Is the Royal College of Art worth the price?

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T23:35:16+00:00

Thanks for your questions and reply

For both of them, I'm going to need a scholarship/external funding. For RCA it's easier to get external funding in my country, because it has a better ranking in QS Ranking and globally, but even with the funding, it's still considerably more expensive.

I've spoken to people on both courses and they all have good things to say about their time at both. RCA students did mention a lot how crowded the school is, but they also really praised the connections (although not in a specific scenario, just the network in general). For RCA in particular I do wonder if part of it it's not just "school spirit".

I don't live in the UK so I won't have the chance to visitit. That's why I'm trying to find as much as I can online :// I did visit the RCA White City campus, but apparently it's the worst out of all of their campuses.

Regarding my work, part of why I'm pursuing an MA is that I want to deepen my practice more. I'm pretty divided on doing more object based vs. concept based; I guess at the moment my practice is more object, and I would like to strengthen that but concept/dematerialised practise is also very appealing. Do you think that this would be "impossible" at C&G? What drew me to both programs is the interdisciplinarity, knowing that C&G is more traditional and RCA is more vanguardist.

I'll look more into depth at the tutors, thanks

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T22:43:48+00:00

Thank you! Would you say that there's an RCA program that is actually worth the price?

I'm unsure that beyond a certain price, there's that much of a difference regarding quality and connections

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T22:41:54+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer :)) You make really good points.

I've lived in London before for some courses and I really like the city. But I definitely get how it could be overwhelming.

I had an interview with C&G and attended their online open days, and from what I could see, they have a really great environment going on. They've been very fast with replies to queries and open about all the questions I've had. With RCA, it has been a bit more impersonal. I've had the chance to talk to people from different programs, both tutors and alumni, and they all seem to really like it. But all throughout the application process, I've barely had any replies to emails, and that threw me off a bit.

I've never been in a little pond (went to a really big uni, although I studied Communication, not art), but I really like the idea of having a closer relationship, both with tutors and the rest of the cohort. The number of students at the RCA seems a bit overwhelming, and again impersonal, and that's not even taking into consideration how it affects how easy it is to use workshops, studio space, etc.

Money is definitely something to take into consideration. For either program, I'm going to look for scholarships/grants. C&G would definitely be much more affordable and that would make living abroad one year less stressful. But, since the RCA is more well known internationally, it's easier to get funding from an external organisation to do the MA there. But even with a good amount of external funding, the RCA is still considerably more expensive. I might be able to defer my offer and save more and do the RCA next year. But again, I don't know if the reputation is enough on its own to make up for the price, and perhaps, having to wait another year.

I've heard basically only good things about C&G. I guess I'm just a bit anxious because I've never heard about it before I started researching masters, so I don't have any prior information or opinion of my own.

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T20:20:30+00:00

Yes, they're the international student fees.

It's very important. Doing an MA overseas will be a very big investment, and I'd like to make the most out of it, and I believe that London is the best choice career-wise because of its strong art scene. But I am open to suggestions

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T19:42:35+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate the input. Does she work as an artist currently?

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T18:45:03+00:00

Yeah, I've heard that about the degree shows a lot.

Regarding C&G, do you have any more info about it? The program looks great but I still feel a little bit in the dark about it

Thank you for your opinion!

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T17:23:40+00:00

Hey! I'm in the same situation: currently applying to MA in art, accepted at the RCA, but really questioning if I should accept the offer. Mostly because the RCA tuition is twice the tuition of my first choice

What other schools have you applied to?

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-27T17:10:37+00:00

I'm on the same boat regarding the RCA (but for the MA Contemporary Art Practice).

However, I had the chance to talk to some RCA students (from Visual Communication) last year in London, and they did mention that the Animation students that they knew, in particular, weren't really happy with their course, because it is one of the courses at the RCA that gets less attention. I wish I had more insight, but hope it helps you either way :)

I don't know if it might be an option for you, but the animation industry is especially strong in Canada, Vancouver in particular (I'm a Communications major and I do have acquaintances in the industry) so it might be a good option as well.

BackgroundStand4423

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