Goldsmiths, University of London
A single-site London campus in New Cross whose art school produced Damien Hirst, Steve McQueen and Mary Quant.
- Students
- 7,375
- International
- 48%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 13.8:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- £22,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1891
About Goldsmiths
Goldsmiths traces its site in New Cross, south-east London, back to 1792, but the modern institution began in 1891, when the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths opened its Technical and Recreative Institute in the former Royal Naval School. It joined the University of London in 1904 as Goldsmiths College and received a Royal Charter in the early 1990s. All teaching happens on one campus less than 10 minutes by train from central London.
Goldsmiths is best known for the creative arts and critical social sciences. Its art school produced the Young British Artists generation, and the university says nine of its alumni and staff have won the Turner Prize. Teaching is organised in two faculties: Creative Arts and Media (Art; Design; Media, Communications and Cultural Studies; Music, English and Theatre) and Society and Innovation (Computing; Mind, Body and Society; Creative Management; Global Change). Nearly four-fifths of its research outputs were rated world-leading or internationally excellent in REF 2021.
It is a small university, about 7,400 full-time-equivalent students in 2024-25 (THE counts 8,195 students), and it has been through several years of financial restructuring, so check your course is running before you apply. Typical offers are CCC to BCC at A-level, but studio courses such as Fine Art and Design select on portfolio and interview. It suits independent, experimental students who want London on their doorstep.
Why students choose Goldsmiths
Goldsmiths reports 26th in the world for art and design (QS by Subject 2026), and its Fine Art alumni include Damien Hirst and Steve McQueen.
Media and Communications has a two-week media work placement module, and Goldsmiths is ranked 22nd in the world for communication and media studies (QS by Subject 2025).
Everything is on one campus in New Cross, with central London less than 10 minutes away by train and rents lower than in central London.
Standard offers are relatively accessible (CCC for most courses, IB 27 points), and applicants taking an EPQ can receive a reduced offer.
Admissions
2027 entry
Selectivity
Goldsmiths does not publish an offer rate. It says it takes a holistic approach, making offers on the qualifications you are taking (not UCAS points) and on the enthusiasm and commitment shown in your personal statement, reference and experience. Studio courses such as Fine Art and Design select through portfolio and interview.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | Course-specific: CCC for most courses (e.g. Computer Science, Media and Communications, Design, Music), BCC for Law LLB. Applicants with an EPQ may receive an offer one grade lower |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | 27 points with HL 555 for most courses; 29 points with HL 555 for Law LLB |
| BTEC | DMM for most courses |
| BA Fine Art | A Level 4 Foundation in Art and Design, or a Level 3 BTEC or UAL Extended Diploma in Art and Design; A-levels alone do not meet the requirement. Portfolio and interview |
| English language | IELTS 6 Most courses: IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in writing and no element below 5.5 (Computer Science: 6.0 with no element below 5.5). Law LLB: IELTS 6.5 with 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0. Other English tests are accepted; pre-sessional courses are available. |
Deadlines
- UCAS equal consideration deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
Equal consideration deadline for all Goldsmiths courses; Design interviews run through autumn and winter, so apply early.
- UCAS last date before Clearing Non-binding In ~9 months30 June 2027, 18:00 UK time
Applications received after this are entered into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027; places depend on availability.
UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry. Goldsmiths' own UCAS page still showed the 2026-entry dates (14 January 2026) on 29 September 2026; it says you can apply until the end of June if places remain.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS (up to five choices) with a personal statement and a reference. Art and design applicants upload a portfolio after applying and may be invited to interview. Self-funded international students pay a £4,000 advance fee deposit to secure a place.
What admissions looks for
- Enthusiasm and commitment to the subject, shown through your personal statement, qualifications, experience and reference.
- The actual qualifications you are taking (offers are not made in UCAS points), preferably in subjects relevant to your course.
- For art and design, a portfolio that shows your working process, motivations and developing identity rather than only finished successes.
- For Music, experience in performance, composition or theory, which can stand in for a formal music qualification.
Tips for applying to Goldsmiths
- 1 Applying for Fine Art straight from A-levels? You also need an art foundation or Level 3 art diploma, or your application will not be eligible.
- 2 For Design, bring a printed portfolio and your answers to the pre-interview questions; interviews run through autumn and winter, so early applicants get earlier slots.
- 3 If you are taking an EPQ, list it: Goldsmiths may make a reduced offer (its own example: a BBB requirement becomes BBC plus a B in the EPQ).
- 4 Lewisham residents should look at the New Cross Fire Bursaries (£4,500 over three years) and Goldsmiths' progression agreements with Lewisham and Southwark Colleges.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in GBP
Goldsmiths runs a Scholarships finder and gave around £2.9 million in scholarships and bursaries in 2024-25. Awards include Undergraduate Excellence Scholarships (£1,000 a year, up to 20, Home students), New Cross Fire Bursaries for Lewisham residents, care-experienced and disabled students' bursaries, and subject awards such as Media and Communications bursaries worth £1,000 a year. International undergraduate funding is limited: 12 international undergraduates held scholarships in 2024-25.
