Founded in 1928, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is an acclaimed, public, non-profit, accredited four-year art and design school housed within a major research university.
Rankings
VCUarts is among the top-ranked schools of arts and design in the country. That means you’ll graduate with credibility as an artist and a professional, with a degree that’s respected in the world of galleries, design and advertising firms, graduate schools, artistic directors and employers.
| VCUarts Graduate Program | Ranking Among All U.S. Programs (Public and Private) |
| Overall | #4 |
| Sculpture | #1 |
| Printmaking | #2 |
| Graphic Design | #4 |
| Kinetic Imaging | #5 |
| Painting | #12 |
The rankings come from U.S. News & World Report’s evaluation of graduate school programs, 2021.
Our School
Campus
VCUarts is made up of 16 buildings on the urban VCU campus in Richmond, Virginia. Students enjoy close proximity to many arts and cultural institutions within the city.
VCU
- Established in 1838
- 29,417 students representing 103 countries
- 205,456 alumni
- 11 schools and three colleges
- 500+ student organizations
- $271 million in sponsored research in fiscal year 2018
Find more VCU facts and figures here.
VCU School of the Arts
- Founded in 1928
- 3,197 students enrolled
- 3,089 undergraduates
- 102 graduate students
- 173 full-time faculty members
- 202 adjunct faculty members
- 17 students in the average-sized studio class
- 18 bachelor’s degrees
- 5 master’s degrees
VCUarts Qatar
- Founded in 1998
- VCUarts’ branch campus located in Doha, Qatar
- 62 Faculty representing 18 nationalities
- 378 Students representing 38 nationalities
- 737 Alumni representing 33 nationalities
- 162 employees representing 31 nationalities
- Five bachelor’s degrees
- One master’s degree
VCUarts admissions data, Class of 2026*
- 2,251 first-year applications
- 695 enrolled first-year students
- Average high school GPA: 3.67
- Average SAT score: 1210
*numbers are from fall 2022