The University has roots dating back to 1846 and the original Leeds School of Art. In 1842 the Leeds Mechanics Institute merged with the Literary Society, which led to the formation of The Leeds Government School Design four years later. In 1903 the School moved to Vernon Street which we still have today.

Over the last 170 years, Leeds Arts University has made a significant contribution to arts education in the UK.

Thir £22m state-of-the-art building expansion was completed in 2019 in order to widen the course offering and benefit their students. The new building includes a 230-seat performance auditorium and industry standard film and photography studios, enhanced fashion design studios, a new postgraduate study suite, a larger specialist arts research and reference library, and Dot the Lions, an independent coffee bar delivered by the team behind Laynes Espresso.