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RCA Named Leading University for Art & Design Globally

The RCA has been ranked the number 1 university for art & design internationally for the seventh consecutive year according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 – the largest world-wide survey of academic and industry opinion. 


Dr Paul Thompson
Dr Paul Thompson
The RCA leads the table of around 100 of the world’s top universities for the study of art and design, ahead of much larger institutions around the globe. The latest results demonstrate the College’s reputation by scoring 100% (2020: 100% ) for academic reputation, and 96.2% (2020: 89.4%) for employer reputation. 

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, said: ‘We are humbled and honoured to be ranked the number 1 Art & Design university for the seventh consecutive year and in one of the most challenging years.

This accolade is testament to the enormous contribution and unparalleled academic excellence of our talented students, faculty, and technical teams.

Our employer reputation has risen, which is gratifying to note at a time when the employability of our graduates is of paramount concern.  We have focussed on this area, and working with the Student’s Union, we are providing career and employment advice; with the deployment of  advisors based in Student Support. As we continue to roll this out, we’re also planning post-graduation work placement opportunities for students across the RCA alumni network.’

The top 4 ranked universities for art & design were:

  1. Royal College of Art
  2. University of the Arts London
  3. Parsons School of Design at The New School
  4. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

QS Confirmation of Ranking