RADA vs LAMDA: An In-Depth Comparison

RADA vs LAMDA: An In-Depth Comparison

As two of the UK’s top drama schools, many budding actors find themselves asking – RADA or LAMDA: which is best?

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the similarities and differences between these two renowned institutions. We’ll look at RADA vs LAMDA in terms of history, alumni, selectivity, course structure, facilities and more. Once you’ve finished reading, you’ll have a clear sense of how RADA and LAMDA compare – and maybe which you would prefer to apply to.

History

What we know today as LAMDA was founded as the London Academy of Music in 1861. It took as its home St James’s Hall, a concert hall in Regent Street. Teaching and examining music was the founding purpose of the academy, though providing teaching in spoken English rapidly took on importance. To reflect this, the name was changed to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1935.

When the Second World War broke out, LAMDA moved out of London due to the risks posed by the Blitz. By the time it reopened at the end of the war, it had ceased to provide musical training. Nonetheless, LAMDA still places an emphasis on singing and applicants are still to this day required to prepare a song should they progress to the latter rounds of the audition process. The academy moved to its current location in Hammersmith, West London, in 2003, when it acquired the former premises of the Royal Ballet School.

RADA is younger than LAMDA by more than four decades. It was founded in 1904 by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree at a theatre in Haymarket, though it moved out of the West End to Gower Street just a year later. Unlike LAMDA, RADA’s purpose has always been to provide acting training.

The academy was granted a royal charter in 1920. During the course of the 20s, RADA undertook a series of renovations, demolishing its buildings and replacing them with a new building on the same site (with financing provided by George Bernard Shaw), as well constructing a new theatre on Malet Street. Its facilities received their latest significant upgrade in 1996, when a grant from the National Lottery of £22.7m was used to renovate the premises and rebuild the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre.

RADA vs LAMDA Alumni

Both RADA and LAMDA have exceptional track records of producing acclaimed and successful actors. RADA has the edge over its rival here, however – as it may well do over any drama school in the world.

We’ve listed ten or so of the top alumni for each school below, and a quick scan of the names we left off for RADA may give an indication of its sheer volume of star graduates: Richard Attenborough, Sean Bean, Kenneth Brannagh, Jessie Buckley, Joan Collins, Taron Egerton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Mike Leigh, Margaret Lockwood, Matthew Macfadyen, Paul McGann, Ian McShane, Roger Moore, Joe Orton, Peter O’Toole, Maxine Peake, Sian Phillips, Jonathan Pryce, Alan Rickman, Diana Rigg, Mark Rylance, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Jason Watkins…

RADA

Anthony Hopkins

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – as Hannibal Lecter
• The Father (2020) – Oscar-winning performance as a man with dementia

Cynthia Erivo

• Harriet (2019) – as Harriet Tubman (Oscar-nominated role)
• The Color Purple (Broadway revival, 2015) – Tony Award-winning performance as Celie

Imelda Staunton

• Vera Drake (2004) – BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated role
• The Crown (2022–2023) – as Queen Elizabeth II (seasons 5 & 6)

Adrian Lester

• Hustle (2004–2012) – as con artist Mickey Bricks
• Othello (National Theatre, 2013) – acclaimed stage performance as Othello

Tom Hiddleston

• The Avengers / Loki (Marvel films and Disney+ series) – as Loki
• The Night Manager (2016) – Golden Globe-winning role

John Gielgud

• Widely regarded as one of the greatest classical actors of the 20th century, especially known for his interpretations of Shakespeare on the British stage
• Later won an Oscar for his performance in Arthur (1981)

John Hurt

• The Elephant Man (1980) – Oscar-nominated performance as John Merrick
• Harry Potter series – as Mr. Ollivander

Glenda Jackson

• Women in Love (1969) – Oscar-winning role
• Elizabeth R (1971) – Emmy-winning BBC series

Ben Whishaw

• Paddington (2014, 2017) – voice of Paddington Bear
• This Is Going to Hurt (2022) – BAFTA-winning performance as Adam

