Cleveland College of Art and Design

Age: 124

History: Cleveland College of Art and Design has been established for well over 100 years and is the only educational institution in the North-East solely devoted to the subject. The majority of the staff are practising artists, designers and craftsmen.

Address: The main campus is on the edge of Middlesbrough in Green Lane, Linthorpe. There is also a dedicated higher education centre at Church Square in Hartlepool.

Ambience: Small and friendly with a traditional art school atmosphere but the majority of students themselves have their own space to work in and make their own. All the buildings on the Green Lane site are purpose-built and are in the middle of a nice residential area. The campus in Hartlepool is located within the traditional red brick, iconic, listed buildings att he heart of the town.

Vital statistics: One of only four specialist art and design colleges within the further education sector, with over 1,300 students. Foundation and BA Honours degree provision has been expanded recently to meet the needs of employers.

Added value: The new higher education centre is full of the latest equipment and resources. Studios are well-equipped with industry standard kit, from a digital laser cutter to high end difital backs in photography. There is also a comprehensive specialist library and very good additional support and study support services.

Easy to get into? Each student is considered on their own individual merits, but a typical offer for an HE course usually asks for 100-120 UCAS points. A lot of attention is paid to the quality of a portfolio of work and how students present themselves at interview.

Glittering alumni: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner; car designer Keith Patterson; and artist Mackenzie Thorpe.

Transport links: A19 and A66 motorways. For Green Lane campus there are regular train services to Middlesbrough connecting with main line services at Darlington. For Hartlepool campus long-distance coaches stop in Stockton Street only a few minutes' walk away from the campus. The train station is off Church Street, also a stone's throw from campus. It is two-and-a-half hours to London by train and Durham Tees Valley airport is only 10 miles away.

Who's the boss? Martin Raby is the principal.

Teaching: Rated outstanding by Ofsted in both 2008 and 2009.

Foundation degrees: Contemporary textile practice, commercial photgraphy, costume construction for stage and screen, creative fashion practices, creative film and moving image production, graphic design and applied arts.

Honours degrees: Textiles and surface design, photography, entertainment design crafts, fashion enterprise, and applied arts for enterprise (via a 'top-up' year).

Nightlife: Middlesbrough has a lively nightlife. Live music can be appreciated at venues like The Cornerhouse and The Empire in Middlesbrough while the Studio in Hartlepool is one of the finest live venues in the North. For the film fanatic there is a large Cineworld in central Middlesbrough and a Vue Cinema in Hartlepool.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college, but students are given assistance for finding their own flats.

Cheap to live there? Very. Students usually live within walking distance of the college for about £45 to £55 per week.

Fees: £3,375 per year for HE students starting in 2011. Fee changes from 2012 are yet to be announced.

Bursaries: Students with a household income of less than £31,000 a year are entitled to a bursary of £750. There is also a foundation degree scholarship worth £1,000 over two years awarded to those who have shown previous academic excellence.

Prospectus: 01642 288 888; www.ccad.ac.uk

UCAS code: C71