Royal Academy of Art, The Hague

What Royal Academy of Art, The Hague does

The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, KABK) is a Dutch public higher education institution founded in 1682, operating under the Hogeschool der Kunsten Den Haag (University of the Arts The Hague) umbrella. Located at Prinsessegracht 4 in an 18,000 m² national-monument building, KABK delivers accredited bachelor and master programs across fine arts, design, photography, graphic design, interactive media, interior architecture, textile and fashion, and art-science disciplines, serving a student body recruited from over 70 countries. The institution is government-funded through the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and supplements public grants with tiered tuition (statutory €2,694 for first-degree EU/EER students; institutional €11,488 for non-EU/EER and second-degree arts students). It runs an annual academic calendar with formal admissions through Studielink and the Osiris Online Application system, Open Days, portfolio coaching, and a public Graduation Show.

The educational product is built around seven bachelor programs, seven master programs, plus preparatory tracks (Voorbereidend Jaar, Oriëntatiecursus, Kidsclub, School for Young Talent), academy-wide interdisciplinary curricula (Individual Study Track with Research/Material/Impact Labs; Common Ground first-year program), and three lectorates (Design, Art Theory & Practice, Film). Technical infrastructure spans 14 state-of-the-art workshops (3D Lab, Digital Media, Computer Workshop, Hacklab, Letterpress, Ceramics & Sculpture, etc.), a 20,000+ volume library, and equipment rental. The proprietary Research Catalogue (open-source collaborative online workspace) and the PARC (Platform for Arts Research in Collaboration) research platform, built jointly with Leiden University and the Royal Conservatoire, anchor the research infrastructure. Operational partnerships include ACPA (Academy of Creative and Performing Arts) with Leiden University enabling PhDArts research degrees, Erasmus and non-Erasmus exchange agreements, and student housing arrangements with DUWO, The Social Hub, and Stayokay.

Revenue mechanics combine Dutch government block-grant funding (primary), tiered tuition (statutory vs. institutional, EU/EER vs. non-EU/EER), one-time residence permit handling fees (€254) for non-EEA students, and ancillary services (rental and supply stores). Go-to-market is event-driven (Open Days, KABK tours, portfolio advice sessions, online Q&A sessions) and digitally amplified through Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Nuffic, Study in NL, and direct outreach. The customer base is fragmented across many individual students with no enterprise customer concentration, though revenue concentration risk is structural via dependence on Dutch government funding cycles.

Name

Royal Academy of Art, The Hague

Legal name

Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten

Website

https://kabk.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) is a Dutch public higher education institution founded in 1682, offering seven bachelor and seven master programs in fine arts, design, photography, and interdisciplinary fields to a student and faculty body recruited from over 70 countries, funded by government grants and tiered tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Art and Design

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Art education
• Design education
• Higher education
• Visual arts
• Creative research

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - EU/EER Students: EU/EER students (including Dutch) who do not yet have a Dutch bachelor's degree pay the statutory tuition fee of €2,694 per year. Those with a prior Dutch arts degree pay institutional tuition of €11,488, and those with non-arts degrees receive 50% discount at €5,744.
2. Tuition Fees - Non-EU/EER Students: Non-EU/EER students pay the full institutional tuition fee of €11,488 per year. Some exemptions apply for those with residence permits qualifying for statutory tuition.
3. Exchange Student Tuition: Exchange students from Erasmus partner universities and non-Erasmus partner institutions pay no tuition to KABK. Free movers (from non-partner institutions) pay proportional institutional tuition.
4. Residence Permit Services: KABK handles visa and residence permit applications for non-EEA students, collecting handling fees of €254 for VVR processing. Students must also prepay living fees (€13,570) and tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) is a public higher education institution offering degree programs in visual arts and design. The academy provides 7 bachelor programs (Fine Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Interactive Media Design, Interior Architecture & Furniture Design, Textile & Fashion, ArtScience), 7 master programs (Artistic Research, ArtScience, Industrial Design, INSIDE Interior Architecture, Non Linear Narrative, Photography & Society, Type and Media), preparatory courses, and international exchange programs supported by technical workshops, library, and research platforms.

