UNC School of the Arts: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

The School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Allen Grove

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public conservatory for the arts with an acceptance rate of 38%. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, UNCSA first opened in 1965. The school is an internationally recognized arts conservatory and part of the University of North Carolina system. UNCSA offers undergraduate degrees in the Schools of Design and Production, Dance, Film, Music, and Drama. 

Considering applying to University of North Carolina School of the Arts? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, University of North Carolina School of the Arts had an acceptance rate of 38%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 38 students were admitted, making UNCSA's admissions process competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2017-18)
Number of Applicants 1,185
Percent Admitted 38%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 54%

SAT Scores and Requirements

University of North Carolina School of the Arts requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 66% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 560 660
Math 530 620
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of UNCSA's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to University of North Carolina School of the Arts scored between 560 and 660, while 25% scored below 560 and 25% scored above 660. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 530 and 620, while 25% of students scored below 530 and 25% scored above 620. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1280 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Requirements

UNCSA does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that University of North Carolina School of the Arts does not provide data about the school's SAT superscore policy.

Note that the minimum total SAT score for applicants to programs in dance, design and production, drama, and music is 880. Applicants to filmmaking should have a minimum total SAT score of 1060.

ACT Scores and Requirements

UNCSA requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 43% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 22 30
Math 19 26
Composite 22 28

This admissions data tells us that most of UNCSA's admitted students fall within the top 36% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to University of North Carolina School of the Arts received a composite ACT score between 22 and 28, while 25% scored above 28 and 25% scored below 22.

Requirements

Note that UNCSA does not require the optional ACT writing section. University of North Carolina School of the Arts does not provide data about the school's ACT superscore policy.

Note that the minimum composite ACT score for applicants to programs in dance, design and production, drama, and music is 17. Applicants to filmmaking should have a minimum composite ACT score of 22.

GPA

In 2018, the average high school GPA of University of North Carolina School of the Arts incoming freshmen class was 3.78, and over 50% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to UNCSA have primarily A grades. Note that applicants should have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for programs in dance, design and production, drama, and music. Applicants to the filmmaking program should have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

University of North Carolina School of the Arts Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of North Carolina School of the Arts. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

University of North Carolina School of the Arts has a competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and above average GPAs and SAT/ACT scores. However, UNCSA has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. Admission is focused primarily on auditions, interviews, portfolios, artistic statements, resumes, and letters of recommendation. The application requirements and admissions process are different for each of the five conservatories: Dance, Design & Production, Drama, Filmmaking, and Music, so be sure to carefully review the requirements for your program. UNCSA conducts in-person interviews and auditions with all applicants. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements and talent in the arts can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside University of North Carolina School of Art's average range.

In the graph above, the green and blue represent accepted students. As you can see, the majority of students admitted to UNCSA had a GPA of "B" or higher, an SAT score (ERW+M) above 1000, and an ACT composite score of 21 or higher.

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All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of North Carolina School of the Arts Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "UNC School of the Arts: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/university-north-carolina-school-arts-admissions-788129. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). UNC School of the Arts: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/university-north-carolina-school-arts-admissions-788129 Grove, Allen. "UNC School of the Arts: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/university-north-carolina-school-arts-admissions-788129 (accessed March 29, 2024).