University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, North Carolina · Public · 30.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts scores 25 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. This score requires context: UNCSA is a specialized conservatory whose graduates pursue arts careers with earnings that do not match those of general university graduates. The financial case is blunt - $28,100 average 6-year earnings, a 59.5-year payback period, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.849, and a 67.8% repayment rate. The completion rate of 77.8% is the strongest sub-score and reflects the institution's conservatory rigor: students who are admitted and commit to the program tend to finish. In-state tuition of $9,477 and a net price of $14,906 make UNCSA a public arts access point. Film/Video (75 graduates, $24,053 year-one, F-grade), Drama/Theatre (90 graduates, $21,229 year-one, F-grade), and Dance (34 graduates, $14,201 year-one, F-grade) all carry F-grade debt-to-earnings ratios. Music (30 graduates, $34,022 four-year, ROI grade C) is the school's highest-graded reported program. Students choosing UNCSA are not primarily making a financial decision - they are making a vocational and artistic commitment. The ROI score reflects what the Scorecard measures; it does not measure artistic achievement, career longevity in the arts, or non-financial satisfaction.
How University of North Carolina School of the Arts scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,477/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,211/yr |
| Average net price | $14,906/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $59,624 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,357 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,870 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $253 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 77.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 945 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $9,477/year ($27,211/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $14,906/year, or roughly $59,624 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $3,165/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,172/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,870, which works out to about $253 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,100) and comes to 0.85, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $3,165 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,828 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,491 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,173 |
| $110,001+ | $25,172 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 income bracket pay $3,165 net price per year - approximately $12,660 over four years. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $7,828. For low-income students with genuine professional arts talent, UNCSA at $3,000-$8,000 per year is the most affordable route to conservatory training available at this level of instruction quality.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $11,491 per year; the 75001-110000 bracket pays $20,173. Aid declines sharply as income rises. Middle-income families paying $11,000-$20,000 per year for conservatory training will see a financial return that the Scorecard earnings data characterizes as poor, but this is the price of professional arts training that would cost $60,000+ per year at equivalent private conservatories.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $25,172 per year - $100,688 all-in. The 59.5-year payback period and F-grade program ROI reflect the earnings structure of arts careers - not the quality of the training or the career prospects of the most talented graduates.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at University of North Carolina School of the Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $48,664 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,000 | F |
| Dance | $32,463 | F |
| Music | $34,022 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Music
Music is UNCSA's highest-graded reported program: 30 graduates, $34,022 four-year median earnings, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.680 (ROI grade C). Year-one data is not reported. The C grade reflects that music graduates - performing artists, educators, and music directors - reach earnings in the mid-$30k range by four years post-graduation.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video is the highest-volume program at UNCSA with 75 graduates. Year-one earnings of $24,053 and four-year of $41,000 produce a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.123 (ROI grade F). Graduates carry $27,000 median debt against $24k year-one earnings - a ratio that makes the first years of repayment genuinely difficult. The four-year trajectory to $41k suggests most film graduates find footholds in the industry, but the early earnings gap is real. UNCSA's film program is nationally respected; the financial reality for early-career film professionals reflects industry-wide earnings patterns.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama/Theatre has 90 graduates - the largest single program by count. Year-one earnings of $21,229 and four-year of $48,664 produce a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.158 (ROI grade F). The four-year trajectory to $49k is actually encouraging - theatre graduates who establish careers see meaningful earnings growth from a very low starting point. Median debt of $24,592 against $21k year-one earnings creates genuine early-career financial pressure. This is the vocational risk that pre-professional theatre training carries, and admitted students should plan their debt accordingly.
Dance
Dance has 34 graduates with $14,201 year-one earnings and $32,463 four-year. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.620 (ROI grade F) against $23,000 median debt. Dance is a field with extremely compressed professional earnings and short career windows for performers. Students who choose dance at UNCSA should minimize debt aggressively - the Scorecard data reflects the financial reality of professional dance employment, not a calibration error.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of North Carolina School of the Arts’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 30.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 540-650 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 600-720 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 22-29 |
| Enrollment | 945 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 26.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,980 |
At 30.0%, UNCSA is selectively admitting students based primarily on artistic audition and portfolio review, not just academic credentials. SAT mid-ranges (540-650 Math, 600-720 Reading) are surprisingly strong for an arts conservatory, suggesting UNCSA attracts well-rounded applicants. The 30% admit rate reflects genuine artistic screening.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
UNCSA (ROI 25) sits in the Below Benchmark tier as a conservatory by Scorecard metrics.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts (this school) | 25 | $14,906 | $38,357 |
| East Carolina University | 61 | $15,739 | $55,146 |
| Appalachian State University | 58 | $16,836 | $51,836 |
| Adams State University | 29 | $12,980 | $44,372 |
| Henderson State University | 25 | $23,405 | $43,459 |
| Salish Kootenai College | 18 | $7,945 | $32,725 |
Who Thrives Here
UNCSA admits 30.0% of applicants and enrolls 945 students in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. SAT mid-ranges are 540-650 Math and 600-720 Reading - higher than the earnings data might suggest, reflecting the selective admissions process and the academic preparation UNCSA expects alongside artistic audition. The Pell grant rate of 26.3% indicates moderate economic diversity. Students admitted to UNCSA are talented pre-professional artists who have already accepted the tradeoffs of conservatory education. The financial profile here is not a warning to disqualified students; it is an accurate depiction of arts earnings that admitted students should understand clearly before borrowing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of North Carolina School of the Arts scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,906 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,357 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: its 77.8% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,870 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts: Common Questions
Is University of North Carolina School of the Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of North Carolina School of the Arts scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,906 a year after aid against $38,357 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of North Carolina School of the Arts cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $14,906 a year, or roughly $59,624 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do University of North Carolina School of the Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,357 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of North Carolina School of the Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,870, against average earnings of $28,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina School of the Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 77.8%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.