Update you browser

For the best experience, we recommend you update your browser. Visit our accessibility page for a list of supported browsers. Alternatively, you can continue using your current browser by closing this message.

Key details

Date

  • 4 March 2020

Read time

  • 1 minute

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is ranked the number 1 university for art & design internationally for the sixth consecutive year according to the QS World University Rankings by subject 2020 – the largest world-wide survey of academic and industry opinion. 

The RCA leads the table of 200 of the world’s top universities for the study of art and design, ahead of much larger institutions around the globe. The accolade firmly puts London at the top of the map for art and design, with the College amongst some of the Capital’s leading institutions.

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, said: “Creativity, research and pedagogy are as strong as ever at the RCA and this accolade is a testament to the quality and commitment of our staff and the enormous talent of our students.

“Part of our continued success stems from the ability to evolve, by continuing to support world-class art and design but also embracing new areas of expertise and innovation from robotics and AI to computing and materials science. I would like to thank our students, academic staff and researchers for their enormous contribution and unparalleled passion.”

The QS University Rankings assesses the best international universities based on three assessment areas: academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. The rankings are based on the opinions of academics and employers. 

Jack Moran, QS Spokesperson, said: “Achieving exceptional renown from the global academic world and consistently positive feedback from employers about the quality of its graduates, the Royal College of Art continues its relentless run at the top of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. 

As the UK higher education sector prepares for its post-Brexit existence, our latest dataset continues to illuminate the enduring quality of its constituent institutions. 2,212 universities offering Art & Design programs were assessed in the compilation of this ranking: a testament to both the analytical scope of QS’s Intelligence Unit and the unique educational experience provided by the RCA.”

For further information or images please contact RCA Communications and Marketing Department media@rca.ac.ac.uk

QS rankings data in full