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

• Fleabag (2016–2019) – creator and lead, Emmy-winning series
• Killing Eve (2018–2022) – creator and head writer (Season 1)

Vivien Leigh

• Gone with the Wind (1939) – as Scarlett O’Hara
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – as Blanche DuBois (Oscar-winning role)

LAMDA

Benedict Cumberbatch

• Sherlock – as Sherlock Holmes
• The Power of the Dog – Oscar-nominated lead role

David Oyelowo

• Selma – as Martin Luther King Jr.
• Nightingale – powerful solo performance for HBO

Ruth Wilson

• Luther – as the enigmatic Alice Morgan
• The Affair – Golden Globe-winning role as Alison

Chiwetel Ejiofor

• 12 Years a Slave – Oscar-nominated lead role
• Doctor Strange – as Mordo in the Marvel Universe

Harriet Walter

• Succession – as Lady Caroline
• Sense and Sensibility – as Fanny Dashwood

Jim Broadbent

• Iris – Oscar-winning performance as John Bayley
• Moulin Rouge! – as Harold Zidler

Brian Cox

• Succession – as media tycoon Logan Roy
• Adaptation. – as screenwriting guru Robert McKee

Kim Cattrall

• Sex and the City – as Samantha Jones
• Big Trouble in Little China – as Gracie Law

Donald Sutherland

The Hunger Games series – as President Snow

Don’t Look Now – iconic 1970s psychological thriller

TRADA vs LAMDA Rankings

Which drama school has a higher ranking, RADA or LAMDA? We’ll take a look at two official UK league tables, the Guardian and the Complete University Guide (CUG), to see which places higher.

LAMDA ranks number one in the UK for Dance and Drama in the Guardian’s ranking. However, the Guardian does not rank RADA as it does not use UCAS to process its undergraduate applications (more on that later).

The CUG includes both LAMDA and RADA in its rankings for the first time in 2025-26. RADA ranks fourth and LAMDA sixth for Performing Arts in the CUG league table. Here’s the full top ten:

Ranking	University
1	Royal College of Music
2	Guildhall School of Music & Drama
3	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
4	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
5	Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
6	London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art
7	Royal Academy of Music
8	Royal Northern College of Music
9	Trinity Laban
10	Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA)

From this, we can see that both RADA and LAMDA are extremely well regarded drama schools – with little to choose between them in terms of ranking and reputation.

Student Feedback

One excellent way of deciding between these two drama schools is to hear from those who have attended them. Student feedback can get beyond the glossy brochures and dry league tables to give you an authentic, personal sense of the experience of studying at these academies.

So, does RADA or LAMDA have better student feedback? Luckily, plenty of data is collected in the National Student Survey (NSS). In our summary below, we’re focusing on the feedback provided for the BA Acting courses.

% of students positive about…	RADA	LAMDA	Winner
Teaching	98%	96%	RADA
Learning opportunities	96%	95%	RADA
Assessment and feedback	92%	73%	RADA
Support from teachers	91%	94%	LAMDA
Organisation and communication	61%	75%	LAMDA
Learning resources and facilities	62%	90%	LAMDA
Responding to student feedback	79%	80%	LAMDA
Average	83%	86%	LAMDA

As we can see, RADA comes out on top vs LAMDA in three categories, with LAMDA winning in four – and getting a slightly higher average score across all categories.

Students at both RADA and LAMDA rave about the quality of their learning experience. These drama schools receive 90% or higher satisfaction for teaching, learning opportunities, and support from teachers. They have both have comparative weaknesses in the organisation and communication on their courses – LAMDA scores 75% satisfaction for this while RADA’s score is 61%.

