Leeds Arts University: Courses, Fees & Admissions

University profile

About Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and the only specialist arts university in the North of England. Its roots go back to the Leeds School of Art of 1846, and it gained university title in 2017. Its mission is to educate, inspire and nurture creative leaders, and its Strategic Plan 2023–2030 frames its work around ideas and innovation, global collaboration, staff, an inspirational environment and institutional sustainability.

Teaching takes place in two city-centre buildings. Blenheim Walk, at the top of Woodhouse Lane opposite the University of Leeds Parkinson Tower, houses the undergraduate and postgraduate courses, while the historic Vernon Street building, just off Millennium Square behind Leeds City Museum, hosts the Further Education courses. A £22m extension at Blenheim Walk, completed in 2019, added a 230-seat performance auditorium, film and photography studios, fashion studios, a postgraduate study suite and a larger research and reference library.

Rather than faculties, the University is organised around its courses across three levels:

Further Education: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice.
Undergraduate: 23 honours degrees, among them Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation, Fashion Design, Textile Design, Photography, Filmmaking, Acting for Screen, Games Art, Games Design, Creative Writing, Music Production, BMus Popular Music Performance and BSc Creative Technologies, each also offered with a placement year.
Postgraduate: MA courses in Advertising and Branding, Animation, Comic Art and Graphic Novel, Creative Practice, Creative Writing, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography.

Curation and Library Services bring together the specialist art library at both buildings, the Blenheim Walk Gallery with its programme of contemporary exhibitions, and the University's Art Collection, Special Collection of artist publications and an archive dating from 1846. Leeds Arts Union runs societies, sport and fitness activities, events and a student magazine, and Student Advice and Wellbeing and Academic Support teams serve both Further and Higher Education students.

Over 60 nationalities are represented on campus. International students are supported by a dedicated International Team, which runs a meet-and-greet service at Leeds Bradford Airport and Leeds railway station, a welcome event and a city tour. First-year students are guaranteed a room at the partner residences Carr Mills or The Leather Works if they accept their place and complete booking by the stated deadline. The University is a member of GuildHE Research and is approved to administer US Federal Student Aid.

University information

Tuition fees 2026/27

Undergraduate, Home: £9,790 per year, with the optional placement year at 20% of the annual fee. The fee rises to £10,050 in 2027/28. Home students who already hold a degree pay £10,540.
Undergraduate, International: £18,600 per year for BA/BSc and £19,500 for BMus. The alumni-discount rates are £16,740 and £17,550.
MA, Home: £10,200 full-time or £5,100 part-time. The alumni rates are £9,200 and £4,600.
MA, International: £18,900 full-time, or £17,010 at the alumni rate.
Further Education: the Foundation Diploma is free for students under 19 and £5,421 for those aged 19 and over.

International students pay a non-refundable £5,000 deposit, plus a £55 CAS administration charge where a Student visa is needed, through Flywire. A 5% discount applies to fees paid in full before 31 August.

Undergraduate bursaries (Home students)

Creative Practice Support Bursary: for new entrants with family income below £32,500. It pays £400 in year one, £500 in year two and £700 in year three, based on Student Loans Company data, with no separate application.
Care Leavers and Care Experienced Bursary: £1,500 per year, paid in three termly instalments of £500.
Estranged Students Bursary: £1,500 per year, paid at £500 per term.
Applicant Day travel contributions: £25, £50 or £75, depending on distance, for eligible offer holders.
Enterprise and Employability Fund: up to £400 for home students and recent graduates with household income under £35,000.
Higher Education Hardship Fund: help for enrolled students in financial difficulty.

Home students can also use Student Loans Company tuition and maintenance loans and Disabled Students' Allowances.

Postgraduate support

The Home Student Alumni Award gives £1,000 off full-time study, or £500 per year part-time, to graduates of a Leeds Arts University undergraduate course from the last three years. Fees can be paid in three instalments. Government Postgraduate Master's Loans of up to £12,858 are available.

International scholarships

International Vice Chancellor's Scholarships: from £2,000, usually given as a first-year tuition fee discount to undergraduate and postgraduate applicants. Awards are based on academic merit, the personal statement and the portfolio or audition, and there is no separate application.
GREAT Scholarships (with the British Council): one for a Chinese and one for an Indian applicant to a one-year postgraduate course. Each is a £10,000 tuition fee discount. The application deadline for 2027 entry is 11 June 2027.
International Partner University Scholarship: a 20% first-year discount for students progressing directly from named partner institutions in India, Kenya, Switzerland, Iceland and Singapore.
International Progression Award: 10% off each year's fees for current international students progressing from the Foundation Diploma to a degree, or from a degree to an MA.

Further Education support

Support includes Discretionary Learner Support for 16–18 year olds, free meal vouchers of £3.50 per timetabled day, and a Residential Bursary of at least £1,000 for students with household income below £28,000 who live more than 25 miles away. Advanced Learner Loans are available for students aged 19 and over.

