7 Top Art Schools in Manchester & Their Courses

There has always been a dilemma about where to school and most importantly, where to study one’s desired course. A lot of students are unfazed about top art schools in several countries, but their fear always lies in the question: which is best?

This article on art schools in Manchester is written to provide answers to your questions. You will find a list of the top art schools in Manchester, England. 

Our choice of topic, country, and location is based on several demands and questions surrounding studying art in top art schools in Manchester and which of them is the best.  

Briefing:

England is an industrious country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Furthermore, it makes up a part of the UK and embodies a popular city known as Manchester. 

The UK is an island country located in the North West of mainland Europe. It is a beautiful country full of creativity and welcoming inhabitants. This country is made up of four European countries namely: England, Scotland,  Northern Ireland, and Wales. 

Manchester is a major metropolitan borough city in Great Manchester, England. Meanwhile, its sovereign state is the UK. It lies within the United Kingdom’s second-most populous urban area, with a population of 2.55  million.  

This city is known for a lot of things including its exceptional schools. Arts and its study. The top art schools in Manchester are known for several artistic indulgences and studies. 

Art: 

The word art was derived from the Latin word ars, which means craft. Art is defined in several inexhaustible ways and terms. However, a brief definition of art is that it is a human activity that involves creativity or imagination to bring forth expressive and impressive products. 

Most top art schools define art as an act. An expression of one’s thought, emotion, intuition, or desire that one share with the world through seeable, factual, and relatable means. It is the act of grasping the world and explaining it in one’s peculiar way.

This “art” isn’t foreign, it emerged around 50,000 years ago. Before civilization and modernization. It existed in forms with which we can still see, feel and relate. Every work of art is an impressive invention and to further understand art, accurate knowledge of it must be obtained.  

Forms of Art:  

The forms of art are definitely one essential part of learning art that every art school teaches, and the top art schools in Manchester aren’t exceptions. 

Art in itself comes in different types and these types have been cumulated into forms to better explain and illustrate the art, just like a genre. There are several forms of art, however, there are eight main practiced forms.  

Listed below are the eight main forms of art which are popularly practiced and illustrated.  

  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Music 
  • Cinema/Cinematography 
  • Theatre
  • Fashion 

Importance of Art 

Just like its definition, there is endless importance of art. However, listed below are a few of the importance art that every aspiring art student should know and understand before choosing one of the top art schools in  Manchester.  

Below are some of the importance/uses of art:  

• Used to teach, educate and acquire soft skills.

• Used to illustrate and define culture/history. 

• Used for communication and expression. 

• Used as a therapy. 

• Used as a source of income and decoration. 

Manchester Top Art Schools

Manchester itself is a city full of life, love, beauty, and art. It’s a colorful city that has produced several great alumni in the field of art. It has prestigious institutes, with just a few at the top when it comes to the study of art.  

Below are the carefully selected top art schools in Manchester, however, the list is not according to their rank.   

1. Manchester Fashion Institute 

The Manchester fashion institute is a department at Manchester Metropolitan University. This school was founded mainly for those interested in the art of fashion, clothes, and their design.  

It is one of the top art schools in Manchester and an awesome choice for those interested in the fashion industry. 

Some of their courses are Fashion, Fashion Art Direction, Fashion Business and Management, Fashion Buying, and Merchandise.  

This Institute is popular for its alumni and numerous fashion weeks which help the students understand the art better. It is a school that’s packed with courses that will give you the skills and knowledge you need to excel in the industry.  

Are you interested? Please visit its main site for further information on this school, its courses, and fees.  

2. University of Manchester 

The University of Manchester is a public-funded research university with over 30,000 students. It was established in the year 2004 and has the main campus in the south of Manchester, City Centre, Oxford Road.  

This is a university well known for its art study and exhibitions. The  university owns and operates major cultural assets such as:  

The Manchester Museum, The Whitworth Art Gallery, The John Ryland’s library, The Tabley House Collection, and The Jodrell Bank Observatory.  

Meanwhile, it is a mixed school that teaches science, humanities, and art.  This prestigious university has excellent facilities like its spacious residence for students, a mutually supportive study atmosphere, and numerous libraries.

This institution has consistently ranked among the top 100 schools in the world by the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education. 

Its rankings are mostly associated with its excellent knowledge of arts. Especially, visual and performing art.  

Furthermore, as an art enthusiast, this is one of the top art schools in Manchester to start your journey with.  

