Visual and Performing Arts colleges in North Carolina, ranked by graduates
26 colleges in North Carolina awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in visual and performing arts in 2023: 1,807 degrees, 3.5% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (4.3% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). UNC Greensboro graduated the most (261, 8.2% of its class). 14 of the 26 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 77%; the most selective is Duke University at 6%.
Visual and Performing Arts colleges in North Carolina
Every North Carolina college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in visual and performing arts, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its visual and performing arts page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNC Greensboro | Public | 261 | 8.2% | 89% | 1130 |
| 2 | Appalachian State University | Public | 242 | 5.7% | 90% | 1280 |
| 3 | East Carolina University | Public | 180 | 3.9% | 89% | 1190 |
| 4 | UNC Charlotte | Public | 166 | 2.9% | 80% | 1210 |
| 5 | UNC Wilmington | Public | 147 | 4% | 64% | 1300 |
| 6 | Western Carolina University | Public | 141 | 5.6% | 82% | 1130 |
| 7 | NC State University | Public | 109 | 1.6% | 42% | 1380 |
| 8 | High Point University | Private | 93 | 9.1% | 75% | 1220 |
| 9 | Elon University | Private | 76 | 5.2% | 66% | 1300 |
| 10 | University of North Carolina | Public | 68 | 1.3% | 15% | 1470 |
| 11 | North Carolina A&T State University | Public | 60 | 2.7% | 50% | 1120 |
| 12 | North Carolina Central University | Public | 36 | 3.9% | 87% | 1060 |
| 13 | UNC Pembroke | Public | 26 | 2.2% | 93% | 1120 |
| 14 | Queens University of Charlotte | Private | 25 | 7.6% | 62% | 1200 |
| 15 | Fayetteville State University | Public | 23 | 2% | 82% | 1020 |
| 16 | Duke University | Private | 21 | 1% | 6% | 1570 |
| 17 | Elizabeth City State University | Public | 20 | 5.6% | 64% | 1020 |
| 18 | Chowan University | Private | 16 | 10.7% | 69% | 1150 |
| 19 | Davidson College | Private | 15 | 3% | 13% | 1470 |
| 20 | Winston-Salem State University | Public | 15 | 1.7% | 78% | 1020 |
| 21 | Campbell University | Private | 12 | 1.6% | 87% | 1180 |
| 22 | Guilford College | Private | 12 | 6.2% | 80% | 1230 |
| 23 | Mars Hill University | Private | 12 | 5.6% | 68% | 1150 |
| 24 | Wake Forest University | Private | 11 | 0.8% | 22% | 1490 |
| 25 | Gardner-Webb University | Private | 10 | 2.3% | 77% | 1100 |
| 26 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Private | 10 | 3% | 85% | 1150 |
Questions about visual and performing arts colleges in North Carolina
What is the best college for visual and performing arts in North Carolina?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest visual and performing arts programs in North Carolina are UNC Greensboro (261), Appalachian State University (242), East Carolina University (180). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every North Carolina college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in North Carolina offer visual and performing arts?
26 four-year colleges in North Carolina awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in visual and performing arts in 2023, 14 public and 12 private, for 1,807 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for visual and performing arts in North Carolina?
At the 14 public universities on this list, North Carolina residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Visual and Performing Arts elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.