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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
4.03.84.5857 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsBest is the work and projects and the lack of lessons we have, worst the time table being a mess messing with my attendance.
Leeds Arts has loads of great facilities including the Mac suites which have 4 great mac rooms, the fashion rooms are all equipped with sewing machines and have a big table workspace. Societies could be improved because they don’t offer a lot there especially if you wanted to do sports, which we have to go to uni of Leeds for.
Not worth doing a fashion photography degree in the slightest. Just a waste of 50k. Left to your own devices for most of the year, with an exception of a poorly made lecture once a week which no one would turn up to anyway. Most of third year was just 1-1 sessions. Only rich students could afford the nice fashion week trips to Milan, London and Paris, however the lot who can't afford it just get to miss out on a week of uni. I found that absolutely abhorrent considering the free trips we did get were actually irrelevant beyond belief. Student support sucks, the societies are just woked out groups which I didn't want to be a part of. The equipment is nice, but god forbid you return it even one day late you'll be enforced to pay £5 cash only or it will double the next day. Minimal help or direction with the end of year show. Most students did not understand how to format their images into gallery size ones, and our course leader was just passive aggressive about it, instead of explaining it properly once. Most of the students at LAU are neurodivergent or have some other mental health problem. So the constant nagging and picking on quiet students is really not okay, it's uni not primary school. Didn't pay 50k to end up feeling embarrassed or singled out. After you graduate, you're most likely just going to go back to your home town because you're now thousands in debt and didn't have the time to go work full time before that. Just know there's probably about 2 jobs going around that you're looking for that will either be in London or abroad. Other than that it's back to the drawing board and working a boring job till you can afford to live again. 10/10 won't recommend. Take a gap year if you're unsure, instead of applying to an art uni.
fine
Leeds Arts Univerity is small in size, meaning there are few noteworthy Student Unions in comparison to UoL, but does feel welcoming and safe. The university's student support is freindly and helpful from what I experienced; LAU is a very inclusive organisation and does strive to support students with a variety of services available. The campus is a little dull looking, with few spaces looking vibrant in contrast to the many white/grey hallways. I was able to use the Film/Photography course's cameras as a Music student, however the university's facilities seem somewhat limited as a whole, with spaces and equipment scarce close to submission time.
18-24 years
First gen student
It’s a nice uni and there is definitely worse out there. However when I joined the university I loved it. I was promised working facilities, communication with lecturers, an exciting union, equality, etc. Over the past two and a half years, I have realised that this has not been the case, and has further deteriorated. Facilities are limiting to our creative choices. Photography backdrops in the studios are ripped and dirty, resulting in extra editing. Certain staff at the facilities are hostile and act like everything is obvious although we are actively learning. Student reps are not chosen wisely. People who are typically chosen are unapproachable - meaning that a lot goes missed. Lecturers do not give us essential information until very last minute. Exhibitions are rushed, scheduled last minute on days that we are not timetabled, meaning that some students miss out due to prior commitments or work. Lectures are typically useless and irrelevant to a lot of people’s practices. We are often forced to make work with a deeper subject although sometimes we just want to explore the genre. Field trips that are planned are unachievable for many students - £1500 for a New York trip in this cost of living crisis when many students are struggling to eat is shocking. Trips seem to only include the students whose parents can pay for everything, meaning only the same people go on every trip and most of us are left out of seeing exhibitions that they label as “essential” and “must see”. The union only really run events such as yoga… the societies are mostly completely silent with no events running. This makes for quite a boring union where other universities have a lot going on. Equality is not taken seriously. They will preach equality for minority students, but certain minorities are not taken seriously. The university is definitely advertised in a way that it is not. You may not have the absolute worst time here depending on who you are. There are definitely better out there and I wish I had have researched this when choosing a university. Currently they are adding more courses and building an extension but I would love to see a focus on the current students welfare…
The food and drink prices are way too expensive. Our library space is small and closes too early, especially around deadline times. The communal space also feels limited as it doesn’t feel like there’s enough places to eat.
