Ravensbourne University London

About Ravensbourne University London

Ravensbourne is an independent degree-granting university regulated by the Office for Students. Its public-information materials document taught-degree awarding powers, and current admissions pages show that it remains operational and recruiting for 2026 and 2027–28 entry. It awards its own taught qualifications rather than functioning as a department or teaching centre of another university. The institution has a long institutional lineage. Its official history traces predecessors to Bromley School of Art in the 1870s and identifies 1962 as the beginning of its modern history, when three art schools combined as Ravensbourne College of Art and Design. Because these dates describe different stages rather than a single unambiguous foundation event, no founded year has been normalized in the verified update. Ravensbourne’s present identity combines its art-and-design heritage with business, computing, architecture, engineering, film, television, music, and other digital fields. Most activity is concentrated at its Greenwich Peninsula campus, making it a more specialized and compact option than a broad multidisciplinary university. Applicants should expect a professionally focused environment in which creative and technical subjects share facilities and institutional space. The available official evidence directly supports bachelor’s and taught master’s provision, but not independent doctoral awards or a current PhD course portfolio.

For 2026 entry, home undergraduate applicants apply through UCAS. Ravensbourne’s current guidance states that standard UCAS applications could be submitted up to 30 June, after which applications move through Clearing; applicants should check live availability because some courses may fill. International undergraduate applicants may apply directly through the relevant course page, while the university’s 2027–28 guidance permits overseas applicants to use either UCAS or a direct course application. Postgraduate applicants apply directly through their chosen course page. Programs may offer different start dates, each with its own application link. Academic requirements are course-specific, so applicants should not rely on a single university-wide grade threshold. Admissions reviews qualifications, the personal statement, and other required materials. Some creative courses require a portfolio, showreel, or interview, but these are not universal requirements. International applicants may need to provide a personal statement, relevant qualification evidence, passport identification, a reference, and, where applicable, a portfolio or showreel. Country-specific qualification and English-language requirements should be checked through the international admissions guidance and individual course page. Applicants needing a UK Student visa must complete the university’s Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies process and follow instructions concerning the CAS deposit and supporting documents. Because deadlines and visa processing windows differ, international applicants should begin well before the intended start date.

Undergraduate study is organized across animation and games, architecture and the built environment, business and management, computing, media, film, television and music, design, and fashion. Current examples include BA honours degrees in Animation, Architecture, Digital Film Production, Graphic Design, Motion Graphics, and Fashion, alongside BSc honours degrees in Business Management, Computer Science, Cyber Security, and Broadcast Engineering. The range also includes an architectural design engineering degree and selected top-up, international-year-one, and integrated-foundation routes. This mix allows collaboration across adjacent creative, commercial, and technical disciplines, but applicants should not assume that every course follows the same admissions or teaching model. Portfolio or interview requirements apply only to some programs. Course pages provide the authoritative entry requirements, start dates, duration, facilities, and application link, so they should be checked individually. Ravensbourne also offers taught postgraduate study, including MA, MSc, MBA, and MFA routes. The official fees page distinguishes these award categories, confirming master’s-level provision. The evidence reviewed does not establish that Ravensbourne currently offers PhD programs or holds research-degree awarding powers; doctoral study should therefore not be presented as a verified degree level. Academically, the clearest fit is for students seeking applied work at the intersection of design, screen and digital production, computing, architecture, fashion, or creative-industry business rather than a traditional comprehensive-university curriculum.

Key Highlights

• Office for Students-regulated higher-education provider with taught-degree awarding powers
• Current official pages show active recruitment for 2026 and 2027–28 entry
• Specialist portfolio spanning creative practice, technology, business, architecture, and media
• Modern institutional history began with an art-school merger in 1962

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centered on a compact, specialist campus where creative and technical disciplines occupy the same institutional setting. The main building contains classrooms, a café, lecture theatres, kit stores, ateliers, studios, and television suites. Subject-focused areas serve fashion, business, computing, architecture, and film, while design teaching also uses the neighboring R3 building. This arrangement may appeal to students who value visible work-in-progress and contact with people studying different but related fields. The students’ union represents students and supports social, cultural, welfare, and sporting activity. Prospective students should consult its current calendar rather than assume the range of societies or events available in a particular year. University support links also cover wellbeing, student services, and academic policies. Housing requires early planning. Ravensbourne has no university-owned halls of residence. Instead, it works with external providers and lists partner residences, homestays, studios, shared flats, and private renting. The nearest listed option, iQ Flinders House, is about a 12-minute walk from campus. Contracts may be held with the accommodation provider rather than the university, so students should verify rent, contract length, deposits, guarantor terms, included utilities, and cancellation rules directly before booking. London housing is costly, and the university advises beginning the search several months before the academic year.

Location & Surroundings

Ravensbourne is located at 6 Penrose Way on Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, beside the O2 area. North Greenwich Underground station is approximately a two-minute walk from campus and is served by the Jubilee line, providing direct connections toward Canary Wharf, central London, and Stratford. This makes commuting possible from multiple parts of London, although journey time and transport cost should be included when comparing accommodation. The immediate setting is a modern riverside district with restaurants, retail, entertainment, and continuing residential development. Historic Greenwich attractions, including the Royal Observatory and Old Royal Naval College area, are elsewhere within the borough rather than directly beside the campus. Students gain access to London’s creative, cultural, commercial, and technology sectors, but they also face the city’s high housing and everyday living costs. The campus is strongly urban rather than residential. Applicants seeking a self-contained university estate should understand that teaching, housing, recreation, and city life are distributed across separate locations. Visiting the campus and testing the likely commute from prospective housing would be useful before accepting a contract.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For the 2026/27 academic year, the published annual fee for standard home BA and BSc honours degrees is £9,790. Integrated-foundation fees vary: the university lists £9,790 for non-classroom-based courses and £5,760 for specified classroom-based business and computing routes. Published home postgraduate fees are £9,750 for MA or MSc study, £12,400 for the MBA, and £13,000 for the MFA, which includes an additional semester. The standard international undergraduate fee for 2026/27 is £17,500. Published international postgraduate fees are £18,500 for an MA or MSc, £19,950 for the MBA, and £24,670 for the MFA including its additional semester. Some named routes, scholarships, or later years may use different figures, so students should confirm the amount in their offer and course page. Tuition does not include accommodation, transport, food, equipment, or other living expenses. Eligible home undergraduates may use a tuition-fee loan; payment-plan availability and conditions depend on fee status. Ravensbourne’s Careers Lab provides appointments covering CVs, cover letters, job searching, and networking. Employers advertise industry opportunities through the service’s channels, and students and graduates can use CareerSet for feedback on CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. Graduates may retain access to careers resources and networking through the alumni network. These services are useful, but the reviewed sources do not supply verified salary outcomes, placement rates, or guarantees of employment, so applicants should assess course-level graduate data separately.