Meanwhile, to get more information on this school, its courses and fees, visit its main site. 

3. Manchester School of Art 

Here in Manchester School of Art, it is believed that an art school is not just a place but certainly the people. This is one of the top art schools in Manchester seated in the heart of a vibrant, multicultural community.  

It is the second oldest design school in Britain, established to provide and train students to understand design and navigate their way through the manufacturing industry.  

This art school focuses more on experimentation and creative surprises. The school environment provides a serious, yet playful approach to learning. Manchester school of art thrives on mutual respect for every student’s discipline and further created an art and design community for learning, growing, and interaction. 

This school houses over 3,700 students and provides a broad range of courses varying from Art, Design, Media, Theatre, and even Architecture. It has experienced award-winning staff and several notable alumni. 

It is a home of art that will better explain its mission, vision, courses, and cost on its main page here.  

4. University of Salford 

This is a public-funded university in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It was formed by a merger of technical colleges and institutes and was established in the year 1967 with over 21,000 students. This prestigious institute is recognized for its involvement in Art, Science, Business, and History. 

Although it is a mixed institute, its art study has thrived and gained this school recognition and several rankings. It has good teaching quality, capable staff, and several alumni that attract both national and international students yearly. 

However, it is divided into four schools, namely: School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology. School of Science, Engineering and Environment. School of Health and Society. And, Salford Business School.  

As one of the top art schools in Manchester, its fees vary, depending on the course of study. However, for more insights on Salford University and a proper list of its courses and departments.

5. Manchester Metropolitan University 

The Manchester Metropolitan University is a publicly funded institution that was founded in the year 1970. It is located in the heart of the city of  Manchester, which gives students the advantage of being less than a ten minute’s walk away from the City Centre.  

This university isn’t just one of the top art schools in Manchester, but one which has earned so many rankings in its study and exhibition of art.  

Moreover, the university offers the most common Liberal Arts programs such as Creative Writing, Drama and Cinematics, Arts and Design, Film Production and Photography, Music, Arts and Humanities.  

The above courses have been ranked and recognized in this school, due to the university’s endeavors and quality teaching style and staff.  

It has over 33,000 students and various notable alumni. Meanwhile, it provides students with various volunteering projects, clubs and societies to choose from, in order to build students’ social lives and experiences.  

This is that school every art student should experience, however, apart from educational quality, its vision, mission, values, courses, and cost are mentioned on its website.

6. Royal Northern College of Music 

Amidst the top art schools in Manchester, the Royal Northern College of Music is uppermost on the chart. It is a leading music academy in Manchester, England. 

This prestigious institute was formed by a merger with the Northern School of Music in the year 1973. 

It is one of the top four conservatoires and a member of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. 

Besides, the RNCM is one of the busiest and most eclectic public performance outlets in the UK. 

It has over 800 students and its different departments are organized based on the type of instrument students are learning. For example String Instruments, Keyboards, or Wind Instruments. 

Although there are no onsite accommodations, the campus on Oxford Road is well connected to public transport options making it easier for students to come from wherever. 

Moreover, this school’s tuition is affordable, and its academic standard is reliable.

7. The Manchester College

The Manchester College is not just a top art school in Manchester, but one of the largest institutes in the United Kingdom with a number of over 4,000 students.  

It is the institution with more than 25% of Greater Manchester’s learning provision undertaken by the College. It is known as an overall good college and a single provider of 16/19 – adult age education in Greater Manchester.  

This institute is a product of several mergers in the 1950s and was formally established in the year 2008.  

In the year 2018, Manchester College split its higher education provision,  creating UCEN Manchester an alternative higher education provider.  

The UCEN Manchester provides its performing arts courses under the Arden brand and also incorporates the Manchester Film School. These alternative schools are where art is taught and practiced inexhaustibly. 

This school currently has ten campuses across the city of Manchester which comprises classrooms, lecture theatres, practical workshops, and performance and rehearsal rooms. More details can be found on the school’s site.

Listed below are a few frequently asked questions on Manchester and schooling in Manchester.  

Conclusion: 

Choosing a suitable art school is as important as art itself. We’ve relieved you of the stress of looking for the best, but to apply and gain full knowledge of whichever school is listed above, it is important to visit their official site.  

However, we are willing and ready to answer whatever questions you may have. Feel free to engage us in the comment section below.

Was This Article Helpful? Tell Us What You Think.