- About £2.9 million
- Scholarships and bursaries paid (2024-25)
- £1,000 per year of study, up to 20 awards (Home fee students)
- Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship
- £4,500 over 3 years, up to 5 awards (Lewisham residents)
- New Cross Fire Bursary
- £4,000 (self-funded students)
- International advance fee deposit
Academics
Academic calendar: Three terms (autumn, spring, summer)
Fine Art (BA, W190)
The course behind the Young British Artists; entry is by art foundation or diploma plus portfolio and interview, and the overseas fee is £30,500 (2026/27).
Design (BA, W200)
Ranked 1st in London and 9th in the UK for design (Guardian University Guide 2026), with a professional placement in Year 2.
Media and Communications (BA, P300)
Includes a two-week work placement in the media or creative industries; Royal Television Society bursaries are worth £1,000 a year of study.
Music (BMus, W302)
Mixes performance, composition, production, songwriting and sonic art; Goldsmiths reports 26th in the world for performing arts (QS by Subject 2025).
Computer Science (BSc, G400)
You finish with a portfolio of work for the tech industry, with a four-year placement-year option; CCC at A-level.
Law (LLB, M100)
A human-rights and social-justice focus, with Law and Policy Clinics and the University of London Refugee Law Clinic; BCC at A-level.
Research
- Nearly four-fifths of Goldsmiths' research outputs were rated world-leading or internationally excellent in REF 2021.
- Forensic Architecture, the research agency based at Goldsmiths, was named a Right Livelihood Laureate in 2024.
- The Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, in the Grade II-listed former Laurie Grove Baths, is a free public gallery designed by Turner Prize-winning Assemble.
- Goldsmiths established the Goldsmiths Prize for innovative fiction in 2013.
Schools & faculties
- School of Art
- School of Design
- School of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies
- School of Music, English and Theatre
- School of Computing
- School of Mind, Body and Society
- School of Creative Management
- School of Global Change
Goldsmiths says 80% of its undergraduates move on to highly skilled work or further study (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022), and its Careers Service stays open to graduates for three years.
Student life
Goldsmiths is a compact, single-site campus, so studios, the 24/7 library, the Students' Union and first-year halls are all within walking distance of each other. The campus mixes the 1840s Richard Hoggart Building with the 2005 Ben Pimlott Building, and the Centre for Contemporary Art brings exhibitions onto the doorstep. Degree shows in art, design and computing are big events. The Students' Union runs societies and sports clubs that play in BUCS leagues, and the surrounding New Cross and Deptford area is full of independent galleries, venues and studios.
- Annual degree shows in Fine Art, Design and Creative Computing.
- Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, a free public gallery on campus.
- Students' Union sports clubs compete in BUCS leagues, alongside a wide range of societies.
- Just under 1,100 hall rooms, all within walking distance of campus.
Housing. There is no formal guarantee: Goldsmiths aims to offer a hall room to everyone who applies before its deadline, prioritising new students from outside the London Travelcard zones, and houses later applicants from a waiting list.
Location
New Cross is in the London Borough of Lewisham, in south-east London. Trains reach central London in as little as 10 minutes, and Goldsmiths notes that renting in Lewisham is cheaper on average than near central London universities. The area is known for independent creative hubs, galleries, venues and artists' studios, with plenty of places to eat and green spaces nearby.
Nearest airport: London City Airport (LCY); Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) for most international flights
Notable alumni
- DH Damien HirstArtist; studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths (1986-89)
- SM Steve McQueenTurner Prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning director of 12 Years a Slave; studied Fine Art
- MQ Mary QuantFashion designer behind the miniskirt; degree in illustration and art education (1953)
- BE Bernardine EvaristoBooker Prize-winning novelist (Girl, Woman, Other); PhD in creative writing (2013)
- LK Linton Kwesi JohnsonDub poet; sociology graduate (1973)
- JC John CaleFounding member of the Velvet Underground; studied music
- GC Graham CoxonGuitarist in Blur; studied fine art for two years (did not graduate)
- BM Brian MolkoSinger of Placebo; studied drama
Frequently asked questions
What grades do you need for Goldsmiths?
Most courses ask for CCC at A-level, DMM in BTEC or 27 IB points with HL 555; Law LLB asks for BCC or 29 IB points. Fine Art needs an art foundation or Level 3 art diploma plus a portfolio.
Is Goldsmiths hard to get into?
Goldsmiths does not publish an offer rate, and its standard offers are moderate. Studio courses such as Fine Art and Design are more selective because they use portfolios and interviews.
How much are Goldsmiths fees for international students?
For students starting in 2026/27, international fees run from £22,000 a year (e.g. Law, Anthropology) to £30,500 (Fine Art), with £23,000 for Computer Science and Psychology. Fees may rise by up to 5% a year; 2027/28 fees had not been published yet.
What is the Goldsmiths application deadline for 2027 entry?
Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 for equal consideration. Goldsmiths may still accept applications until 30 June 2027 if places remain.
Does Goldsmiths guarantee accommodation?
Not formally. It aims to offer a hall room to everyone who applies before its deadline, with priority for new students living outside the London Travelcard zones.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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