- Analysis has shown that University College London is the best university for those seeking creative careers.
- Glasgow and Edinburgh have the highest number of creative businesses in each city.
- University of Glasgow is the second best university for creative students, with University of Oxford being third.
With A-Level results recently released and students heading to university in the next few months, research has found that University College London (UCL) is the best university for creative students in the UK.
Creative resource DesignBundles.net collated university rankings and data from Companies House and ONS to establish an index score which would reveal the best university to attend for students who are studying creative degrees such as Art and Design at university in the UK.
University College London (UCL) tops Design Bundles rankings as the UK’s best university for creative students as it places second overall on The Complete University Guide (CUG) for artistic and creative courses and has a high number of 293 creative companies registered close to its campus in Westminster.
In addition, the average salary in the Westminster borough is £36,348 according to ONS data; the highest amongst the regions studied in the analysis.
Famous creative alumni from University College London include Christopher Nolan, who directed the Dark Knight trilogy, sculptor Anthony Gormley and illustrator Raymond Briggs.
The University of Glasgow was revealed as the second-best university for creative students, ranking 19th on the full CUG. Despite this lower score, the city hosts a massive 996 creative businesses, offering graduates that choose to stay in the area a large number of prospects within the creative industry.
The University of Oxford obtained the third highest index score due to its high placement on the CUG ranking, coupled with its location amongst 238 registered creative business in the arts and culture sector and an average salary of £27,012 per annum – one of the highest wages outside of London.
Overall, Edinburgh was revealed as the best city for creative students in the UK, hosting two of the top ten creative universities – University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
The city is home to a total of 685 business that are in the creative sector, with a number of annual cultural events such as Edinburgh Festival contributing to the city’s status as one of the UK’s top creative hubs.
Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for DesignBundles said: “A-Level results are at an all-time high so it is an exciting time for students heading to University. For creative students, it’s essential to be surrounded by a creative environment which any of these top ten universities appear to provide.”
The study was conducted by Design Bundles, which offers high quality premium design resources and a marketplace which allows graphic designers to register and sell their products.
| Top 10 universities for creative students in the UK | |||||
| Rank | University | Ranking on Complete University Guide | Number of registered creative businesses in the area | Average salary per area | Index Score |
| 1 | University College London (UCL) | 2 | 293 | £35,496 | 12 |
| 2 | University of Glasgow | 5 | 996 | £23,292 | 17 |
| 3 | University of Oxford | 1 | 238 | £27,012 | 18 |
| 4 | University of Reading | 6 | 292 | £27,804 | 20 |
| 5 | University of Leeds | 7 | 598 | £23,304 | 22 |
| 6 | University of Edinburgh | 14 | 684 | £25,584 | 23 |
| 7 | Newcastle University | 3 | 307 | £22,236 | 23 |
| 8 | Heriot-Watt University | 15 | 684 | £25,584 | 26 |
| 9 | Kingston University | 10 | 105 | £29,856 | 27 |
| 10 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 9 | 96 | £30,504 | 30 |
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