Pearson College London

What Pearson College London does

Pearson College London operates Escape Studios as its specialist higher-education trading brand, delivering studio-based training in animation, games and visual effects from a single campus at 6 Mitre Passage, North Greenwich, London. The institution offers undergraduate degrees (BSc/BA, 3 years; integrated MSci/MArt, 4 years), one-year postgraduate master's programmes (MA/MSc), 14-21 week short courses, and 5-week ScreenSkills-funded industry bootcamps, with all degrees validated by Coventry University. Curriculum spans technical art, 2D and 3D animation, VFX production and compositing, games design and programming, character and creature creation, concept art, immersive media, motion graphics, UI/UX, and entrepreneurship for the creative industries. Teaching is delivered in studio environments equipped with HP Z Workstations, Eizo ColorEdge monitors, Wacom Intuos tablets, and industry-standard software including Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Adobe Creative Suite, Nuke, ZBrush, Arnold, Silhouette, Substance Designer/Painter, Figma, and Adobe XD, with a Live Online Study option streaming classes in real time to remote students.

The business model is tuition-led and segmented: UK/EU undergraduate fees of £9,790 per year (rising to £10,050 for 2027 entry) and international undergraduate fees of £17,995 per year; postgraduate and short-course fees vary by programme (e.g., 14-week VFX short course at £7,710) with payment-plan flexibility; and a professional training line delivers funded VFX Pipeline Bootcamps via the ScreenSkills High-end Television Skills Fund. Revenue is supplemented by short-course fees and B2B industry training, while admissions are routed through UCAS for undergraduates and direct application for postgraduates and short courses, supported by international agents, pathway providers, and meet-us-in-country recruitment across multiple geographies including China (WeChat, RedNote). The proprietary 'Escapeverse' ecosystem bundles studio learning, advisory board input from DNEG, Framestore, Creative Assembly, nDreams and MPC, portfolio reviews by working studios, showreel clinics, and a 12-month post-completion aftercare package. Key partnerships include Epic Games (first UK Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center and Academic Partner), SideFX (Houdini certified school), Toon Boom (ATC), ScreenSkills, TIGA, and Coventry University; the institution holds a TEF Silver rating (OfS, 2023), is ranked 1st in the UK for Production Excellence in Immersive Media by The Rookies, and reports 90% graduate employment within 14 months (HESA 2022/23).

Name

Pearson College London

Legal name

AAP Education Limited

Website

https://pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pearson College London operates Escape Studios, a London-based higher education institution offering validated undergraduate, postgraduate, short and industry training courses in animation, games and visual effects, serving aspiring creative professionals and studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE)

Keywords

• Animation higher education
• Visual effects training
• Games design degrees
• Creative arts university
• Postgraduate creative courses

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition Fees: Full-time undergraduate degree programs charged annually. UK/EU students pay £9,790 per year (2026 entry), with fees rising to £10,050 for 2027 entry. International students pay £17,995 per year.
2. Postgraduate Tuition Fees: One-year postgraduate master's programs with total course fees varying by program. Available as on-campus or live online study options.
3. Short Course Fees: 14-21 week professional courses priced at approximately £7,710 for VFX short courses. Discounts available for early applications. Includes access to aftercare package for 12 months post-completion.
4. Professional Training for Studios: Industry training programs for studio professionals, including VFX Pipeline Bootcamp funded by ScreenSkills High-end Television Skills Fund.
5. Payment Plans: Self-funded students can pay tuition in up to three installments, providing flexible payment options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Escape Studios (the trading name of subsidiary AAP Education Limited under Pearson College London) is a UK higher education institution specialising in animation, games, and visual effects. It delivers undergraduate degrees (3-4 years), one-year postgraduate master's programmes, 14-21 week professional short courses, and 5-week VFX Pipeline Bootcamps for industry professionals, all taught on a studio-based model in London or via Live Online, with degrees validated by Coventry University.