Product overview

Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) offers a comprehensive portfolio of art and design education programs. The institution provides 7 bachelor programs (ArtScience, Fine Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Interactive Media Design, Interior Architecture & Furniture Design, Textile & Fashion), 7 master programs (Artistic Research, ArtScience, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture INSIDE, Non Linear Narrative, Photography & Society, Type and Media), and preparatory programs including the Voorbereidend Jaar, Oriëntatiecursus, Kidsclub, and School voor Jong Talent. Academy-wide offerings include the Individual Study Track (IST) with Research, Material, and Impact Labs, and Common Ground for first-year students. Research infrastructure includes the Research Catalogue (open-source collaborative workspace), Platform for Arts Research in Collaboration (PARC), and three lectorates (Design, Art Theory & Practice, Film). Facilities encompass technical workshops, library services, and equipment rental. The institution collaborates intensively with Leiden University through ACPA and offers international exchange programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• University of the Arts The Hague (HdK): The combined entity formed by the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) and the Royal Conservatoire The Hague

Products and services

• Bachelor Fine Arts (Beeldende Kunst)

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leiden UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntensive collaboration through Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (ACPA). Unique Dutch partnership where KABK participates in joint research, combined degree programs, and PhD pathway (PhDArts). Both KABK lectorates are dedicated to artistic research in this framework.
• Royal Conservatoire The HaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogether with Royal Conservatoire, forms the University of the Arts The Hague (Hogeschool der Kunsten Den Haag). Joint initiatives include PARC (Platform for Arts Research in Collaboration), Joint Research Days, and shared administrative services.
• Erasmus Partner UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExchange agreements with Erasmus partner universities across Europe. Students from these institutions can study at KABK without paying tuition fees.
• Non-Erasmus Partner UniversitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExchange agreements with non-Erasmus international partner universities. Students pay no tuition at KABK.
• PARC (Platform for Arts Research in Collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint online and offline platform with ACPA and Royal Conservatoire for researchers in art and design to exchange knowledge, share events, and stimulate collaboration. Theme-based annual programming with physical and digital events.
• DUWOminorOthersStudent housing provider. KABK refers students to DUWO for accommodation options through ROOM.nl registration system.
• Stayokay Hostel Den HaagminorOthersHostel partnership offering 10% discount to KABK students. Includes breakfast, Wi-Fi, and luggage storage. Coupon code KONCON2026 for bookings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal College of Art: London-based postgraduate university of art and design, founded 1837. It is the closest global analog to KABK in terms of royal designation, research-led practice-based doctoral pathway, and concentration of art/design disciplines.
• Central Saint Martins (UAL): London-based constituent college of the University of the Arts London offering fine art, graphic design, fashion, and product design. Comparable in international student mix and creative-discipline breadth.
• Design Academy Eindhoven: Leading Dutch design school with strong industrial design and social-design focus. Comparable program mix and Dutch hogeschool structure; directly competes for design-oriented bachelor and master applicants.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): US private art and design college offering bachelor and master programs in fine arts, architecture, graphic design, and photography. Comparable in selective admissions, international reputation, and design pedagogy model.
• Parsons School of Design: The New School's design school in New York with strong fashion, graphic design, and industrial design programs. Comparable in international applicant pipeline and design-research orientation.
• École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA): Paris-based historic French art academy offering fine arts education with strong atelier-based pedagogy. Comparable in historical prestige, royal/heritage status, and practice-led master programs.
• Aalto University – School of Arts, Design and Architecture: Helsinki-based school combining art, design, and architecture at undergraduate and graduate levels. Comparable Nordic peer with strong research integration across art and design disciplines.
• Royal Institute of Art (Kungliga Konsthögskolan): Stockholm-based fine arts institution offering bachelor and master programs in fine art and architecture. Comparable royal-designated European art academy with research-led practice focus.
• Gerrit Rietveld Academie: Amsterdam-based fine art and design academy. Direct Dutch peer offering comparable bachelor programs in fine arts and design, competing for the same Dutch and EU applicant pool.
• Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation: Copenhagen-based institution offering architecture, design, and conservation programs. Comparable European royal-designated academy with similar fine arts/design program structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KABKDenHaag
• Facebookfacebook.com/kabk-bibliotheek-168954203182500
• Instagraminstagram.com/royalacademyofart.thehague
• Xx.com/kabkdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/492366

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles35 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Royal Academy of Art, The Hague