By Tasha, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor
If you’re an aspiring artist planning your college journey, one of the biggest decisions you’ll face is choosing between a traditional art school and an arts program within a college or university. Both options offer exciting opportunities for creative growth, but the best choice depends on your goals, learning style, and priorities.
It’s important to understand the differences between these options, as well as their pros and cons. Read on to understand the differences between an art school vs art program so you can make an informed decision.
Art School
Art schools offer highly specialized, conservatory-style training designed for students who want deep immersion in their craft. Well-known institutions such as the Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD), the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) are renowned for their rigorous studio environments and strong reputations in the art world. However, there are numerous art schools across the U.S. that might be a great fit for your needs and goals.
Admissions Process
So how do art schools manage their admissions processes?
Some art schools participate in the Common App and/or the Coalition App, but they don’t review applications the same way that traditional colleges and universities do. For art schools, your art portfolio is the most important part of your application. Students must curate a high-quality selection of work — typically uploaded through platforms like SlideRoom — to demonstrate technical skill, creativity, and artistic voice.
Art schools will also consider an applicant’s academic background and all the other quantitative and qualitative elements that make up a holistic review process. That said, an applicant’s portfolio will get held up to the highest scrutiny in the process. After all, art schools are tasked with admitting, educating, and producing talented artists. So, highly selective art schools may distinguish students more by the quality of their art than by their record of academic achievement.
Degree Options
Most art schools allow students to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), a degree that dedicates the majority of coursework to studio art. Classes follow an intensive, hands-on structure focused on critiques, workshops, and mastery of technique. Because these programs are specialized, students often choose from a wide range of specific majors, from illustration to industrial design.
College and University Arts Programs
Arts programs at traditional colleges and universities vary widely. The most common are conservatory-style programs within a traditional liberal arts curriculum. For example, a student can pursue a degree within the School of Visual Arts at Boston University or the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of Southern California, all while meeting each university’s liberal arts academic distribution requirements. Small liberal arts colleges and undergraduate colleges at elite institutions like Harvard and Yale also offer undergraduate arts programs within their undergraduate colleges.
Admissions Process
These programs require a traditional admissions application as well as a portfolio portion. Because you don’t have to choose an individual school or college to apply to when applying to these kinds of institutions — as you are applying to the college directly — you need only indicate a major of interest on your application (or even indicate undecided or undeclared). This means that students interested in majoring in arts programs will be reviewed in the same way as students interested in majoring in non-arts programs.
The difference is that students interested in an arts program can submit additional materials to make their application more specialized toward their major of interest. These can be, for example, the same kinds of materials students would submit as part of a portfolio for art schools or art programs that require portfolio applications.
Degree Options
Universities with arts colleges and programs can offer excellent bachelor’s degrees in the visual arts, including a variety of majors. That said, there will typically be fewer and less specialized majors than an art school offers.
At institutions like BU or USC, which offer excellent arts programs in addition to top-notch business and engineering schools, arts students are encouraged to dabble in schools and colleges outside of their major. For example, a painting major at BU’s School of Visual Arts may also take business and marketing classes at the Questrom School of Business to learn valuable skills for a future career in the art world.
Some institutions that offer arts programs offer BFA programs, while others offer Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. The main difference is that a BFA requires that a larger percentage of a student’s total degree courses be taken in their arts major.
Other Factors to Consider
Finally, if you’re deciding whether to attend an art school or an art program at a college or university, consider some of your other priorities:
- Do you want to be surrounded only by other art students, or by students interested in a wide variety of disciplines?
- Do you want to double major or minor in another field unrelated to the arts, or do you want to be laser-focused on your craft?
Whatever you choose, both options can help you reach your goals as an aspiring artist.
Choosing between an art school and a university arts program ultimately comes down to your personal priorities, whether you prefer the intensive, specialized environment of a conservatory-style program or the broader academic experience found within a liberal arts curriculum. Both pathways offer meaningful opportunities for artistic growth, whether you want full immersion among fellow artists or the flexibility to explore multiple disciplines alongside your craft.
As you navigate this important decision, expert guidance can make all the difference. IvyWise’s team of experienced college admissions counselors can help you evaluate your goals, strengthen your portfolio, and build a strategic application plan tailored to your artistic aspirations. If you’re ready to take the next step toward the right-fit program, contact us today.
