University Guide
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Established in 1847, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is a global leader in performing arts education and one of only a few institutions worldwide to offer degree programmes across the full range of performing and production arts on one campus. The variety of artistic disciplines at RCS, combined with a vibrant global community of students from around 60 countries, cultivates an ethos of creativity and collaboration. RCS is Scotland’s only and national conservatoire, offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in classical and traditional music, opera, jazz, musical theatre, acting, dance, film, education and production arts, management and technology. Partnerships at local, national and international levels enrich the student experience and broaden knowledge, while making valuable connections and opportunities. RCS works with a wide range of professional and strategic partners, including the BBC, all of Scotland’s national performing arts companies, Gleneagles, The King’s Foundation at Dumfries House and Shakespeare’s Globe.
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The overview
The main things you need to know about studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Rankings
RCS is regularly placed in the global top ten of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, one of the most influential sources of comparative data about university performance. In 2026, RCS ranked seventh for Music and ninth for Performing Arts. The institution has made the top ten a total of ten times since the Performing Arts ranking was introduced in 2016.
Employability
RCS graduates are resourceful, highly employable and members of a dynamic community of artists who make a significant impact across the globe. They include actors Ncuti Gatwa, James McAvoy, Katie Leung, Jack Lowden, Sam Heughan, Laura Donnelly, Alan Cumming, Crystal Clarke and David Tennant; internationally acclaimed mezzo-sopranos Karen Cargill and Catriona Morison; multi-award-winning classical guitarist Sean Shibe; Mercury Prize-nominated musicians Fergus McCreadie and corto.alto; Oscar-nominated screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Nicola Killean OBE, Scotland’s Children and Young People Commissioner.
Fees
Like other conservatoires, RCS charges different fees depending on the tuition fee status of students. Fee status is determined by nationality, immigration status and where students are ‘ordinarily resident’ and is decided in accordance with Scottish Government legislation. Detailed information on how fee status is calculated can be found on the UKCISA and the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) websites. Specific tuition fees and associated programme costs are listed on each of our degree pages. A full list of tuition fees and costs, alongside information about how fee status is decided, is available on the Tuition and Course Fees page. RCS students may be eligible to apply for assistance from a Discretionary Fund if they experience financial difficulty. More information is available on their financial advice page.
Bursaries
Each year, RCS disburses circa £1.5 million in scholarships to incoming and continuing undergraduate and postgraduate students from Scotland, Rest of UK, the EU and internationally on the basis of merit and financial need. RCS scholarships vary in amount from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. Find out more about RCS Scholarships, as well as the specific scholarship funds we offer in partnership with other organisations, on our Scholarships page.
Accommodation
Purpose-built for Conservatoire students, Base Glasgow is RCS’s preferred choice of accommodation. It has a variety of communal spaces, including a social area with TV lounge, table tennis, table football and pool table, a cinema room, roof terrace and outdoor terraces. There’s a free on-site gym and plenty of spaces to study and rehearse with dedicated project rooms, multiple music rooms and dance studios – all fully equipped and soundproofed. Incoming students can also use the RCS Freshers Facebook groups (search RCS Freshers [YEAR]) to make arrangements with other students in their year. For those who have accepted an offer at RCS (conditional or unconditional), a link to the group will be sent a pre-arrival pack. You can find out more on their site.
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Students' Union
RCS Students’ Union is the lively, colourful heart of the student experience at the Conservatoire and every student is automatically a member. The SU currently has the following associations: Asian Association, Black Union, Christian Union, Disability Committee, LatinX Association, LGBTQ+ Association and Trans Union.
Famous for
An internationally recognised creative powerhouse for performing and production arts education that counts Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA winners and nominees amongst its graduates. One of the only institutions in the world where students across music, drama, dance, production and film are housed under one roof, fostering deep cross-disciplinary collaboration. RCS also acts as a major cultural hub in Glasgow, hosting more than 500 public performances, concerts and plays annually.
News
Visit their Newsroom to keep up to date with the latest news and features on students, staff and graduates.
Accommodation for Students says
"The Royal Conservatoire is one of the most prestigious academies to study at for creative and performative arts students."
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