Across Prince Consort Road from the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal College of Music has trained performers and composers since the 1880s. It teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in performance, composition and conducting, with one-to-one lessons at the core. A recent rebuild added new venues, the Performance Hall and Performance Lab, and a new home for its museum of instruments. Students also study the science of performance here, from musicians' health to audience research.
London, United Kingdom
Official website: rcm.ac.uk
Ranked 1st in the world in recent years
1882
Prince Consort Road, South Kensington
RCM Museum of instruments
£27,000 – £35,000
International students, undergraduate and postgraduate courses
£16,000 – £21,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on rcm.ac.uk before you apply.
BMus (Hons)
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
Audition; IELTS: 5.5
MMus Performance
Masters DegreeDuration
12-24 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
Audition; IELTS: 6.5
MPerf
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
Audition; IELTS: 6.5
MComp
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
Portfolio; IELTS: 6.5
MSc Performance Science
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0
Top placings in the QS performing arts ranking in recent years.
New performance spaces from a major campus rebuild.
A museum of historic instruments and manuscripts on site.
Graduates play in orchestras, opera houses and chamber ensembles worldwide.
Composers write for concerts, film and games.
Graduates can stay in the UK on the Graduate visa after their course.
Undergrad
UCAS Conservatoires, October
Postgrad
Early October
The college faces the Royal Albert Hall, where many students end up playing at some point. The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A are round the corner, and Hyde Park is a few minutes north.
South Kensington is one of London's priciest areas, so students usually live in college halls or share flats further out. The Piccadilly, District and Circle lines all stop at South Kensington.
CAS from Royal College of Music
Proof of funds for fees and living costs
English test at B2 level or above
TB test certificate, if required
Immigration Health Surcharge payment
Valid passport with blank pages
Applications go through UCAS Conservatoires, with the main deadline in early October for entry the following September. Auditions are held in London in late autumn and winter, and some instruments allow recorded auditions.
All courses start in September.
The Student route visa. Your CAS comes from Royal College of Music after you meet your offer conditions and pay the deposit; the online application needs proof of funds, your English result and the health surcharge.
The BMus, MMus, MPerf and MComp are the main courses, plus an MSc in performance science. Admission is mostly by audition or composition portfolio, with IELTS from about 5.5 to 7.0 depending on the course.
The RCM awards scholarships based on audition, and international students are eligible. Many students receive some support, but full awards are rare.
