Colleges › North Carolina › University of North Carolina School of the Arts

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public campus in Winston Salem proper — federal locale codes class it as urban.

Compare this school Find colleges

What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$4,932

family income
under $30k

$6,698

$30–48k

$10,547

$48–75k

$21,768

$75–110k

$24,061

over $110k

Average net price

$14,9062023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at University of North Carolina School of the Arts rose from $10,080 (2008) to $14,906 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$10,080
2009	$8,769
2010	$10,279
2011	$12,068
2012	$11,759
2013	$13,625
2014	$14,454
2015	$14,753
2016	$14,101
2017	$13,548
2018	$13,885
2019	$13,276
2020	$13,097
2021	$13,211
2022	$12,372
2023	$14,906

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$26,4702024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at University of North Carolina School of the Arts rose from $15,649 (2009) to $26,470 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$15,649
2010	$16,418
2011	$17,925
2012	$19,208
2013	$19,666
2014	$21,554
2015	$22,072
2016	$22,947
2017	$23,093
2018	$21,560
2019	$21,624
2020	$21,755
2021	$22,045
2022	$23,784
2023	$25,553
2024	$26,470

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition (in-state vs out-of-state)

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition — data
Year	In-state	Out-of-state
2000	$2,592	$11,220
2001	$2,877	$12,282
2002	$3,450	$14,050
2003	$3,665	$14,795
2004	$4,307	$15,587
2005	$4,335	$15,615
2006	$4,704	$15,984
2007	$5,061	$16,491
2008	$5,647	$17,527
2013	$8,271	$21,416
2014	$8,363	$23,733
2015	$8,983	$24,403
2016	$9,139	$24,609
2017	$9,338	$25,081
2018	$9,371	$25,514
2019	$9,358	$25,901
2020	$9,358	$25,901
2021	$8,941	$26,175
2022	$9,388	$26,622
2023	$9,477	$27,211

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

University of North Carolina School of the Arts reports published tuition by residency: $9,477 in-state versus $27,211 out-of-state — a $17,734 gap that makes state lines part of the decision. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts reports 945 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

77.8% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at University of North Carolina School of the Arts within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

77.8%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at University of North Carolina School of the Arts rose from 30% (entered 1991) to 77.8% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	30%
1992 cohort	37.7%
1993 cohort	38.9%
1994 cohort	44.3%
1995 cohort	50%
1996 cohort	45.5%
1997 cohort	45.4%
1998 cohort	53.6%
1999 cohort	55.7%
2000 cohort	55.2%
2001 cohort	50.3%
2002 cohort	57.5%
2003 cohort	61.6%
2004 cohort	60.5%
2005 cohort	63.7%
2006 cohort	63.6%
2007 cohort	59.7%
2008 cohort	59.3%
2009 cohort	65.4%
2010 cohort	61.8%
2011 cohort	70.2%
2012 cohort	72.7%
2013 cohort	74.8%
2014 cohort	72.2%
2015 cohort	69.8%
2016 cohort	81.7%
2017 cohort	79.2%
2018 cohort	77.8%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$16,979	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$16,575	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$16,500	$3,125
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$15,513	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$15,706	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$16,475	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$3,251
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$2,664
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$16,500	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$16,374	$3,084
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,812	$3,571
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$16,007	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$20,025	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$21,500	$7,668
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$23,554	$7,993
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$25,750	$9,126
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$26,956	$8,375
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$9,250
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$26,964	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,000	$7,750
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$23,870	$8,750

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$24,537

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$36,465

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$38,357

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

University of North Carolina School of the Arts admitted 431 of 1,438 applicants in Fall 2024. The 30% rate describes that application pool.

30%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $9,477 in-state tuition · 2023–24 945 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1140–13701600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

University of North Carolina School of the Arts reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For University of North Carolina School of the Arts’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 600–720 and Math was 540–650 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1140–1370 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	600	670	720
SAT Math	540	600	650
ACT Composite	22	26	29

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, University of North Carolina School of the Arts received 1,438 applications and admitted 431 (30%), with 239 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

