Best Art Schools in the World 2025-26

If any of painting, photography, sculpture-making, film-making, history, film-making, etc. is your niche then, you must be wondering about the top-ranked art schools in the world that provide the best-in-class education in these fields. Find out more about the best art schools in the world in the article below.

The best art schools in the world are determined based on several factors such as the school’s reputation for its teaching methods, course curriculum and employment rates. However, the other lesser-known factors that affect the ranking involve the accessibility of courses in terms of financial support and the acceptance rates of the universities. 

Some of the best art courses in the world are offered at universities with very low acceptance rates, this is because of the large number of applications that these universities receive for the limited number of available seats. However, some best art universities in the world have a very high acceptance rate despite having ranked in the top 10 institutes in the world for arts and design courses. This is because of the faith that each student has the right to achieve quality education. 

The dedicated art schools provide various art specialisations and degree programs in the field. This may pose confusion in choosing the right art school especially if the student plans on studying abroad. In this article, we will list the top universities in the world, famous for their arts and design courses. 

Best Arts Schools in the World 2024-25

The best art universities in the world 2024-25 ranked by the QS World University Rankings by Subject Arts and Design are given in the table below. 

Top 10 Art Schools in the World 2024
Universities	QS World University Ranking by Subject Arts and Design 2024
Royal College of Art, London	1
University of the Arts London, London, UK	2
The New School, New York, USA	3
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA	4
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA	5
Pratt Institute, NYC, USA	6
Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy	7
Aalto University, Espoo, Finland	8
Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands	9
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA	10

Details on the Top 10 Art Colleges in the World

Read forth for the complete list of the top 10 art colleges in the world.

1. The Royal College of Art, London, UK

2. Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA

Established in 1877, the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA is also among the oldest arts and design schools in the world. The school is famous for its master’s program in fine arts which offers various specialisations such as photography, metals/jewellery design, glassware, graphic design, sculpture design and more. The school also provides various scholarships to support student’s higher education. The average fee of the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA is INR 47.8 L.

3. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is known for educating the world's most influential artists, photographers, designers and scholars. Consecutively ranked on the top in the top arts universities in the world, this school has a high acceptance rate of 79% which makes it pretties for arts and design lovers to receive quality education and create a good lifestyle and career. The average cost of studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is INR 45.32 L.

4. Parsons School of Design at The New School, NYC, USA

The Parsons School of Design offers several rigorous interdisciplinary programs across the spectrum of arts and design courses. The university provides a broad specialisation range among programs such as from urban design to fashion and technology, digital media and architecture. Students get to choose from a great list of programs to study the program of their needs and aspirations. The average fee for Parsons School of Design at The New School is INR 37.9 L.

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA

Known for its engineering and other innovative courses, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is also good for arts and design courses. The curriculum of arts courses is dedicated to experimentation, imaginative problem solving and risk-taking. A degree in arts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is highly regarded across the world and students get a good reputation as MIT alumni. 

6. University of the Arts London, London, UK

The University of the Arts London, London, UK is a public institution established in 1986. The university has been ranked second in the world university ranking for the subject of arts and design for the 5th consecutive year. The university has a low acceptance rate of ~26% which makes it pretty selective when it comes to taking students for admissions. The average fee of the University of the Arts London is INR 7.8 L per annum.

7. Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

Aalto University is one of the best universities in Finland and is also a public university. With its several bachelor’s and master’s courses being offered in English, Aalto University is favoured among students. The university mostly provides free education. However, non-EU and EEA or non-Switzerland students are required to pay some tuition fees for the English-taught programs. The average fee of Aalto University, Espoo, Finland is INR 10.00 L.

8. Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands

The Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands is highly supportive of its students and often students’ work on global platforms like several exhibitions and events in NYC, USA. With an acceptance rate of 30-40%, the university is also very selective of its students. The school is known for its strong education system and cutting-edge master’s program. The average fee for the Design Academy Eindhoven ranges from INR 9.06 L to 14.3 L.

9. Pratt Institute, NYC, USA

Holding a good reputation among the top arts and design colleges in the world, the university is famous for its courses in liberal arts and sciences, architecture, information studies, and arts and design. The university offers over 50 bachelor’s and master’s courses in arts and design specialisations. Also, with its moderate acceptance rate, i.e. ~45%, the Pratt Institute is pretty selective of the students it takes. However, the large number of applications that the institute receives every year makes it pretty difficult for international students to get through the selection process. The average fee of the Pratt Institute ranges from INR 8.3 L to 66.5 L.

10. Tongji University, Shanghai, China (Mainland)

The arts and design discipline at Tongji University, Shanghai, China (Mainland) is also one of the first-class disciplines available at the university. With over 36 arts-majoring courses, the institute allows students to select electives based on their interests and expand their knowledge of some special fields outside of their main curriculums. The university can be applied to at the CUCAS portal and students can get all the relevant information about their preferred courses, curriculum, and fees there on the platform itself.  

This was all about the top 10 arts colleges in the world. If you wish to study abroad, then you can get assistance from Shiksha Counselling Services for free. You can also drop your queries in the comments section below.