Image shows groups of people enjoying looking at variery of artworks in ECA's Sculpture Court on the opening night of the 2023 Graduate Show

Learn, create and achieve at Edinburgh College of Art

Find out what studying with us could be like.

Investigate our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes

Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) brings together creative practices that shape the world around us.

We deliver innovative teaching, research and public engagement in an inclusive and sustainable environment with outstanding services and facilities to support your ambitions. 

Located in the historic Old Town of one of the world’s greatest cultural cities, we are part of the University of Edinburgh. The University is consistently ranked one of the best 50 universities in the world.

About us Visit our staff directory

What are you interested in?

Select all of your interests and then explore the best programmes for you.

Explore programmes

News and features

Raymond kneels on the floor in front of the stage, leaning onto the stage. On stage, five saxophonists are playing, all in different positions - kneeling, crouching, lying down. Also on stage are a collection of small instruments, and a row of music stands.

Raymond (left) improvising with Gunter ‘Baby’ Sommer’s New Brotherhoods and Sisterhood of Breath in Germany. Photograph: Assi Wolfe Glode.

Assi Wolfe Glode

Exploring improvisation – Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship

Professor Raymond MacDonald has received a Leverhulme Fellowship to research the ways in which musical improvisation can support individuals and communities.

Jamie stands next to his airline seat. He is smiling, and is wearing a red and black tartan suit. The airline seat is a greenish grey, with a design including two curved lines, with a darker colour between them.

Jamie and his airline seat at the V&A Dundee

Airline seat for neurodivergent passengers exhibited at V&A Dundee

The prototype was created by ECA alumnus Jamie O’Donnell, who now works as a designer for Scottish leather firm Muirhead.

Dong, Isabel and Mervin, smartly dressed, hold their certificates

Goldsmiths Craftsmanship and Design Awards - L-R: Dong Ding, Isabel Honey Coles, and Mervin (Qiwei) Liu

Jewellery & Silversmithing students and alumni shine at awards

The Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council, the British Art Medal Society, and The Cutlers' Company, all recognised achievements from our students and alumni this year.

Painted rectangles and circles in a wide range of colours have been artfully painted on a wall.

One of the new wall paintings inside the St Andrew's Children's Society in Leith, Edinburgh.

Image: Fiona McLachlan

ESALA staff and students complete live colour installation project

Led by Professor Fiona McLachlan, the client was St Andrew’s Children’s Society in Edinburgh.

See all news and features
A piece of red material stretched across a wall. It features objects such as hats, boots, cutlery embroidered on it. Erin Kingsley, BA (Hons) Textiles
Graduate Show

Our Graduate Show website is live!

View works by our graduating students
A range of colourful 3D circles of different sizes are on a black background. The text reads 'artful inquiry'.
Research

ECA research podcast: Artful Inquiry

Explore the cutting-edge research shaping our world in the Edinburgh College of Art podcast.

Find out more about our research podcast
Two music students working on mixers and computers in a recording room.
Research

Research as inquiry and experiment

ECA is a vibrant and internationally-engaged interdisciplinary hub for creative innovation embedded within the world-leading University of Edinburgh.

Find out more about our research

Upcoming Events

27 Jun '26
27 Sep '26
10:00 - 17:00
A sculpture of a hand with the third finger broken off. The hand is resting on a piece of wood, with small pieces of metal around it.
Exhibition Talbot Rice Gallery Exhibitions Talbot Rice Gallery: Anne Hardy British artist Anne Hardy presents a new installation entitled Feelings at the Talbot Rice Gallery.
Anne Hardy
Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
28 Jul '26
18:30 - 20:30
A corner of the exhibition, Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South, Mississippi Museum of Art 2025, featuring two quilted pieces of work.
Lecture ECA Talks Alchemizing the Everyday Join us at Edinburgh College of Art to hear from US curator Dr Sharbreon Plummer, known for her recent exhibition Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South, Mississippi Museum of Art 2025.
Dr Sharbreon Plummer
Edinburgh College of Art Main Building, Main Lecture Theatre (E22), 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9DF
See all events