Specialist arts, drama, and music unis

CONTENTS

1. What are specialist colleges and conservatoires?

2. What are the benefits of studying at a specialist college or conservatoire?

3. Are there any negatives to studying at a specialist college or conservatoire?

4. How do you know where would be best for you to study?

5. Are interviews different for specialist colleges and conservatoires?

6. Do you get career support from specialist colleges and conservatoires?

7. Who are the specialist colleges and conservatoires in the arts league table?

What are specialist colleges and conservatoires?

Specialist colleges and conservatoires offer students exclusive education in art, drama and music. This more tailored approach is designed to meet the specific needs of creative arts students.
Specialist colleges and especially conservatoires often keep hours similar to the industry you’ll be going into. For example, conservatoire students often work 9am to 5pm in the week and perform in the evening and at weekends as well as allowing for plenty of practice time.

What are the benefits of studying at a specialist college or conservatoire?

Specialist colleges or conservatoires offer several benefits including:

• Focused curriculum: a more in-depth curriculum with scope to tailor it to individual specific interests and needs  
• A range of expertise: staff are experts in their field and offer considerable knowledge and experience to help you achieve your potential
• Resources: access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio spaces and materials so you hone your craft
• Networking: connecting with other students, tutors and industry professionals will help with future collaborations and projects

Are there any negatives to studying at a specialist college or conservatoire?

There are some differences that need to be weighed up when considering this option including:

• Cost: it can be more expensive to study at a specialist institution than a general university
• Competition: you’ll be up against some stiff competition from other talented people and entry requirements may be higher
• Narrow focus: if you have a range of creative interests, you may find there is less room to explore these and might be better off considering a more general creative degree
• Limited career options: if you decide on a different career path once you’ve graduate, you’ll need to explore other qualification

How do you know where would be best for you to study?

There are pros and cons to studying at a specialist college or conservatoire. It is often a great option if you are certain you want to specialise in a particular field and are determined to success in that area. If you have a range of other interests or want to investigate a range of career paths, it might make sense to do a more general creative arts course instead.

Are interviews different for specialist colleges and conservatoires?

You’ll usually need to attend an audition, interview, send a recording or portfolio depending on your specialism.

Find out more by reading our guide to Performing Arts applications.

Do you get career support from specialist colleges and conservatoires?

Yes. You will have opportunities to practise for auditions and interviews and access careers advice.

Look out for work experience opportunities during your studies and attend networking events masterclasses and workshops to build up your CV and contacts.

Who are the specialist colleges and conservatoires in the arts league table?

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Based in the heart of London, this school offers training in music, drama and production arts. It takes top spot in our arts league tables in 2024.

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

A school providing training in a complete range of performing and dramatic arts disciplines. It climbs two places to number two in the table.

Royal Academy of Music, University of London

A creative space for musicians to connect, collaborate and create, up four places in 2024 to number three.

Royal Northern College of Music

Set in Manchester, this college offers professional musical training and comes in at number four in the table, up two places from 2023.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

This Glasgow based multidisciplinary conservatoire offers specialised teaching across music, drama, dance, production, film, and education that also includes interdisciplinary learning. Its ranked fifth in our arts league table.

Royal College of Music

Based in Kensington, London, RCM supports students as individual artists, encouraging musical experimentation and collaboration. It takes sixth place in our arts league this year.

Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

Ranked seventh in 2024, a small, friendly, specialist centre for the study of art history, conservation and curating.

Glasgow School of Art

An arts school developing creative approaches with new audiences, through studio-based learning and research. It takes eighth position in our league.

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

In at nine is a London based creative conservatoire that offers contemporary dance and dance science as well as music programmes such as jazz and musical theatre.

Arts University Plymouth

A newly formed specialist arts school, it prepares graduates to bring creative solutions to complex issues such as the acceleration of new technologies and the climate emergency. A new entry into the top ten arts league.

Rose Bruford College

A London based college offering BA and MA/MFA degrees in performance, design, management and technical arts as well as shorter programmes and foundation courses.

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

This institute offers performing and creative arts training for an international community of creatives, performers, technicians and film-makers collaborating together on productions and projects.