A couple of notable points of difference:

1. LAMDA comfortably defeats RADA on satisfaction with learning resources and facilities (62% for RADA vs 90% for LAMDA). Only 41% of RADA students say ‘the IT resources and facilities provided have supported my learning well’, while just 50% state that ‘it has been easy to access subject-specific resources (e.g. equipment, facilities, software, collections) when I needed to’. These figures are 88% and 92% for LAMDA.
2. RADA significantly outperforms LAMDA for satisfaction with assessment and feedback (92% for RADA vs 73% for LAMDA). LAMDA students have two key complaints: only 56% say ‘the criteria used in marking and assessing my work have been clear’ and a meagre 46% report that ‘assessment feedback has been received on time’.

RADA vs LAMDA Application Process

There is a key difference between RADA and LAMDA in terms of their application processes. As noted above, all applications for undergraduate courses at LAMDA (except those from US applicants) go through UCAS, the UK’s central university applications portal, whereas RADA has its own application system and does not use UCAS.

For the BA Acting course, RADA applicants must submit its online application form and a self-tape. Following this, if you continue to progress through the application rounds, you will be invited to submit a second self-tape and take part in a 3-hour online workshop. The final round is a full workshop day and interview in person.

For the BA in Professional Acting at LAMDA, applicants submit a UCAS application and then, like at RADA, a self-tape. Unlike RADA, however, where the next two rounds are online, the rest of the LAMDA process takes place in person. If you get through the first round, you would attend an in-person workshop and then, if successful, a second in-person workshop. There may be a final in-person recall before LAMDA makes you an offer.

You might want to take a look at our guides on getting into drama school and auditions for more advice. Or if you’re preparing for your RADA or LAMDA audition now, check out our 1-1 performance coaching with professional actors.

Acceptance rate

Both RADA and LAMDA are extremely selective, especially for their Acting courses. Neither institution releases official admissions stats every year, however there is some fairly recent data which reveals their acceptance rates.

In 2017-18, LAMDA revealed that ‘The BA (Hons) Professional Acting consistently receives over 3,500 applications for the 30 available places’. By contrast, in 2019 RADA stated that it receives ‘approximately 3,600 applications for around 60 undergraduate places annually, with the majority (c.3,200 – 3,500) applying for the BA (Hons) Acting which takes 28 students each year’.

From this we can see that aspiring actors face the following acceptance rates at RADA vs LAMDA:

	RADA	LAMDA
Applications	3350	3500
Places	28	30
Acceptance rate	0.84%	0.86%

Both acceptance rates are below 1% (and in fact are just 0.02% apart!). By comparison, their technical courses have higher acceptance rates, around 10-13% – though note that these are still lower than many courses at Oxford and Cambridge, so still very competitive.

Fees

RADA and LAMDA have very similar fees:

RADA (2025-26)

• UK students: £9,535
• International students: £25,137

LAMDA (2024-25)

• UK students: £9,275 per year
  International students: £25,363 per year

Differences between RADA and LAMDA’s Acting BAs

At undergraduate level, both drama schools offer a technical degree and an acting degree. For the rest of this section, we’ll focus on comparing RADA vs LAMDA’s acting degrees.

Both LAMDA’s BA (Hons) Professional Acting and RADA’s BA (Hons) in Acting are three-year courses designed to prepare students for careers in stage, screen, and audio performance. They are full-time, intensive programmes with a strong practical focus. While they share many similarities, there are also some clear differences in approach, structure, and priorities.

What They Have in Common

Both courses:

• Involve around 35 hours of training per week, combining classes and rehearsals.
• Cover a wide range of skills, including acting, voice, movement, singing, film, and audio work.
• Offer performance opportunities in the final year, including short films, audio projects, and industry showcases.
• Aim to produce actors who are confident, adaptable, and ready to work in theatre, film, TV, and beyond.

What Makes Them Different

Style of Training

LAMDA takes a more practical, skills-based approach, giving students training in a variety of techniques such as Meisner, Uta Hagen, and Laban, alongside virtual production and motion capture. The course aims to prepare students for a fast-changing industry, with a strong focus on learning by doing.