Facilities are great, obviously music gear is expensive so we've done well to have what we do. A few more guitars and things would always be nice. The union isn't bad it's just not very present in my life, probably because leeds arts is quite a small uni. I work at a bar in the uni of Leeds union building and it's massive with all sorts of cafes, bars, venues and shops, but that's accessible to us as Leeds Arts students anyway, and obviously caters to a much larger student body.
Everyone is so friendly and there is so much student support. I went to them with a problem and they immediately sorted me long term help within the hour! The facilities are brilliant and there’s always opportunities to learn things outside of your course, and I love how creative all of the student Union opportunities are! It wasn’t originally my first choice uni but I can’t possibly imagine studying anywhere else.
The campus is very dry and boring we don’t really have one. However I like how it’s small enough to navigate my way around
I really like this uni because theres many materials available for students to take. The tutors are also really helpful and are always willing to teach you subjects deeply. The campus is really pretty to look at and theres artworks all around. The library is full of books for every subject. Maybe something i would improve is the food. There limited options and the sandwhiches dont have taste
Leeds Arts University stands out as an exceptional institution for artistic education, primarily due to its unwavering commitment to fostering creativity and innovation. The university boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including well-equipped studios, workshops, and exhibition spaces, providing students with an immersive and dynamic learning environment. The faculty comprises seasoned professionals and accomplished artists who not only impart theoretical knowledge but also offer valuable real-world insights. The vibrant cultural scene in Leeds adds an extra layer to the university experience, offering students numerous opportunities to engage with the local arts community. However, like any institution, there is always room for improvement. Enhancements in scholarship opportunities, increased collaboration with industry partners, and a focus on expanding resources for specialized disciplines could further elevate the overall educational experience at Leeds Arts University. These improvements would ensure that students continue to receive the best possible education and support as they pursue their artistic aspirations.
Best: friendly environment, tutors are very helpful with any questions I might have. Large range of different facilities that I can use throughout my course and my personal work, for example I wanted to learn how to print my 3D character models and I found out there is a 3D printing workshop :D. Overall, everything I need for my work is provided. Worst: The long commute, but I think it is manageable. To be improved: At the moment I can't think of anything that needs improving.
BEST!!! I love the library selection, there are lots of interesting books to choose from. I think it's an amazing place to crack on with work easily because of the facilities. WORST!!! I don't think there are any aspects I didn't enjoy, apart from having to wake up really early and commute, including late nights.
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Everyone is approachable if needing help with anything, love the facility’s for example the studios and how we can have an adobe account. would say the cafe is a little expensive for what is put out
I have had such an amazing time here and the support from my course has been incredible!
Think the uni could do with more extra curricular things, societies etc.
The studio space is nice and open and allows for good work across levels
4.3
studying film has been fun but it’s obvious that the course is more of a cinematography course, i wanted to specialise in sound and had only 3/4 sound baised lectures across the whole 3 years, along with that they chose to not tech pro tools (in industry standard for sound editing) and did a single lesson on audition where the techs admitted they didn’t know much about audition. Script writing, set design even directing to an extent are also not very well covered, they provided no prop store, no costume store but just the filmmaking equipment. we get a small amount of money from uni £110 each year but it still isn’t enough of a budget and we get no crowdfunding skills taught. If you want to be lighting, editing or dop you will be taught well but if you want to specialise in another area in film you will struggle. The equipment is good but again it’s clear they would rather spend money on cameras than sound equipment, in the 3 years i’ve been we have got access to multiple new items of camera and lighting equipment, but no sound. If the course was more even in cinematography to other technical skills it would be better but as it currently stands it’s hard to get industry ready unless for cinematography
Some lecturers are good some are bad and the bad ones are the ones you have in first and second year, AI has been used by lecturers to mark students work along with a lecturer giving a lecture on a new free ai that could make hyper real videos in seconds and he was excited about it, infront of a room of filmmakers. But the good lectures are worth it and have been very helpful with projects, the contact hours are good but sometimes can be too much when they set more than one film challenge in a week and then expect you to spend 3 days in lectures and make 2 films
they no longer use IQ but it was ok, issues with flatmates and the maintenance in the halls (leaving us without a locking door for 2 nights, leaving paint protection on the floor for 2 weeks and forgetting to paint anyway, taking front door away for hours without telling us)