Progressive, creative and rooted to its original southeast London campus in the increasingly hip New Cross neighbourhood, Goldsmiths is marking 120 years since first opening its doors to higher education in 1905. The university offers degrees across the creative arts as well as social sciences and humanities, management, law and computing — all underpinned by its renowned critical and creative ethos, and socially engaged thinking.
The university has some of the capital’s best facilities for the creative arts and Goldsmiths’ courses have gravitas: the university ranks joint 26th in the world for the performing arts and 37th for art and design in the QS World University Rankings by subject 2025. The alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of the creative industries, from designer Mary Quant to Oscar-winning film director Sir Steve McQueen via three out of four members of the Britpop blue bloods Blur.
What is Goldsmiths, University of London’s reputation?
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 79 per cent of work submitted by Goldsmiths was rated world-leading or internationally excellent. Anthropology; art, design and visual cultures; media, communications and cultural studies; social therapeutic and community studies; and sociology produced some of the best results. Goldsmiths is comfortably in the top half of universities in our analysis of research quality (49th) although it slipped 13 places. In 2022 Goldsmiths’ research in data science, artificial intelligence and related fields earned it a Network Development Award from the Alan Turing Institute.
However, Goldsmiths has been significantly affected by the financial challenges facing UK universities. A £16 million budget deficit in 2023 led to job cuts which in turn prompted staff to call a marking boycott and students to threaten legal action over course and module closures. In May its vice-chancellor, Frances Corner, said it remained in a “regrettable” financial position, predominantly due to falling student numbers and rising operational costs.
The sense of unrest is reflected in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), when Goldsmiths was rated bronze, one of seven universities in the lowest category. It is also the only university in our guide to be told by the Office for Students that its provision requires improvement. However, the TEF panel tempered the assessment by commenting that “research in relevant disciplines, scholarship and professional practice” contributed “to a very high quality academic experience”.
The university is restructuring into two academic faculties, and promises an enhanced student experience with a new wraparound approach to personal tutoring. It has made some modest improvements in rates of student satisfaction in the past two years. In our new National Student Survey analysis it is 116th for satisfaction with teaching quality (up eight places) and 126th (up one place) for satisfaction with the wider undergraduate experience.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
New for 2025 are integrated degrees in English, history, politics and international relations, sociology, journalism, promotional media and social work. Ending in 2025 are BA courses in politics, and anthropology and sociology.
What are Goldsmiths, University of London’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Applicants are expected to achieve ABB to CCC at A-level. Goldsmiths takes applicants’ educational backgrounds into account and will consider those without the standard entry requirements based on their work experience, creative portfolio or audition. It has introduced a contextual offer for care leavers or estranged students, two grades below the typical offer.
Just under 1,700 new students were accepted on to courses in 2024, which was a 40 per cent drop on 2017 — a high point for admissions. In 2024 29 per cent of students entered through clearing.
What are the graduate prospects?
The university ensures students gain experience in industry by teaming up with partners from multinational companies to local art collectives: Tate Modern, Bestival, Universal Music, the Home Office and the Lewisham Refugee Network have all taken part. Initiatives to prepare students for employability include live briefs set by companies such as Kodak and Microsoft. But based on the proportion in high-skilled jobs or postgraduate study 15 months after a Goldsmiths degree, the university ranks 111th.
What is Goldsmiths, University of London’s campus like?
All Goldsmiths’ undergraduate teaching and support is based on a single campus in southeast London. Here, Goldsmiths facilities for the creative arts include dedicated studio space for all design students and nine specialist research laboratories — and even its own yarn shop.
Media and communications students have access to digital video and audio-editing hardware and software. Goldsmiths’ music studios provide industry-standard equipment for students enrolled on music degrees.
The campus gallery, the Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, exhibits work by artists from around the world alongside opportunities for community groups and students to make use of the space. The £2.9 million performance studios and 200-seat theatre are also used by the public.
When can I visit?
gold.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about Goldsmiths, University of London’s student life and wellbeing support
Goldsmiths students’ union runs a variety of fun activities, such as quiz nights as well as workshops to keep you safe, like active bystander training. Societies on offer include athletics, anime, pole dancing, yoga and debating. Trains from New Cross station can take you to the centre of London in ten minutes, plus the Overground serves hip neighbourhoods like Peckham, Hoxton and Dalston.
The campus has plenty of green space and facilities for tennis and netball, while football, rugby and cricket take place at Loring Sports Ground, half an hour away. A one-day sporting competition against the University of the Arts London takes place every year.
Students can seek help 24/7, with counsellors, financial advisers and wellbeing support officers on hand. Goldsmiths launched an improved virtual learning environment in summer 2025.
What do the students say?
“In and out of the classroom, it is a place that truly promotes individuality and expression. From the stimulating coursework to the lively campus culture, there is a true sense of freedom here. People from many areas of life are drawn to Goldsmiths, which makes it a very inspiring place to learn, create and grow.”
Yerin Ahn, student ambassador and BA student of fine art and history of art
What about student accommodation at Goldsmiths, University of London?
How diverse and inclusive is Goldsmiths, University of London?
Goldsmiths has risen from 55th last year to 43rd in our social inclusion index. Outreach activities, such as Discover Gold campus visits, are designed for young people who are eligible for free school meals and mature students returning to education. Other initiatives include an art summer school for disadvantaged local students and drop-in classes for ex-offenders and those who have struggled with addiction and mental health.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Goldsmiths, University of London
A fifth of entrants received a scholarship or bursary in 2025. Awards include full fee waivers for students from the borough of Lewisham; £3,000 bursaries for students from ethnic minority backgrounds; mature student scholarships worth £3,000 a year; and access programme scholarships of £1,000 a year.