RADA places more emphasis on exploration and reflection, especially in the first year. Training is grounded in Stanislavski-based methods, and students are encouraged to think deeply about their craft and the wider world. The course also includes talks from guests in fields like politics and social justice, encouraging actors to become thoughtful, engaged artists.

Course Structure

LAMDA follows a modular system, with set credit values for different areas like voice, movement, and screen acting. There is regular written feedback and assessment at the end of each term.

RADA integrates subjects more fluidly and gives students public performance experience earlier, including tours to local schools and festivals abroad. Feedback is given through tutorials and notes, and the third year is formally graded.

Industry Links

LAMDA students create a short film and an audio drama, take part in two industry showcases, and may be able to perform in New York or LA if eligible and self-funded.

RADA commissions professional scripts for student films, which are shown to agents and industry guests. Students also benefit from the RADA Buddy Scheme, linking them with recent graduates for support and advice.

Conclusion

Both courses offer high-quality actor training, with a mix of traditional and modern techniques.

LAMDA might appeal more to students who like clear structure, hands-on learning, and digital performance. RADA could be a better fit for those who enjoy thinking deeply about their work and want to explore a wide range of ideas and influences.

Either way, both are top-tier options for anyone serious about a career in acting.

Location and Facilities

Which drama school has better facilities, RADA or LAMDA? You might recall that LAMDA received much better feedback for its resources and facilities in the National Student Survey (NSS) we mentioned above – but is this borne out in the situation on the ground?

RADA

RADA is located in Gower Street, in Fitzrovia, less than a mile from the West End. It has four on-site theatres:

• Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre – the largest and best equipped theatre, seating 183, with state-of-the-art industry-standard equipment
• GBS Theatre – a studio theatre, seating 70
• Gielgud Theatre – a black box studio space, seating 50
• The Studio Theatre – located a 5-minute walk from the main RADA building, on Chenies Street

RADA has a wide range of studios and workshops across its Gower Street and Chenies Street buildings. Acting students use dedicated spaces for classes, rehearsals, dance, and stage combat, as well as sound and film studios for training in microphone technique and screen acting. For Theatre Production training, RADA offers specialist workshops in metalwork, carpentry, scenic art, video, props, and costume-making. Facilities also include a CAD suite, sound studios, and extensive props and costume stores with over 20,000 costumes.

LAMDA

LAMDA’s facilities underwent a £28.2m redevelopment in 2017. This more recent large investment may explain why LAMDA students were more satisfied with their facilities and resources than RADA students in the NSS (RADA’s last comparable investment came in 1996).

As part of that 2017 redevelopment, LAMDA built The Sainsbury Theatre, a proscenium arch theatre seating 220 with full height fly tower. It has two other black box studio theatres – the Carne Studio Theatre, which seats 120, and the Linbury Theatre, which seats 90.

Perhaps most impressively, LAMDA has a motion capture and virtual production studio. In addition, it has 16 rehearsal studios which replicate the stage size of their corresponding theatres. LAMDA has three dedicated dance studios with mirrored walls and ballet barres, and 13 studios with sprung vinyl flooring suitable for dance, movement, and stage combat. Students also have access to recording and film equipment, along with an audio studio for voiceovers, short films, self-created projects, and digital showcase scenes.

RADA or LAMDA: The Final Verdict

RADA and LAMDA are two of the UK’s best drama schools, and any student who is in a position to be choosing between them is very fortunate, given their exceptionally low acceptance rates.

That said, there are key differences between these two institutions: in terms of their location, facilities, course structure, and more. Remember, though, that it’s not like Oxford and Cambridge – there’s nothing to stop you applying to both!

If you’re applying to drama school and trying to find the best-fit institutions for you, consider working with one of our drama application consultants.

Graduates of top drama schools themselves, they can advise you on where to apply as well as optimise your chances of application success. With support on everything from personal statements to self-tapes and auditions, we can help turn that 1% acceptance rate into an offer – and the prospect of a thrilling career in the performing arts.

Book a free drama consultation today to discuss your application and learn how we can help you.