Royal College of Art is an institution of advanced education in the fine arts in London, England. The RCA is the world’s only postgraduate institution of art and design education to confer master’s and doctoral degrees exclusively. Founded in 1837 as the Government School of Design, it was renamed the Royal College of Art by Queen Victoria in 1896. At first the college was located in Somerset House, a late 18th-century building in central London that is now home to the Courtauld Institute Galleries. The college moved to various sites during the 19th century before settling into a specially designed building in the South Kensington neighborhood of London.

The college enrolls about 700 British and foreign students. It has an international reputation for training industrial designers and for its leading role in the education of fine artists. Courses range from industrial design engineering and computer-related design to painting, fashion, and bronze-casting. Graduates include painter David Hockney, sculptor Henry Moore, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, film director Ridley Scott, and industrial designer James Dyson. The annual degree shows are the most important events in the Royal College of Art year. Comprising a selection of the work submitted by graduating students for their final examinations, the degree shows attract more than 25,000 people every June.