Be University Wise guides › Rankings › Creative arts and design
Top universities for creative arts and design in the UK: the Be Wise ranking
79 UK universities and colleges ranked for creative arts and design on official data.
Providers need at least 50 survey responses in creative arts and design to appear in the table. Student experience is the average share of final-year students giving positive answers across the seven National Student Survey themes. Earnings are medians five years after graduating, compared with the UK average for creative arts and design.
The table
| Position | University or college | Score out of 100 | Student experience | Continuation | Graduate prospects | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loughborough UniversityLoughborough, England | 100.0 | 87.9% | 94.3% | 72.9% | £35,90032% above the UK average for this subject |
| 2 | University of ManchesterManchester, England | 74.4 | 88.0% | 94.0% | 60.5% | Not published |
| 3 | University of BristolBristol, England | 71.3 | 83.6% | 91.7% | 63.1% | £32,60020% above the UK average for this subject |
| 4 | Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham, England | 71.2 | 88.4% | 90.2% | 60.1% | £30,70013% above the UK average for this subject |
| 5 | Lancaster UniversityLancaster, England | 70.6 | 80.0% | 96.6% | 74.2% | £27,8002% above the UK average for this subject |
| 6 | University of DundeeDundee, Scotland | 66.2 | 85.2% | 96.9% | 58.5% | £27,8002% above the UK average for this subject |
| 7 | University of ReadingReading, England | 64.1 | 83.4% | 85.3% | 66.0% | £32,60020% above the UK average for this subject |
| 8 | University of SouthamptonSouthampton, England | 64.0 | 87.4% | 92.7% | 59.2% | £27,4001% above the UK average for this subject |
| 9 | Goldsmiths, University of LondonLondon, England | 62.4 | 93.7% | 92.8% | 49.5% | £25,3007% below the UK average for this subject |
| 10 | Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, England | 61.4 | 87.0% | 93.5% | 58.6% | £26,4003% below the UK average for this subject |
| 11 | Kingston UniversityLondon, England | 61.2 | 84.4% | 91.2% | 59.4% | £29,6009% above the UK average for this subject |
| 12 | University of the Arts, LondonLondon, England | 60.2 | 85.3% | 91.3% | 56.3% | £29,6009% above the UK average for this subject |
| 13 | University of EdinburghEdinburgh, Scotland | 59.1 | 81.3% | 94.4% | 66.3% | £26,6002% below the UK average for this subject |
| 14 | University of LincolnLincoln, England | 58.3 | 88.5% | 89.4% | 56.1% | £27,4001% above the UK average for this subject |
| 15 | University of WestminsterLondon, England | 56.9 | 87.3% | 86.2% | 55.6% | £30,00010% above the UK average for this subject |
| 16 | Edinburgh Napier UniversityEdinburgh, Scotland | 54.5 | 79.0% | 88.5% | 67.9% | £29,6009% above the UK average for this subject |
| 17 | De Montfort UniversityLeicester, England | 54.2 | 86.0% | 90.0% | 57.0% | £27,100In line with the UK average for this subject |
| 18 | London South Bank UniversityLondon, England | 54.1 | 86.5% | 83.1% | 59.2% | £30,00010% above the UK average for this subject |
| 19 | University of KentCanterbury, England | 52.5 | 80.8% | 91.6% | 58.2% | £29,3008% above the UK average for this subject |
| 20 | University of PortsmouthPortsmouth, England | 51.1 | 86.8% | 90.2% | 48.4% | £28,5005% above the UK average for this subject |
| 21 | Abertay UniversityDundee, Scotland | 49.0 | 81.7% | 89.8% | 61.9% | £26,7002% below the UK average for this subject |
| 21 | University of LeedsLeeds, England | 49.0 | 81.0% | 87.0% | Not published | £31,50016% above the UK average for this subject |
| 23 | University of WorcesterWorcester, England | 48.5 | 87.0% | 86.7% | 59.6% | £24,9008% below the UK average for this subject |
| 24 | Norwich University of the ArtsNorwich, England | 48.0 | 84.2% | 90.0% | 57.2% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 25 | Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester, England | 47.6 | 85.2% | 87.2% | 59.0% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 26 | Sheffield Hallam UniversitySheffield, England | 46.8 | 84.2% | 89.8% | 55.3% | £26,4003% below the UK average for this subject |
| 27 | Southampton Solent UniversitySouthampton, England | 46.7 | 82.8% | 94.7% | 48.8% | £27,100In line with the UK average for this subject |
| 28 | University of Wales Trinity Saint DavidSwansea, Wales | 45.0 | 87.9% | 88.1% | 53.6% | £24,30010% below the UK average for this subject |
| 29 | UWE BristolBristol, England | 44.1 | 84.6% | 88.9% | 53.1% | £26,4003% below the UK average for this subject |
| 30 | Robert Gordon UniversityAberdeen, Scotland | 43.6 | 92.0% | 79.1% | 54.1% | £25,6006% below the UK average for this subject |
| 31 | Birmingham City UniversityBirmingham, England | 43.4 | 88.9% | 86.7% | 48.8% | £25,6006% below the UK average for this subject |
| 32 | University of WolverhamptonWolverhampton, England | 41.1 | 85.9% | 89.8% | 54.1% | £23,10015% below the UK average for this subject |
