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what unis are good for illustration?

I'm already planning to look at UAL (camberwell), falmouth and derby. Which other universities should I look at for an illustration BA?

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

https://www.peopleofprint.com/best-of/top-10-universities-for-graphic-design-and-illustration-in-uk/

Anglia Ruskin also do very well in the V&A illustration awards.

Reply 2

RogerOxon

Can't you draw your own conclusions? :smile:

Reply 3

GoobyShooby

Hey, I'm going to UAB open day tomorrow (i'll let you know how it goes) But after i do my foundation year i'm planning on doing illustration - I hope it goes well! I've heard its really good for student satisfaction.

Reply 4

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by GoobyShooby

How did your day go? It looked wet!

Reply 5

insidedesigner

Original post by PQ

https://www.peopleofprint.com/best-of/top-10-universities-for-graphic-design-and-illustration-in-uk/

Anglia Ruskin also do very well in the V&A illustration awards.

That list does feature excellent courses, but it's a very simplistic summary. Any 'top 10' like this should be taken with a pinch of salt, unless the author is a recognised expert in their field and they have a genuine overview of every illustration course (which is impossible). That list reads like a '10 courses which traditionally have a good reputation' and i don't think the author would ever claim it should be treated as a definitive list.

Illustration courses vary a lot. Some have a leaning towards technical drawing, some are very open and more like fine art, some have a specialism or a 'style' which their grads are known for etc. The three courses listed above are all good, in wildly different settings.

Things to look for when looking for Illustration degrees:

Do the final year students produce amazing work, that you'd love to emulate?
Are at least some of teaching staff actively/regularly working as professional illustrators?
What's the size of each yeargroup? (big cohorts usually means limited access to facilities, technicians and tutors)
If the course takes part in award schemes, how many do the students win? (there are lots of schemes to look out for, not just the V&A awards)
Does the course have ongoing poor NSS results?

Things that don't matter:

Course/subject league tables (which compile data that is largely unconnected to the quality of work student's produce).
University league tables (it's quite possible to have a brilliant course in an institution which doesn't do well in league tables).
Shiny prospectuses/tote bags/badges/stickers/buildings.

Reply 6

Lizzieknott

I am a third year illustration student at Anglia Ruskin University and I absolutely love it! Having a class size of around 30 is really beneficial because we get weekly crits and discussions about ours and our peers’ work - compared to a lot of art unis which admit around 200 students a year and don’t get much tutor time. The printmaking facilities are amazing and the city of Cambridge is great to be a student in. I wouldn’t have chosen any other uni to be honest! The staff are supportive and everyone is really friendly. The modules are also broad but really interesting and you are encouraged to try out lots of different ways of producing work (I would have never imagined myself making much 3D work before the course). Next year I get to exhibit my work in London at New Designers with the opportunity to get picked up by agents which is super exciting. Message me if you need any advice or want to learn more but I couldn’t recommend ARU enough.

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