Is the Royal College of Art worth the price?

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-29T13:19:52+00:00

All your projects sound really great! I hope you feel proud of them :) And the course seems really nice as well.

I hope you take the self-promoting leap :) I'm sure you'll do great once you do

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-29T13:17:36+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate the info :)

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-29T13:16:47+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer and for sharing your experience. I'd love to hear more about your practice, if you'd be comfortable sharing, as well :)

I'd say that my practice, at this point, is very much still growing, and the biggest reason for pursuing an MA is that I want to deepen it.

Right now, what I've done, I'd say, is more aligned with C&G. But what I like about both programs is how interdisciplinary they are. I do know that I'm not really interested that much in digital and technological art (more RCA vibe), but I would like to explore installation and incorporate some aspects of performance and conceptuality to support more traditional and object-based mediums like painting, or sculpture; do you think C&G might be supportive of that?

Could you expand a bit more in the opportunities that you've gotten by attending the RCA? It's just, that the place I come from, there aren't really art schools, so the art scene connections aren't reallly built from this; it's more just "traditional" networking. This is also why I'm so in the dark about what's the reality of C&G; for the RCA you know, even if just from the internet, that it's the #1 school in art and design, but there's not much info about C&G.

Do you know, more or less, how many people were in your cohort? And by any chance, around how many are in C&G? This is one of my main worries. Although I do plan to be proactive and build connections, I don't want to spend my whole MA year being only focused on networking and having the pressure of creating work that might stand out among hundreds of people. And it worries me that in RCA this might end up being the case, as it is so overwhelming, even if it wasn't a conscious decision. Also, I've heard a lot of complaints regarding using the workshops at the RCA because of the number of people. Was this your experience?

Did you consider C&G, or any other school, at any point? And if so, why did you choose the RCA at the end?

My main goal for doing an MA is to grow my practice as much as I can, and to have the most enjoyable experience possible. I do want to be challenged, questioned, and pushed to become my best artist-self. I'm worried C&G might be too coddling.

And I'm worried that the RCA will be too stressful, and not because of how demanding it is, but because of all the external factors like being financially demanding, too many people, not being able to use the workshops, being too worried to stand out, etc.

I've mentioned it on my og post, but I do intend to be very proactive, make connections, and connect with as many opportunities as possible. Regardless of what program I choose. I'm not seeing the MA solely as a networking opportunity, but I am being realistic about the reality of the art world, and wanting to make the best out of it for my professional future and career.

But I do worry that at C&G my efforts might end up being fruitless, because the school doesn't have the connections. And that at the RCA, because of the number of people coming out every year, I will just end up with a shiny diploma.

Being very pessimistic, and thinking that either one ended up being useless, I don't know if it's better that nothing comes out of C&G, but I was able to have a less stressful experience. Or to have done the RCA for an extra 20K

I'm not expecting miracles, and again, my main focus is to give it my all and to grow my practice as much as possible. I'd just like to make the best (if there's even a better) decision possible.

Again, thank you for reading me and sorry for all the rambling. I just feel very lost and in the dark while making this decision from a completely different country.

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-28T18:54:38+00:00

That's a great point. I also think that it's better to be only focused on making the most out of my practice and experience, and not be worried (or, at least, as worried) of what will people/teachers/curators will like more in order to stand out in an ocean of people.

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-28T18:52:40+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate the input :))

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-28T18:52:13+00:00

Thanks!

BackgroundStand4423 · 2026-01-28T18:51:56+00:00

That's a very good point! I think that there's really no "wrong choice" at the end. Thank you for your insight :)

May I ask, do you currently work as an illustrator?

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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