Conservatory Model. Innovative Approach.

Celebrating 60 years in 2025-26, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a top-ranked arts conservatory with one overarching mission: to prepare emerging artists for professional careers in the evolving global arts and entertainment industry. Five arts schools – Dance, Design and Production, Drama, Filmmaking, and Music – encompass more than 40 concentrations, from animation to animatronics and from ballet to brass. Talented students, selected through audition and portfolio review, are mentored by faculty who are practicing artists, chosen for their experience and expertise from a lifetime in the arts. 

Offering undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies, UNCSA also provides a specialized high school with free tuition for in-state residents. To ensure their broader education as citizen artists, students are supported by academic programs specifically tailored for them. Cross-disciplinary artistic collaboration is encouraged and promoted via opportunities arising from the unique arts ecosystem on campus. While respecting the traditions of artistic foundations, UNCSA also explores the cutting edge of the future of the arts, from devised theater to improvised music. 

America’s first state-supported arts school, UNCSA was established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963 and opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and Innovation”) in 1965. It became part of the University of North Carolina System when it was formed in 1972. 

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300

Average number of annual productions, concerts & film screenings

8:1

Student/Faculty ratio
(including high school) 

No. 1

Public arts conservatory in the U.S. 
(with five disciplines on one campus)

TOUR UNCSA!

Take a 360-degree tour of each of our 16 universities, either on your desktop, laptop, phone, VR headset, or through the GEAR UP NC VR app. The GEAR UP NC VR app is the first of its kind, and the largest VR project for social good to date. This marks the first time a university system has used the technology across all of its institutions.

Download the GEAR UP VR app from the iTunes store or from the Google Play store.

Highlights

Rankings

UNCSA has been recognized by leading industry publications for the exceptional training it provides artists across disciplines, demonstrating the university’s commitment to excellence in the arts. The Hollywood Reporter ranked the School of Drama No. 3 on its list of “The 25 Best Drama Schools in the World.” Playbill ranked UNCSA No. 3 on its list of the “Top 10 Universities for the Current Crop of Broadway Creatives.” Variety ranked the School of Filmmaking among the top film programs in North America for the 10th consecutive year.
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Successful Alumni

From backstage to the spotlight, and from pirouettes to percussion, UNCSA alumni are making their mark in the world as professional artists who are shaping the future of the arts and entertainment. They have performed in or behind the scenes of Broadway shows, film, television, regional theater and themed entertainment, and are members of the world’s finest orchestras and opera and dance companies. They have won all the major awards in the entertainment industry. Whether working for SpaceX or “For All Mankind,” or on more down-to-earth pursuits such as The Dancer’s Workout and U.S. military bands, UNCSA alumni are setting a high bar.
Read alumni stories

Public Service

Enriching the cultural life of the people of North Carolina is part of UNCSA’s mission. In addition to the hundreds of free or low-cost professional-caliber performances they provide to area residents each year, UNCSA students regularly participate in community projects and outreach programs that also give them valuable performance experience. From the 10-year-old ArtistCorps program to the groundbreaking Artists Reaching Children in Hospitals (ARCH), community programs at UNCSA allow students to give back to the community that brought it to Winston-Salem.
Learn more about community offerings