| 33 | Arts University BournemouthBournemouth and Poole, England | 40.9 | 79.2% | 90.6% | 54.0% | £28,2004% above the UK average for this subject |
| 34 | Canterbury Christ Church UniversityCanterbury, England | 40.8 | 91.5% | 80.9% | 48.6% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 35 | Leeds Arts UniversityLeeds, England | 40.5 | 84.8% | 89.8% | 46.9% | £26,7002% below the UK average for this subject |
| 35 | University of SalfordSalford, England | 40.5 | 84.1% | 89.3% | 51.8% | £25,6006% below the UK average for this subject |
| 37 | Bournemouth UniversityBournemouth and Poole, England | 40.2 | 76.7% | 78.6% | 59.4% | £36,20033% above the UK average for this subject |
| 38 | Ravensbourne University LondonLondon, England | 39.5 | 84.3% | 80.1% | 51.8% | £30,70013% above the UK average for this subject |
| 39 | Coventry UniversityCoventry, England | 39.0 | 84.7% | 83.6% | 52.3% | £27,8002% above the UK average for this subject |
| 40 | University of GreenwichLondon, England | 38.8 | 85.0% | 78.7% | 54.5% | £29,6009% above the UK average for this subject |
| 41 | Aberystwyth UniversityAberystwyth, Wales | 38.6 | 89.1% | 85.8% | 54.8% | £21,60020% below the UK average for this subject |
| 42 | University of StaffordshireStoke-on-Trent, England | 37.2 | 85.5% | 85.7% | 55.6% | £23,80012% below the UK average for this subject |
| 43 | Liverpool Hope UniversityLiverpool, England | 36.9 | 88.2% | 86.5% | 47.4% | £24,20011% below the UK average for this subject |
| 44 | Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool, England | 36.5 | 85.4% | 85.5% | Not published | £24,9008% below the UK average for this subject |
| 45 | Falmouth UniversityFalmouth, England | 36.1 | 82.6% | 89.3% | 49.5% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 46 | University of DerbyDerby, England | 35.5 | 77.8% | 86.9% | 64.2% | £25,3007% below the UK average for this subject |
| 47 | Buckinghamshire New UniversityHigh Wycombe, England | 34.3 | 83.8% | 80.8% | 52.7% | £28,2004% above the UK average for this subject |
| 48 | University of BrightonBrighton, England | 33.8 | 82.5% | 83.2% | 49.5% | £28,9006% above the UK average for this subject |
| 49 | York St John UniversityYork, England | 33.6 | 79.8% | 88.4% | 55.1% | £25,6006% below the UK average for this subject |
| 50 | The Northern School of ArtCollegeEngland | 33.0 | 91.3% | 86.4% | 41.4% | £22,50017% below the UK average for this subject |
| 51 | Leeds Beckett UniversityLeeds, England | 32.2 | 80.0% | 88.0% | 49.4% | £27,4001% above the UK average for this subject |
| 52 | University of NorthamptonNorthampton, England | 32.1 | 84.1% | 84.0% | 52.1% | £25,3007% below the UK average for this subject |
| 53 | University of HertfordshireHatfield, England | 30.6 | 81.1% | 85.4% | 47.5% | £28,2004% above the UK average for this subject |
| 54 | Hereford College of ArtsCollegeEngland | 30.0 | 87.8% | 90.3% | 38.0% | £23,20015% below the UK average for this subject |
| 55 | Bath Spa UniversityBath, England | 29.8 | 83.3% | 82.8% | 50.3% | £26,5002% below the UK average for this subject |
| 55 | University of ChesterChester, England | 29.8 | 79.9% | 91.1% | 47.7% | £25,3007% below the UK average for this subject |
| 57 | University of WinchesterWinchester, England | 28.9 | 78.9% | 81.8% | 61.1% | Not published |
| 58 | Anglia Ruskin UniversityCambridge, England | 26.0 | 81.7% | 78.3% | 63.4% | £23,80012% below the UK average for this subject |
| 58 | Ulster UniversityBelfast, Northern Ireland | 26.0 | 79.3% | 88.7% | 47.4% | Not in LEO data |
| 60 | Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford, England | 25.7 | 87.4% | 92.1% | 29.2% | £24,20011% below the UK average for this subject |
| 61 | Teesside UniversityMiddlesbrough, England | 25.0 | 87.0% | 75.2% | 53.3% | £24,9008% below the UK average for this subject |
| 62 | Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityCardiff, Wales | 23.4 | 81.0% | 84.5% | 48.2% | £25,6006% below the UK average for this subject |
| 63 | University of East LondonLondon, England | 23.0 | 82.6% | 77.0% | 55.0% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 64 | University of South WalesPontypridd, Wales | 21.9 | 84.3% | 84.8% | 43.9% | £23,80012% below the UK average for this subject |
| 65 | University of Greater ManchesterBolton, England | 21.4 | 83.6% | 84.0% | Not published | £22,70016% below the UK average for this subject |
| 66 | Middlesex UniversityLondon, England | 20.4 | 82.9% | 81.8% | 41.6% | £27,100In line with the UK average for this subject |
| 67 | University of GloucestershireCheltenham, England | 19.4 | 77.1% | 82.6% | 53.2% | £26,4003% below the UK average for this subject |
| 68 | University of LancashirePreston, England | 18.0 | 84.6% | 80.7% | 41.8% | £25,3007% below the UK average for this subject |
