Institutes / Universities
Arts University Plymouth
Established in
1856Famous For
Costume Production, Animation and Games, Glass, Jewellery Design
Fees
£17,250
- Overview
- Services
- Rankings
- Accommodation
- Location
- Courses
- Scholarships
Overview
Arts University Plymouth is a new kind of arts university for the 21st century, preparing graduates who are uniquely positioned to deliver creative solutions to the complex global challenges of our time.
Founded in 1856 as the Plymouth Drawing School, the institution is proud to be the arts university in Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City. It offers a comprehensive spectrum of specialist undergraduate, postgraduate and pre-degree study in art, design, craft and digital media to a dynamic community of around 1,500 UK and international students – combining 170 years of creativity with contemporary thinking and cutting-edge, industry-standard resources.
A world-class ecosystem of creative resources and talented people, Arts University Plymouth provides a first-class creative education for the designers and makers of tomorrow. It has been the top-scoring specialist arts university in the UK in the National Student Survey for four consecutive years (2022–2025) and is ranked Top 10 in the UK for Teaching Excellence (Daily Mail University Guide 2025 and 2026), alongside Top 5 in the UK for Student Support (Daily Mail University Guide 2026) and Top 5 in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026). Arts University Plymouth is also University of the Year for South West England and Top 5 in the UK for creative facilities (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024 and 2025).
The university is widely regarded as a catalyst for individual, societal and ecological transformation, delivering innovative and distinctive learning, teaching and research through its interdisciplinary ecosystem of materials, processes, technologies and knowledge exchange.
Services
AUP has a relatively small population, with around 2000 students, of which there are about 100 international students. The international team are open and accessible, hosting student mixers and offering 1:1 support to students from enquiry to graduation.
Students also benefit from the universities student support services, careers and enterprise team and access to the award winning Student Union.
Rankings
- Top-scoring specialist arts university in the UK in the National Student Survey for four consecutive years (2022–2025)
- Ranked Top 10 in the UK for Teaching Excellence (Daily Mail University Guide 2025 and 2026)
- Top 5 in the UK for creative facilities (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024 and 2025)
- Top 5 in the UK for Student Support (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Top 5 in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
Accommodation
Not only is Plymouth one of the safest cities in the UK, but it is also one of the cheapest, with the average student accommodation rent being 50% cheaper than in London. AUP works with several accommodation providers in the city, and can recommend students with accommodation to suit their needs.
Location
AUP is located in Plymouth, one of the UK's cheapest and safest cities. Plymouth is in the South West of England and is known as “Britain's Ocean City”. It is one of the most vibrant waterfront cities in Europe, with so much to explore. Nestled between the coast and the wild beauty of Dartmoor National Park, there’s something for everyone.
There’s everything you’d expect to find in a cool, cultural city here, with great shopping, arts and entertainment. But there are also hundreds of years of history to uncover, from Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada to the Mayflower sailing in 1620, to a city rebuilt following the Blitz during World War II.
Plymouth is home to an eclectic and diverse cultural and creative industries sector, which includes creative and digital media, audio-visual, design TV and film production, visual arts, music technology and games development.
Made up of a vibrant mix of cultural businesses, including the award winning Theatre Production centre TR2, a rich programme of arts and cultural performances across the year and a growing number of artists and creators driving forward the city’s reputation as a centre for high quality creative industry.
Creative industries are increasingly becoming an important ingredient to enhance productivity in Plymouth’s traditional key sectors such as marine, manufacturing, medical and healthcare through the integration of creative technologies from enhanced design, to computer modelling, artificial Intelligence and gamification to improve productivity.
Courses offered at Arts University Plymouth
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