 3D printing, casting and ceramics, printmaking and performance arts. UAL has also made a determined effort to tackle some persistently low scores in the annual National Student Survey (NSS). Poor student experience was identified as one of the five key risks facing the university in its latest annual report. UAL is coming to the end of a three-year programme of implementing a new student experience framework with significant revisions to course delivery. While some of these changes are still to be reflected across all of the NSS, UAL’s scores for student support now run well above its levels elsewhere in the survey, with the institution ranking 36th for student support in our analysis of this year’s NSS outcomes.

Admissions, teaching and student support

UAL Insights is the university’s main outreach vehicle for prospective students who are economically disadvantaged or under-represented in higher education. London students, aged 16 or over, are eligible for this programme if they live in a priority postcode area, have been in care, come from a family which receives benefits for living costs, or if they would be the first in their family to attend university. To help open up the idea of higher education to under-16s, UAL runs four national Saturday Club schemes in the capital for students in the first year of GCSEs. Contextual offers are made in all subjects but there is not a set formula of grade reductions. ‘Our contextual admissions process helps us to identify students with the most creative potential, regardless of their personal background or education experiences,’ the university told us. The system clearly works, with just under half of all UK admissions in September 2024 having a contextual admissions flag. Once at university, all students benefit from comprehensive mental health and wellbeing support. UAL offers in-person and online counselling, health advice and a chaplaincy service, and all staff are provided with information about what to do if they have concerns about the health and wellbeing of a student.