Product overview

Escape Studios is the trading name of AAP Education Limited, a private limited company under Pearson College London, offering a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, short courses, professional training bootcamps, and live online learning options. The institution specializes in animation, games, and visual effects education. Undergraduate offerings include BSc and BA degrees (3-4 years) plus integrated MSci/MArt options (4 years) covering Technical Art, Visual Effects, Video Games Design, Programming, Character Creation, Comics, Concept Art, Immersive Media, Motion Graphics, and Computer Animation. Postgraduate programmes (1 year) include MA and MSc degrees in 3D Animation, Character & Creature Creation, Game Art, Motion Graphics, VFX Production, Game Design, Programming, Technical Art, UI/UX, and Entrepreneurship. Short courses (14-21 weeks) mirror the postgraduate curriculum for intensive professional training. Industry training bootcamps (5 weeks) focus on VFX pipeline skills for production and technical professionals. All degrees are validated by Coventry University. The institution maintains partnerships with Epic Games (Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center), TIGA, Houdini, and Toon Boom, and is ranked 1st in the UK for Production Excellence in Immersive Media by The Rookies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BSc (Hons)/MSci Technical Art for Games & VFX Undergraduate degree programme focusing on the intersection of art and technical development in games and visual effects, teaching students to create tools, scripts, and FX simulations using industry-standard software.
• BA (Hons)/MArt The Art of Visual Effects Undergraduate degree programme teaching 3D VFX and 2D compositing skills for film, TV, and commercial production, developed with professionals from DNEG and Framestore.
• BSc/MSci Video Games Design Undergraduate degree covering game design theory and technical implementation using Unreal Engine, including UI/UX design, narrative development, and collaborative project work.
• BSc (Hons)/MSci Programming for Games and VFX Undergraduate degree programme focused on programming skills for games and VFX production, covering software development, AI implementation, and distributed systems.
• BA (Hons)/MArt Comics and Visual Storytelling Undergraduate degree programme focused on comics and sequential art creation.
• BA (Hons)/MArt Concept Art and Experience Design Undergraduate degree covering concept art creation and experience design for entertainment and interactive media.
• BA (Hons)/MArt Immersive Media Undergraduate degree focusing on immersive media technologies including VR, AR, and mixed reality experiences.
• BA (Hons)/MArt Motion Graphics Undergraduate degree covering motion graphics design and animation for broadcast and digital platforms.
• BA (Hons)/MArt The Art of Computer Animation (2D) Undergraduate degree focusing on 2D computer animation techniques for entertainment production.
• BA (Hons)/MArt The Art of Computer Animation (3D) Undergraduate degree covering 3D computer animation techniques for film, games, and broadcast.
• BA (Hons)/MArt The Art of Video Games Undergraduate degree focused on video game art creation including character, environment, and asset production.
• BSc (Hons)/MSci Character Creation for Animation, Games & VFX Undergraduate degree focused on character and creature design and creation across animation, games, and visual effects industries.
• MA 3D Animation One-year postgraduate programme focused on advanced 3D animation techniques for entertainment industries.
• MA Character & Creature Creation Postgraduate programme focused on creating characters and creatures for animation, games, and VFX using advanced modeling and texturing techniques.
• MA Game Art Postgraduate programme covering game art creation including environment design, character art, and real-time rendering for interactive entertainment.
• MA Motion Graphics Postgraduate programme focused on motion graphics design for broadcast, advertising, and digital media.
• MA Visual Effects Production (Compositing/3D) Postgraduate programme covering compositing and 3D VFX production techniques using industry-standard software like Nuke and Maya.
• MSc Game Design Postgraduate master's degree focused on advanced game design methodologies and interactive entertainment development.
• MSc Programming for Games and VFX Postgraduate master's programme focused on advanced programming techniques for games and visual effects production.
• MSc Technical Art for Games and VFX Postgraduate master's programme focused on technical art specialisation bridging art and code for games and VFX.
• MA Concept Art and Experience Design Postgraduate programme covering concept art and experience design for entertainment and immersive media.
• MA UI/UX for Games and Interactive Media Postgraduate programme focusing on user interface and user experience design for games and interactive media.
• MA Entrepreneurship for the Creative Industries Postgraduate programme focused on entrepreneurship skills and business development for creative industry ventures.
• Visual Effects Short Course 14-week intensive short course covering the first two modules of the MA Visual Effects Production programme, focusing on compositing and 3D skills.
• 3D Animation Short Course Intensive short course covering 3D animation techniques for entertainment production.
