NASAD Accreditation for Studio Art
High Point University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Founded in 1944, NASAD sets national standards for art and design degrees in the United States, and its accreditation covers the Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art.
NASAD review examines curriculum, faculty qualifications, studio facilities and verified student achievement, and it repeats on a regular cycle.
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
Students who want the professional studio degree can choose the BFA with a concentration in General Fine Arts.
Ten Classes of Full Placement
Since 2015, every Studio Art graduate who sought employment has found it, and every graduate who applied to continue their education was accepted. That record runs ten consecutive graduating classes.
NASAD asks accredited programs to publish student achievement data. The year-by-year report is on the Studio Art program page.
Graduate Programs on Two Continents
Studio Art graduates have been accepted to Carnegie Mellon for arts management, George Washington University for art therapy and museum studies, the University of Leicester for art museum and gallery studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the University of Illinois at Chicago for biomedical visualization.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments, judged against CUR’s Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research.
Visiting Artists
Recent visiting artists include painter Monique Rollins and potter Ben Owen III, whose work is held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Smithsonian.
Studio Art Program Ranking
College Factual ranked High Point University #6 in its 2027 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in North Carolina list, which weighs graduation rates, earnings after graduation, affordability and program focus. HPU also ranks #20 in the Southeast Region.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
What Studio Art Students Say About the Program
Students in Studio Art and related majors describe how HPU prepared them for their careers.
Kristin Stazzone
Studio Art major · Junior Graphic Designer, Green Room Communications
“High Point helped get me to where I am today by giving me the opportunity to push myself and achieve the goals I set for myself.”
Madeline Murray
Studio Art major · Creative Arts Therapy Counseling graduate program, Hofstra University
“After switching from interior design to studio art, my academic advisor, Mark Brown, believed in me and saw my potential when I felt unsure.”
Gina Figliozzi
Studio Art major · Digital Comics Intern, Marvel Entertainment
“HPU provided extremely inspirational professors who encouraged and pushed me to apply myself in professional and academic endeavors.”
Studio Art in the News
Mark Brown
HPU Awards and Honors: March 2026
Mark Brown, associate professor of art and chair of the Studio Art and Graphic Design program, has been selected as the juror for this year’s National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. He will have $25,000 in awards to distribute based on his assessment.
Explore Studio Art at High Point University
See the courses studio art majors take and where HPU studio art graduates go next.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Mark Brown, chair of the Department of Art and Graphic Design, at [email protected].