39 Best Art & Design schools in North Carolina

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in North Carolina ranked based on their research performance in Art & Design. A graph of 1.82M citations received by 71K academic papers made by 39 universities in North Carolina was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

For Art & Design

#11 in the United States

#12 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 58%

2. Duke University

Durham

For Art & Design

#38 in the United States

#42 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $23,422

3. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh

For Art & Design

#51 in the United States

#59 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 68%

4. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte

For Art & Design

#126 in the United States

#150 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 72%

5. University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro

For Art & Design

#139 in the United States

#163 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 90%

6. Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem

For Art & Design

#146 in the United States

#170 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,790

7. East Carolina University

Greenville

For Art & Design

#170 in the United States

#197 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 79%

8. Appalachian State University

Boone

For Art & Design

#236 in the United States

#267 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 70%

9. University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington

For Art & Design

#238 in the United States

#269 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 72%

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee

For Art & Design

#390 in the United States

#436 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1155
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

11. Elon University

Elon

For Art & Design

#394 in the United States

#440 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1224
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $41,849

12. North Carolina A&T State University

Greensboro

For Art & Design

#400 in the United States

#446 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 96%

13. Davidson College

Davidson

For Art & Design

#407 in the United States

#453 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1435
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $26,510

14. University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke

For Art & Design

#414 in the United States

#460 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $7,008
Enrollment: 7,630

15. St. Andrews University

Laurinburg

For Art & Design

#470 in the United States

#519 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $31,503
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $18,206

16. Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte

For Art & Design

#503 in the United States

#554 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $27,178

17. University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville

For Art & Design

#592 in the United States

#651 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 93%

18. Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem

For Art & Design

#663 in the United States

#727 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 935
Average ACT: 16
Receiving Aid: 96%

19. Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville

For Art & Design

#743 in the United States

#809 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 950
Average ACT: 18
Receiving Aid: 95%

20. North Carolina Central University

Durham

For Art & Design

#750 in the United States

#816 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1040
Average ACT: 18
Receiving Aid: 96%

21. High Point University

High Point

For Art & Design

#756 in the United States

#822 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $43,578

22. Campbell University

Buies Creek

For Art & Design

#842 in the United States

#911 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Net Price: $24,517
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $34,413

23. Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory

For Art & Design

#935 in the United States

#1005 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Net Price: $24,042
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $33,874

24. Guilford College

Greensboro

For Art & Design

#958 in the United States

#1028 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $22,620

25. Methodist University

Fayetteville

For Art & Design

#1047 in the United States

#1121 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $25,786

26. Meredith College

Raleigh

For Art & Design

#1057 in the United States

#1131 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $23,405

27. Greensboro College

Greensboro

For Art & Design

#1069 in the United States

#1144 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Net Price: $19,783
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $14,676

28. Piedmont International University

Winston-Salem

For Art & Design

#1078 in the United States

#1154 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Net Price: $19,111
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $11,743

29. Wingate University

Wingate

For Art & Design

#1104 in the United States

#1181 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,464

30. Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa

For Art & Design

#1116 in the United States

#1193 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $27,913
Receiving Aid: 99%

31. Salem College

Winston-Salem

For Art & Design

#1125 in the United States

#1203 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1197
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,000

32. Barton College

Wilson

For Art & Design

#1177 in the United States

#1256 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Net Price: $23,804
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,334

33. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest

For Art & Design

#1228 in the United States

#1308 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $11,395

34. Catawba College

Salisbury

For Art & Design

#1248 in the United States

#1329 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1098
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $18,319

35. Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs

For Art & Design

#1253 in the United States

#1334 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $24,035

36. Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer

For Art & Design

#1270 in the United States

#1351 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $21,402
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $25,458

37. Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City

For Art & Design

#1283 in the United States

#1365 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $10,554
Enrollment: 2,165

38. Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte

For Art & Design

#1300 in the United States

#1383 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Net Price: $19,326
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,883

39. University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive

For Art & Design

#1358 in the United States

#1441 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $17,893
Receiving Aid: 100%

Closest to North Carolina states to learn Art & Design

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
South Carolina	23	75
Virginia	38	36
West Virginia	13	125
Georgia	40	28
District of Columbia	9	56
Maryland	25	21
Kentucky	20	80
Tennessee	30	53
Ohio	52	19
Pennsylvania	95	12
Alabama	22	101
New Jersey	25	22
Indiana	30	27
Florida	44	34
Connecticut	20	20
Illinois	68	3
New York	124	7
Mississippi	10	166
Rhode Island	9	65
Massachusetts	65	5
Michigan	33	4
Arkansas	15	116
Vermont	9	145
Missouri	34	48
New Hampshire	11	84
Louisiana	20	72
Wisconsin	28	9
Iowa	25	45
Maine	9	173
Oklahoma	17	95
Kansas	12	62
Minnesota	25	24
Nebraska	10	88
Texas	68	13
South Dakota	8	377
North Dakota	5	231
Colorado	19	42
Puerto Rico	5	420
New Mexico	7	96
Montana	5	182
Utah	10	44
Arizona	7	25
Idaho	7	219
Nevada	4	137
Oregon	16	86
California	116	1
Washington	20	8
Alaska	4	232
Hawaii	6	89

Closest to North Carolina states to learn Art & Design

Art & Design subfields in North Carolina