University of the Arts London (UAL) has been named as The Times and Sunday Times Specialist University of the Year.
The university has been recognised for its courses in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. The award is testament UAL’s commitment to providing a world-class education, where graduates go on to shape the creative landscape worldwide and make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet.
UAL now ranks 40th the table – having risen 39 places in past 5 years. This year UAL ranks in the top 5 for our student-staff ratio and our People & Planet score.
The Times and The Sunday Times’ Good University Guide 2025 provides a comprehensive guide to higher education in Britain, evaluating universities on several metrics including student satisfaction with teaching quality and student experience, entry standards, research quality, graduate prospects, social inclusion rankings. The full Good University Guide 2025 is available online now.
The award adds to a series of successes for UAL over the past year, as the institution continues to rise in a number of rankings. UAL has maintained its upward trajectory in the Guardian University Guide, securing 13th place out of 122 institutions for 2025. It also climbed to 4th in the People & Planet University Green League, which assesses universities on their environmental and ethical performance. Additionally, for the sixth consecutive year, UAL ranked among the top two institutions globally for arts and design in the QS World University Rankings.
Professor Roni Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, said:
“We have involved every team across the University in defining our commitment and service to students, making the student experience central to our mission to provide world-class creative education. We are doing this with our student body and ArtsSU with humility and long-term commitment to change.”
Professor Karen Stanton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of UAL, said:
“This award reflects the hard work, dedication and achievements of the UAL community, who consistently push the boundaries of what is possible in art and design education. As we look to the role the creative industries can play in our national renewal, this award is a timely reminder that we shouldn’t overlook the crucial role universities play in developing the skills this crucial sector needs. Institutions like UAL are essential in producing the next generation of creative talent.”