• Character & Creature Creation Short Course Short course focused on character and creature design and creation techniques for games and animation.
• Game Art Short Course Short course covering game art creation techniques including environment and character art production.
• Game Design Short Course Short course covering game design fundamentals and interactive entertainment creation.
• Motion Graphics Short Course Short course focused on motion graphics design and animation for broadcast and digital media.
• Programming for Games and VFX Short Course Short course covering programming fundamentals for games and visual effects production.
• Technical Art for Games and VFX Short Course Short course focusing on technical art skills bridging art and programming for games and VFX.
• UI/UX for Games and Interactive Media Short Course Short course covering user interface and user experience design principles for games and interactive media.
• Concept Art and Experience Design Short Course Short course covering concept art creation and experience design principles for entertainment.
• The VFX Pipeline Bootcamp for Production 5-week intensive bootcamp for production professionals in High-End TV, covering VFX pipeline management, shot management, and dailies processes.
• The VFX Pipeline Bootcamp for Technicians 5-week live online bootcamp for technical professionals in High-End TV covering VFX pipeline, pre-production in post, paint and prep using Nuke, and shot delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of full-time undergraduate students are employed within 14 months of graduation (2022/23 HESA data)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Into GamesmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Into Games runs the annual IG50 Awards celebrating 50 talented aspiring games professionals. In 2026, six Escape Studios alumni won places, sponsored by Ubisoft.
• Coventry UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEscape Studios has a validation agreement with Coventry University. Undergrad and postgraduate degrees are awarded through Coventry University, ensuring qualifications are rigorous and internationally recognised. No Escape Studios teaching takes place at Coventry University - all classes are held at the London campus.
• Epic GamescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Epic Games - Escape Studios is the first Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center in the UK and an Unreal Engine Academic Partner. Certified tutors run short courses for studios to train staff in Unreal Engine.
• Creative AssemblycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry experts from Creative Assembly helped design Technical Art for Games and VFX, Video Games Design, and Programming for Games and VFX degrees to ensure curriculum relevance.
• FramestorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry experts from Framestore helped design Technical Art for Games and VFX, Video Games Design, BA (Hons) The Art of Visual Effects, and Programming for Games and VFX degrees.
• nDreamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry experts from nDreams helped design Technical Art for Games and VFX and Video Games Design degrees.
• DNEGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board of experts from DNEG helps develop and keep degrees relevant. DNEG worked on Avengers: Endgame and Oscar-winning Dune. Also provides feedback on student work.
• MPC (Moving Picture Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board experts from MPC (The Lion King, 1917) help develop and keep degrees up to date.
• TIGA (The Independent Game Developers Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of TIGA, the trade association for the UK video games industry. Was shortlisted for Best Educational Institution TIGA Award in 2021 and 2022.
• ScreenSkillsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ScreenSkills for industry training programs. VFX Pipeline Bootcamps funded by ScreenSkills High-end Television Skills Fund for professionals in Northern Ireland.
• Royal Television Society (RTS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRTS Digital Innovation scheme provides bursaries to students. Jesse Moseley is an RTS Scholar selected as one of 10 students in the UK.
• SideFXmajorTechnology or IntegrationHoudini certified school status providing exclusive access to Houdini webinars and presentations for students.
• Industry Professional StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious VFX studios provide feedback on student work including Union VFX, Industrial Light & Magic, Outpost VFX, Framestore, Goodbye Kansas, DNEG, Rise, BlueBolt, and Black Kite.
• Scholarship Partners (DNEG, Cinesite, BAFTA Games)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry-sponsored scholarships offered by DNEG, Cinesite, and BAFTA Games provide financial support to eligible students.
• Student Finance Company / UCAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Student Loans Company and UCAS for undergraduate applications and student finance processing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/escapestudios
• Facebookfacebook.com/PearsonCollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/escape-studios
• Instagraminstagram.com/escapestudios
• Xx.com/pearson_college
• TikToktiktok.com/@escapestudios

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pearson College London