30%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Read University of North Carolina School of the Arts's change from 42.4% to 30% as a share of applications, not an explanation of admissions decisions. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	42.4%
Fall 2002	45.3%
Fall 2003	45.6%
Fall 2004	40.3%
Fall 2005	41.7%
Fall 2006	41.6%
Fall 2007	43.1%
Fall 2008	44.3%
Fall 2009	43.6%
Fall 2010	45.1%
Fall 2011	41.1%
Fall 2012	41.7%
Fall 2013	45.2%
Fall 2014	43.2%
Fall 2015	34.4%
Fall 2016	54.4%
Fall 2017	32.6%
Fall 2018	38.2%
Fall 2019	28.9%
Fall 2020	36.3%
Fall 2021	29.8%
Fall 2022	31.8%
Fall 2023	33.1%
Fall 2024	30%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1140–1370Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	980	1230
Fall 2002	1020	1220
Fall 2003	1040	1260
Fall 2004	1040	1260
Fall 2005	1000	1215
Fall 2006	1020	1230
Fall 2007	1000	1200
Fall 2008	970	1230
Fall 2009	990	1250
Fall 2010	1010	1220
Fall 2011	990	1230
Fall 2012	980	1230
Fall 2013	990	1240
Fall 2014	1010	1230
Fall 2015	990	1230
Fall 2016	1030	1240
Fall 2017	1080	1290
Fall 2018	1090	1280
Fall 2019	1090	1290
Fall 2020	1120	1310
Fall 2021	1160	1380
Fall 2022	1115	1350
Fall 2023	1150	1350
Fall 2024	1140	1370

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–29Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2004	20	25
Fall 2005	20	26
Fall 2006	21	27
Fall 2007	21	26
Fall 2008	19	27
Fall 2009	20	24
Fall 2010	20	27
Fall 2011	19	27
Fall 2012	22	26
Fall 2013	20	26
Fall 2014	22	26
Fall 2015	21	27
Fall 2016	22	28
Fall 2017	22	28
Fall 2018	22	28
Fall 2019	21	29
Fall 2020	22	29
Fall 2021	22	28
Fall 2022	22	30
Fall 2023	24	27
Fall 2024	22	29

IPEDS Fall 2004–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

945Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at University of North Carolina School of the Arts rose from 736 (Fall 2002) to 945 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	736
Fall 2003	701
Fall 2004	682
Fall 2005	721
Fall 2006	716
Fall 2007	739
Fall 2008	754
Fall 2009	738
Fall 2010	724
Fall 2011	763
Fall 2012	752
Fall 2013	792
Fall 2014	852
Fall 2015	850
Fall 2016	897
Fall 2017	867
Fall 2018	890
Fall 2019	926
Fall 2020	916
Fall 2021	935
Fall 2022	915
Fall 2023	902
Fall 2024	945

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

93%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at University of North Carolina School of the Arts rose from 73% (Fall 2002) to 93% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	73%
Fall 2003 cohort	72%
Fall 2004 cohort	57%
Fall 2005 cohort	70%
Fall 2006 cohort	75%
Fall 2007 cohort	78%
Fall 2008 cohort	77%
Fall 2009 cohort	80%
Fall 2010 cohort	85%
Fall 2011 cohort	85%
Fall 2012 cohort	85%
Fall 2013 cohort	89%
Fall 2014 cohort	83%
Fall 2015 cohort	85%
Fall 2016 cohort	91%
Fall 2017 cohort	88%
Fall 2018 cohort	87%
Fall 2019 cohort	91%
Fall 2020 cohort	91%
Fall 2021 cohort	93%
Fall 2022 cohort	88%
Fall 2023 cohort	93%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Faculty pay at University of North Carolina School of the Arts averages $107,760 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a primarily residential campus of 945 undergraduates — and 92.8% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts's SAT section-percentile sums are 1140–1370 — their midpoint is above the NC four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on University of North Carolina School of the Arts's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How University of North Carolina School of the Arts compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

University of North Carolina School of the Arts30%

North Carolina median74.9%

National median76.8%

Tuition (in-state)

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

University of North Carolina School of the Arts$9,477

North Carolina median$19,500

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

University of North Carolina School of the Arts's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts$38,357

North Carolina median$45,873

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

University of North Carolina School of the Arts, North Carolina and national reference values
Metric & basis	University of North Carolina School of the Arts	North Carolina median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	30%	74.9%	76.8%
Tuition (in-state)Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$9,477	$19,500	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$38,357	$45,873	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For University of North Carolina School of the Arts, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 4 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$48,664
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	$41,000
Music	$34,022
Dance	$32,463

These 4 fields listed for University of North Carolina School of the Arts measure earnings after completion. The $38,357 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does University of North Carolina School of the Arts report?

University of North Carolina School of the Arts's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1140–1370 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is University of North Carolina School of the Arts's acceptance rate?

30% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 431 admitted from 1,438 applicants.

How much does University of North Carolina School of the Arts cost?

In-state tuition is $9,477; out-of-state students pay $27,211. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.

What earnings data does University of North Carolina School of the Arts report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $38,357. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — 15.3% admitted
Saint Augustine's University — 33.8% admitted
Wake Forest University — 21.7% admitted
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences — 23.4% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.