| 69 | University of PlymouthPlymouth, England | 17.7 | 74.0% | 83.8% | 57.1% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 70 | University for the Creative ArtsCanterbury, England | 16.3 | 77.1% | 83.5% | 49.7% | £26,0004% below the UK average for this subject |
| 71 | University of SunderlandSunderland, England | 14.8 | 86.9% | 78.7% | 43.3% | £22,70016% below the UK average for this subject |
| 72 | University of West LondonLondon, England | 14.2 | 81.1% | 74.9% | 55.1% | £24,9008% below the UK average for this subject |
| 73 | University of HuddersfieldHuddersfield, England | 13.7 | 76.4% | 84.6% | 43.3% | £27,4001% above the UK average for this subject |
| 74 | ICMP ManagementCollegeLondon, England | 13.0 | 72.5% | 86.0% | 55.0% | Not published |
| 75 | London Metropolitan UniversityLondon, England | 12.9 | 86.5% | 68.1% | Not published | £26,7002% below the UK average for this subject |
| 76 | Northumbria UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, England | 11.6 | 78.9% | 76.6% | Not published | £28,2004% above the UK average for this subject |
| 77 | Arts University PlymouthEngland | 11.4 | 80.5% | 84.4% | 44.4% | £22,70016% below the UK average for this subject |
| 78 | Met Film SchoolCollegeEngland | 0.1 | 60.9% | 95.0% | 25.5% | £28,5005% above the UK average for this subject |
| 79 | Heriot-Watt UniversityEdinburgh, Scotland | 0.0 | 74.3% | 83.5% | 33.5% | £28,2004% above the UK average for this subject |
Sources: National Student Survey 2026, Office for Students (Open Government Licence v3.0), first degree, full-time, by teaching provider; LEO graduate outcomes, tax year 2023-24, Department for Education (Open Government Licence v3.0), median earnings five years after graduating; Discover Uni dataset, 8 September 2026 edition, HESA (CC BY 4.0), continuation and graduate prospects. All sources and licences.
Not enough data (69)
These providers teach creative arts and design but have fewer than 50 survey responses in the subject or too few published measures to include fairly. This says nothing about their quality. Discover Uni has their course-level data.
BIMM University; Bangor University; Blackburn College; Blackpool and the Fylde College; Boomsatsuma Education; Bradford College; Bristol Old Vic Theatre School; Brunel University London; Cambridge Arts & Sciences; Chichester College Group; City and Guilds of London Art School; Colchester Institute; Coleg y Cymoedd; Durham University; East Sussex College Group; Edge Hill University; Education for Industry Group; Farnborough College of Technology; Futureworks Training; Glasgow Caledonian University; Institute of Art - London; Istituto Marangoni; JSA Education Group; LTE Group; Leeds Trinity University; Liverpool Media Academy; London College of Contemporary Arts; Luminate Education Group; Met Film; NCG; New College Durham; Nottingham College; Queen Mary University of London; Queen's University Belfast; Regent's University London; Royal Holloway, University of London; Screenology; South Essex College of Further and Higher Education; TEC Partnership; The Edward James Foundation; The Film Education Training Trust; The Glasgow School of Art; The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; The London Interdisciplinary School; The Oldham College; UCL (University College London); University Centre Somerset College Group; University of Bedfordshire; University of Chichester; University of Cumbria; University of East Anglia; University of Essex; University of Exeter; University of Glasgow; University of Hull; University of Nottingham; University of Roehampton; University of Strathclyde; University of Suffolk; University of Surrey; University of Sussex; University of York; University of the Highlands and Islands; University of the West of Scotland; West Suffolk College; Weston College of Further and Higher Education; Wiltshire College and University Centre; Wrexham University; York College
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Quick answers
Which universities have the highest student satisfaction for creative arts and design?
In the 2026 National Student Survey, the highest average positive scores for creative arts and design among providers with at least 50 responses were Goldsmiths, University of London (93.7%), Robert Gordon University (92.0%), Canterbury Christ Church University (91.5%), The Northern School of Art (91.3%), Aberystwyth University (89.1%). This is one measure; the full table also shows graduate earnings.
How much do creative arts and design graduates earn?
Across UK providers, the typical (median) earnings of creative arts and design graduates five years after graduating were £27,200 in the 2023-24 tax year, according to the Department for Education's LEO data. Earnings vary a lot by university, region and job.
How is this creative arts and design table put together?
It uses only official data: the National Student Survey 2026, Discover Uni and LEO earnings. We do not copy commercial league tables. Universities with too little data are listed as not enough data rather than guessed.