What we have achieved

Helped global corporations develop their skills and insights through our expanded knowledge exchange and executive education programmes.

Proved that technology and the creative arts are a potent amalgam for successful new start-ups, launching almost 80 start-ups through InnovationRCA.

Ranked as the number one university for art and design by QS for eight consecutive years, with employers’ favourable rating of our graduates rising to 96% in 2021 and staying there.

Secured £54m of HM Treasury funding to create a new model of creative entrepreneurship and postgraduate education at Battersea.

Demonstrated that design can be at the forefront of the research question: with the RCA as Principal Investigator leading UCL, Manchester, York and Leeds universities, among others.

Attracted leading businesses and the philanthropic community, resulting in £43m of donations for our new campus and £25m donations for ‘People & Projects’.

Championed the value of collaborative and interdisciplinary learning as the first art and design university in the world to implement a STEAM vision: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Design and Maths.

Broken the silos and made new faculty appointments in Robotics, Materials Science and Computer Science within a traditional art and design college.

Contributed to the global challenges of ageing populations, sustainability, and design and artificial intelligence, through the launch of the Design Age Institute, Textiles Circularity Centre and AiDlab.

Generated annual surpluses for the past five years, which compare very favourably to much bigger universities, and allows the RCA to invest in its future.

Generated new knowledge and insights on the global challenges of rapid urbanisation, transport and sustainability, through the launch of new taught programmes in Environmental Architecture, City Design and Global Innovation Design.

Contributed to the explosion of experimental ways of storytelling and expanded the discourse in contemporary art through our courses in Digital Direction and Contemporary Art Practice.