QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Art & Design

By Know Well

The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 evaluate more than 250 institutions using indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact. Within Art & Design, the methodology highlights institutions with proven performance across employability and creative influence, making this list a key barometer for global design education. Below are the Top 10 Art & Design institutions and what their 2025 scores reveal about their strategic strengths.

TOP 1 - Royal College of Art (London, UK)

Overall Score: 97.4 | Employer Reputation: 74
RCA once again leads the global ranking, driven by a postgraduate-only model and deep industry integration. Its consistently high performance in employer-facing metrics reinforces London’s dominance as a global design capital and signals the sector’s continued trust in RCA-trained creative leadership.

TOP 2 - University of the Arts London (London, UK)
Overall Score: 93.8 | Employer Reputation: 78.9
UAL’s broad creative ecosystem, including fashion, communication, and fine arts, cements its second-place position. Its strong employer reputation score underlines the school’s influence on industry-ready talent pipelines, especially in fashion and media.

TOP 3 - The New School (New York & Paris, US)
Overall Score: 92.1 | Employer Reputation: 71.8
The New School, home to Parsons, maintains its third-place ranking with a transatlantic structure that strengthens its global reach. Its employer reputation score reflects its influence across design, innovation, and the creative-tech interface.

TOP 4 - Rhode Island School of Design (United States)
Overall Score: 91.6 | Employer Reputation: 60.4
RISD’s studio-driven pedagogy combined with strong fine arts heritage keeps it firmly in the top tier. Its employer reputation score highlights its consistent role in producing technically rigorous, conceptually trained artists and designers.

TOP 5 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)
Overall Score: 88.9 | Employer Reputation: 100
MIT stands out for earning a perfect employer reputation score, underscoring the rising value of interdisciplinary design rooted in technology. As design increasingly merges with computation and engineering, MIT’s hybrid model continues to gain strategic importance.

TOP 6 - Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
Overall Score: 84.4 | Employer Reputation: 84.3
Ranked sixth, Politecnico di Milano remains the highest-ranked institution in continental Europe. Its strong employer reputation reflects Italy’s enduring leadership in industrial design, architecture, and engineering-driven creativity.

TOP 7 - Pratt Institute (United States)
Overall Score: 84 | Employer Reputation: 51.3
Pratt’s performance reflects New York’s resilient creative ecosystem. Its emphasis on architecture, urbanism, and contemporary design culture continues to attract employers seeking versatile, industry-engaged talent.

TOP 8 - Aalto University (Finland)
Overall Score: 82.8 | Employer Reputation: 60.8
Aalto embodies the Nordic approach, human-centered, sustainable, and cross-disciplinary. Its employer reputation confirms that demand for Scandinavian design thinking remains strong internationally.

TOP 9 - School of the Art Institute of Chicago (United States)
Overall Score: 82.4 | Employer Reputation: 63.2
SAIC’s ranking highlights its influence in experimental practice and visual arts. Its employer reputation score reinforces the school’s relevance in conceptual and contemporary creative fields.

TOP 10 - Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Overall Score: 81.4 | Employer Reputation: 57.9
DAE’s top-10 placement underscores the Netherlands’ global leadership in conceptual and speculative design. Its scoring profile continues to reflect its role in shaping design thinkers who challenge established norms.

The 2025 QS results show a landscape where historic leaders retain dominance, yet new dynamics shape global competition. London and the United States continue to anchor the top tier. As design education adapts to technological, cultural, and sustainability-driven shifts, these top-ranking institutions are not merely academic leaders but strategic engines powering the future of global creative industries.

Source: QS TopUniversities, “QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Art & Design”.
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/art-design