London is the best place in the world to study the arts, a new league table of universities reveals.
Data which ranks universities by subject cemented London’s reputation as a “world capital of creativity”, with the Royal College of Art (RCA) named as the best institution for art and design for a ninth year, while the University of the Arts London (UAL) came second.
The RCA was also named as the best for art history, while the Royal College of Music topped the rankings for performing arts. London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Holloway both came in the top 20 for the same subject — beating both Oxford and Cambridge.
UAL president and vice-chancellor James Purnell said: “Our students and staff come from all backgrounds and cultures to meet in London — a world capital of creativity and a source of lifelong inspiration for our community.”
He added: “The value of art and design education cannot be overstated — not only for the UK economy, but also for the way our graduates, who push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, go on to shape the sector, and beyond, and create positive change in the world.”
Dr Paul Thompson, vice-chancellor of the RCA — where alumni include David Hockney, Tracey Emin and Thomas Heatherwick — said: “The fact that the RCA has been ranked as the top art and design university in the world for the past nine consecutive years is testament to the talent, flair and skill of our staff and students.”
He added: “In the coming year, we’re more focused than ever before on championing the interdisciplinarity and impact of our research, knowledge exchange, innovation and world-leading teaching in addressing global challenges.”
The QS World University Rankings by Subject, published today, compared 15,000 university programmes at more than 1,500 universities in 93 countries.
University College London was named as the best place to study architecture and education, with its Bartlett School of Architecture and Institute of Education topping their subject league tables. London’s Royal Veterinary College was also rated the best place to study veterinary science.
British universities top 15 different subject tables, making it second only to the United States for the number of world-leading courses.
