University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Winston Salem, North Carolina. It enrolls 945 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
77/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes87
Value45
Affordability54
Selectivity79
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of North Carolina School of the Arts admits 30% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
30%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1140 – 1370
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
22 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of North Carolina School of the Arts is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,906 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,477
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$27,211
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,517
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,517
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,818
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,793
Total Cost of Attendance
$26,470
Application fee: $95 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$3,165
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,828
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,491
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,173
Over $110,000
$25,172
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$10,25025%percentile
$23,870Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$32,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,000
↓ $2,870
No Pell $19,000
↓ $4,870
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $4,370
Independent students $20,000
↓ $3,870
Female students $20,238
↓ $3,632
Male students $19,060
↓ $4,810
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($23,870), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
71% of students who start here finish within six years, and 90% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
71%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
90%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,357 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,357
Earning > $25K
60%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$40,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$51,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$35,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,100, about 22% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
6.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 945 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
945
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 53.7%507
Hispanic 12.7%120
Black 8.7%82
Other 6.8%64
International 3.8%36
Asian 2.4%23
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityWinston Salem, North Carolina
Housing
Mostly residential614 beds on campus
Adult Learners
3%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
University of North Carolina School of the Arts offers
a focused set of programs:
9 distinct programs across
1 major.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 6 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
6:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$27,748
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$123M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,784
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
131 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
34
26%
$88,639
Associate Professors
41
31%
$80,800
Assistant Professors
42
32%
$73,253
No Rank
14
11%
$56,182
Pros & Cons of University of North Carolina School of the Arts
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of North Carolina School of the Arts is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for:
Based on the data, University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The questions families ask most about University of North Carolina School of the Arts, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of North Carolina School of the Arts hard to get into?
University of North Carolina School of the Arts is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 30%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
30% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
Aim for 1370 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1140 and 1370 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
Aim for 29 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 22 and 29 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of North Carolina School of the Arts cost?
Budget around $14,906 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of North Carolina School of the Arts worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,357 a year against a net price of $14,906, about 2.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of North Carolina School of the Arts known for?
Mostly Drama & Theatre, Film & Video Production, Dance. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do University of North Carolina School of the Arts graduates earn?
About $38,357 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of North Carolina School of the Arts accredited?
Yes. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
945 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
71% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of North Carolina School of the Arts a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is University of North Carolina School of the Arts located?
University of North Carolina School of the Arts is located in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
What programs does University of North Carolina School of the Arts offer?
9 different programs, most commonly Drama & Theatre, Film & Video Production, Dance. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
6 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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