Royal College of Art — Attraction in London

The 1-year MAs are an absolute joke and detrimental to student development, wellbeing, and growth. I feared this would be the case when they first announced them a couple of years back, but now I'm here it's turned out even worse than I'd anticipated.

I'm fortunate in that I have a scholarship, but it's still extremely disappointing; I'm furious for those paying the (increased) tuition fees out of their own pockets. (Although important to note is how extremely wealthy a significant chunk of the student body is; indeed, far more than many other 'prestigious' institutions.)

It's been especially difficult here as a disabled student, to the point where I'm now so utterly exhausted that I'm leaving (wasting not only years of hard work getting here, but a significant scholarship that someone else could've benefited from too). And to be clear: this isn't the fault of any tutors, techs, or other student-facing staff; it's the decisions made by senior staff that have turned this into a pointless 'degree factory'. I didn't come here for a piece of paper; I came here to develop, to explore, and to grow.

What was once a great college is now a money-grubbing shambles. Honestly, if you're looking for fine art post grad-level study, try The Slade or Royal Academy Schools, or perhaps one of the alternative art schools. The RCA is not the place...

Welcome to the Royal College of “Artful Disappointment”

Imagine paying a small fortune like selling-your-kidney-on-eBay-level fortune only to get ghosted by your tutor, lost in the admin matrix, and handed a degree that feels like it was printed during a fire drill.

The 1-year MA? Oh sweetie… it’s not a program. It’s a performance piece about regret. The staff? Half are missing, the other half are trying to find a printer that works. You want feedback? You’ll get it three months late and signed “Sent from my iPhone.”

Also, let’s talk money. The school chases international tuition like it’s a Dragon Ball, but when it comes to student wellbeing, they suddenly go full mime.

If this place were an art piece, it would be called: “Expectation vs. Reality, mixed media on tears.”

Do yourself a favor. Take that tuition, build a shed, scream inside it, and call that your MFA.

#RoyalMessOfArt...

RCA is no longer a school, it’s a business dressed up as one. Charging international students £38,000 while slashing a two-year course down to a single year is nothing short of exploitation. Forcing students to complete their final project halfway through the program is absurd — a complete betrayal of what higher education is supposed to be. The so-called supervisors show zero sense of responsibility; to them, it’s just a paycheck, not a commitment to guiding creativity. There is no real mentorship, no vision, no integrity. Department by department, the institution has rotted from the inside out. Paying this kind of money here is a waste — you’re not buying education, you’re buying a piece of paper and a networking opportunity. Whatever prestige RCA once had has collapsed...