Richmond American University London

Sir Cyril Taylor established Richmond American University London in 1972 as a centre where American students could study abroad, and it has since developed into an independent institution with its own degree-awarding powers. In the United States, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has accredited it since 1981, and in 2018 the Privy Council granted it UK taught degree-awarding powers. Holding both allows the university to confer a UK degree and a US degree on its graduates.

Its model is rooted in the liberal arts, with undergraduate programmes lasting four years and a selection of postgraduate degrees that includes business and management. Alongside the Richmond Business School, departments cover applied liberal arts; communications and the arts; science, innovation and technology; and social sciences and humanities. The university is small, with roughly 1,100 students, and its alumni represent over 100 countries. Following many years based in Kensington and at Richmond Hill, it moved its main campus in 2022 into modern premises at Chiswick Park in west London, well connected to Heathrow and central London. RIASA, the university's academy for football and sports management, has been located in Leeds since 2023.

Information for International Students

Applications are considered on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines, and international applicants may use the Common App, UCAS or the university's own portal. The usual English benchmark is IELTS Academic at 6.0 overall and 5.5 per component, and the university also accepts a range of alternative tests and school-leaving qualifications. Undergraduates start either in the first year of the four-year degree, which is pitched at foundation level, or directly in the second year, according to the qualifications they hold.

International offer holders are considered for scholarships automatically. Both undergraduates and postgraduates can receive merit awards and bursaries, though these meet only a portion of the tuition fee. Offer holders are supported by specialist student advisers from the CAS through to the Student visa and eVisa, and short-term visitors are given advice on the Standard Visitor route. After accepting an offer and paying any deposit, first-year students normally move into university accommodation provided through partner residences in west London, though the university publishes no formal guarantee. Graduates are awarded both a UK and a US degree, and those who are eligible can then apply for the UK Graduate Route.