History, Affiliations and Rankings

The Counter Hill Academy was founded in New Cross in 1792, in a home erected by Deptford distiller William Goodhew. In 1843, the Royal Naval School purchased the land and constructed the Richard Hoggart Building, which is now the university’s Richard Hoggart Building. The school was purchased by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, which reopened it in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Company's Technical and Recreative Institute. The Institute was handed up to the University of London by the Company around the turn of the twentieth century. Goldsmiths College was renamed, and the modern era of Goldsmiths began. The university has academic affiliations with Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities UK. The university is officially recognized/chartered by the Privy Council.

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Based in London’s vibrant New Cross, our campus has everything you need to make the most of your time as a student. The university has a library, eating and drinking rooms, IT services, Support, Sports, Art and design facilities, Media facilities and Theatres. The Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) is an on-campus art gallery. The gallery is a place to see the best in contemporary art, and to take part in the conversations around it, for students, academics, artists and the public alike. Media, Design, Art, Humanities, Entrepreneurship are among the popular degrees at the university. The university offers many undergraduate and graduate programs across various disciplines.

Accomplishments and Alumni 

The university is continually exploring, questioning, and transforming the world. Students can push themselves with cutting-edge degrees and world-class academics who will encourage them to see the world in new ways. They have a long academic history as part of the University of London, but they're always questioning, pushing, and expanding on what they know. According to the QS World University Rankings by Topic 2021, they have numerous subject areas in the world's elite, and they were selected one of the best political institutions in the UK by students (Which? University 2019). Over 75,000 former students and staff members from all over the world make up the university's alumni group. Mary Quant, a British fashion designer, Damien Hirst, an artist, and Sam Taylor-Johnson, a British director, are among the noteworthy names.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

The community includes students from all walks of life: 66 percent identify as female, 48 percent as black and minority ethnic, 21 percent have a declared disability, 20 percent are international students, 13 percent identify as LGBTQ+, and 22 percent of our undergraduate student body are mature students (over 21 years old on entry). On the campus, there are students from 135 different nations. China, the United States, and South Korea have the largest cohorts outside of the UK and EU. The Goldsmiths Careers Service can help students develop new skills, get valuable work experience, and access expert advice. Google, Amazon, Deloitte, Apple, EY and Meta are among the top employers of university graduates.