Arts University Plymouth guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
'Run by artists and designers for artists and designers.' So boasts Britain's newest specialist arts university - and one of five that we profile and rank in this guide. It also hints at the intensely practical slant of courses at Arts University Plymouth (AUP), which is also comfortably the smallest university in this guide. AUP began life as the Plymouth Drawing School in 1856 and is one of three universities in this Devon coastal city. It was shortlisted for University of the Year in the 2024 Whatuni? Student Choice Awards, eventually coming fourth based on reviews from its students, who also rate the university's personal touch consistently highly in the annual National Student Survey. Staffing levels are among the most generous, and the student body is comprised largely of students from backgrounds usually under-represented in higher education. The city-centre campus has 13,000 square metres of studios and workshops spread across four buildings. New partnerships with outside organisations and investments in equipment keep student life anchored in the real world. The compact undergraduate course portfolio of just 21 degrees includes six which have a distance-learning first year with a January start. Students on these courses study flexibly at home, in the studio or at one of AUP's international host institutions for their first year, which they complete by the beginning of August.
Paying the bills
When so many of your students are drawn from backgrounds that are under-represented in higher education, it makes sense not to provide means-tested bursary support. Instead, AUP short-circuits the paperwork by awarding a £300 Final Year award to all its third-year students to help them meet course-related costs, such as art materials. There is also a progression award of £300, paid in the first year only to students who progress to undergraduate study from an AUP pre-degree extended diploma or foundation diploma course. A 15% fee discount is offered on postgraduate fees to any AUP student who wishes to continue their studies. The university does not own or manage any residential accommodation, relying on the private sector in the city to mop up AUP students who are not living locally at home. Among AUP's recommended providers, the average weekly cost of a self-catered ensuite room is £131, while studio apartments come in at £170 a week on average.
What's new?
Two new partnerships with local businesses have upped AUP's game by offering cutting-edge facilities and real-world work experiences to AUP students. The tie-up with Real Ideas has given students access to an immersive dome with the latest surround-sound speaker system and 360-degree high-resolution visuals. The facility is compatible with virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, animation, games software, spatial audio and recorded or live-action content. Students on AUP's film and animation and games degrees have already created and screened content for the dome, and a new MA in immersive media is being launched to make use of the dome's facilities. A second partnership has been forged with The Box, Plymouth's award-winning museum, art collection and gallery, which is also home to the South West film and television archives. Students have the chance to engage with a contemporary museum, gallery and archive, as well as learn directly from the curators. AUP has also installed a new electrical furnace - the first of its kind in the UK in an educational setting - within its hot glass studios, giving students direct experience of using a device that is set to revolutionise the glass industry.
Admissions, teaching and student support
AUP has introduced a contextual admissions system for students seeking places in September 2025. These will reduce offers to 72 to 96 Ucas tariff points for courses that require 104 to 120 points under AUP's standard offers - a reduction of 24 to 32 points (three to four A-level grades). The change comes as applications hit record levels following AUP's elevation to university status in 2022 and should help the university continue with its admirable record of recruiting most of its students from groups that are under-represented on campus in other institutions. All applicants have the chance to submit a portfolio in order for their creative potential to be assessed independent of examination results or predictions, so the university has long made offers that are tailored to individual applicants. When they arrive on campus, support is comprehensive and enhanced by the fact that many degree students are known to the institution, having already studied on AUP's pre-degree campus. This creates a so-called 'golden thread of communication' which allows AUP to have a joined-up approach to academic growth and personal development running between the two campuses. The university's small size allows it to tailor support to its demographic, and some staff have holistic therapeutic skills. One counsellor is fully trained in acupuncture; a welfare adviser provides yoga classes for students; and very specific welfare initiatives are built into programmes. Creative fatigue or imposter syndrome within the arts, anyone?