Undergraduate fees and finance | Postgraduate fees and finance | International scholarships | GREAT Scholarship

International Vice Chancellor's Scholarships →

GREAT Scholarship at Leeds Arts University (China and Bangladesh) →

Creative Practice Support Bursary →

Home Student Alumni Award (Postgraduate) →

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Undergraduate (UK applicants)

Apply through UCAS using institution code L28. The equal-consideration deadline for 2026 entry was 6pm on 14 January 2026; later applications are considered if places remain. Applications are assessed using the personal statement, predicted grades, contextual information, the reference, examples of work, and digital auditions or interviews. Shortlisted applicants set up an applicant portal and upload 10–15 portfolio pieces within seven days, with each file no larger than 80MB.

Conditional offers ask for 104–120 UCAS tariff points from any combination of A Levels, T Level, Extended Diploma or Foundation Diploma, with expected subjects depending on the course. All applicants need GCSE English Language or Literature at grade 4/C, or Functional Skills Level 2 English at Pass. BSc (Hons) Creative Technologies also requires GCSE Maths at grade 4/C. BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance requires performing ability equivalent to ABRSM, Rockschool or Trinity Grade 8 and theory to Grade 5, assessed by audition. Applicants over 21 without traditional qualifications may be considered through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), and entry to year two or three is possible via UCAS, with applications for September 2026 closing on 31 July 2026.

Undergraduate (international applicants)

International students can apply through UCAS or directly through the University's portal. Typical qualifications are:

A-levels: 104–120 UCAS points including an art or design-related subject
International Baccalaureate Diploma: minimum 26 points
European Baccalaureate: 70%
BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM; BTEC Diploma: DD
UAL Extended Diploma: Merit; UAL Foundation Diploma: Distinction

Equivalent qualifications from other countries are accepted. Applicants also need a short portfolio and one reference.

English language

Undergraduate courses require IELTS (Academic or SELT IELTS for UKVI) 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5. Postgraduate courses require 6.5 overall with no component below 5.5. Other accepted tests include:

PTE Academic: 61 overall, with at least 59 in each component (undergraduate)
LanguageCert Academic: 65 overall, with no component below 60
Cambridge English: First or Advanced at 169, or Proficiency at 180
Oxford Test of English: 120, with at least 111 in each component (undergraduate)
PSI Skills for English B2

Leeds English Language School offers an online pre-sessional course for applicants up to 1.0 IELTS point below the requirement. Further Education courses require SELT IELTS for UKVI 5.0 with no component below 4.5. Applicants from Ghana need the WASSCE with five passes at C6 or above for Further Education entry.

Postgraduate

Apply directly through the University's online portal. The minimum requirement is a 2:2 UK honours degree or international equivalent, or a degree-equivalent postgraduate diploma or professional qualification. Applicants from other disciplines or with experiential learning may be considered through RPL, subject to interview or portfolio. Applications include:

a personal statement
one academic or creative-practitioner reference
10–15 portfolio pieces (4–6 written pieces for MA Creative Writing; no portfolio for MA Advertising and Branding)
a written component discussing the portfolio, if requested

Further Education

The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design requires a minimum of 72 UCAS points, plus GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C and 10–15 examples of work. The Extended Diploma in Creative Practice is open to 16–18 year olds with four GCSEs, including English and Maths at grade 4/C, or a Level 2 BTEC Diploma in Art and Design at Merit.

Visas and CAS

Student visa applicants need an unconditional offer, enough funds for first-year fees and living costs, and the required English level. The University usually starts the CAS process from March for September entry, after a pre-CAS questionnaire and payment of the tuition fee deposit. Graduates may apply for the Graduate Route visa, which allows them to stay for up to 18 months.

Admissions: [email protected], 0113 202 8000 (8.30am–4.30pm, Monday–Friday). International: [email protected].

The University teaches across two buildings in central Leeds.

Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ: home of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Facilities include a 230-seat performance auditorium, industry-standard film and photography studios, fashion design studios, a postgraduate study suite, the Blenheim Walk Library and the Blenheim Walk Gallery, plus the Dot the Lions coffee bar.
Vernon Street, Leeds LS2 8PH: the historic 1903 building off Millennium Square, behind Leeds City Museum, where the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice are taught. It also has a library.

Library and collections

The specialist art library at Blenheim Walk and Vernon Street holds books, films, magazines, journals, eBooks and online databases focused on the creative arts and design. It also cares for the Special Collection of rare artist publications, the University Art Collection and an institutional archive dating back to 1846.

Accommodation

Carr Mills: 298 rooms reserved for Leeds Arts University students in 5-, 6- and 7-bedroom flats, about 15 minutes' walk from the University, managed by Njoy student living. Most rooms are en-suite, with bills, Wi-Fi and contents insurance included, 24-hour security, onsite laundry and landscaped gardens. 2026 rents run from £147 to £193 per week.
The Leather Works: single and double en-suite rooms about 20 minutes' walk from the University, managed by Prestige Student Living, with a cinema room, gym, gaming and TV areas, quiet study areas, a private dining room, an onsite bakery, bike storage and free cycle hire. 2026 rents run from £129 to £169 per week.

Both residences offer 44-week contracts, with 51-week contracts on request (recommended for postgraduates), and allow students to stay on in their second year.

Student services

Leeds Arts Union runs societies, sport and fitness, events and a student magazine. Student Advice and Wellbeing and Academic Support provide wellbeing, disability and learning-difference support for both Further and Higher Education students.

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