School of Visual Arts

A person in a gray hoodie wearing air pods works on a wall mural A person in a gray hoodie wearing air pods works on a wall mural
Illustration of a retro disco ball emanating baby blue light. Illustration of a retro disco ball emanating baby blue light.
A student and instructor appear to be in conversation; the setting is a painting studio with many canvases, brushes, and other art supplies. A student and instructor appear to be in conversation; the setting is a painting studio with many canvases, brushes, and other art supplies.
Rendering of an exhibition design for the film director Denis Villeneuve, which features a huge, undulating sand installation and planet-like orbs suspended from the ceiling. Rendering of an exhibition design for the film director Denis Villeneuve, which features a huge, undulating sand installation and planet-like orbs suspended from the ceiling.
A group of students pose for a photo in an undergraduate admissions facility with bright colored posters on the wall. A group of students pose for a photo in an undergraduate admissions facility with bright colored posters on the wall.
Mock-ups of musical concert posters overlayed with elaborate gold picture frames. Mock-ups of musical concert posters overlayed with elaborate gold picture frames.
A teacher and student in an educational setting examine a 3D printed mini model A teacher and student in an educational setting examine a 3D printed mini model
Rendering of three simple objects—a pyramid, a sphere suspended on an acrylic frame, and an iridescent cube—rest on a bean shaped table. Rendering of three simple objects—a pyramid, a sphere suspended on an acrylic frame, and an iridescent cube—rest on a bean shaped table.

Accelerate Your Ingenuity

Accelerate Your Creative Vision

Accelerate Your Professional Growth

Accelerate Your Inventiveness

Accelerate Your Collaboration Skills

Accelerate Your Creativity

Accelerate Your Critical Thinking

Accelerate Your Artistic Awakening

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The 3rd Avenue and East 23rd Street Corner Signs with an official “SVA Way” sign underneath (Left); The 23rd Street building with two SVA NYC banners hanging above as students walk below.

Welcome to our urban campus, a slice of New York City life.

A subway station poster with an illustration of a pencil shaving and the words “Stay Sharp (left); Four different posters made by SVA Faculty over the years.

“Stay Sharp” (2024) poster by Riccardo Vecchio on a subway platform (left); more SVA subway posters by (clockwise from top right) Peter Hristoff, Marshall Arisman, Gary Panter, and Carol Fabricatore.

Students reading at a round table with shelves of books around them (left); A student working on a painting on the wall while another works at a desk.

Interior of SVA Library (left); students working in a classroom facility.

A skyline showcasing differently sized buildings, some made of brick, others made of concrete.

New York City skyline as seen from the 23rd Street Residence, which exclusively houses first-year students.

An archival picture of students listening to a lecture (left); Two people observing a drawing at a desk.

An SVA drawing class circa 1960, courtesy of SVA Archives.

We are School of Visual Arts

SVA is a leader in the education of artists, designers, and creative professionals.

By the Numbers

75+

Years Educating

Artists

56

Countries

Represented

46

States

Represented

30

Degree-Granting

Programs

1,500+

Course 

Offerings

35

Extracurricular

Clubs

9:1

Student-to-Faculty

Ratio

43,000

Global Alumni

Community

#1 Best 2D Animation School In the World

The Rookies 2024 Global School Rankings

#1 Best Illustration Schools in the U.S.

The Art Career Project 2024

Best Fine Arts Programs

U.S. News & World Report Best Grad Schools Rankings

See More Rankings

Our Community

Major happenings from around the College, including news, events, exhibitions, and more.

A translucent humanoid figure with vibrant neon colors flowing across their body stands in profile against a cosmic backdrop featuring a spiral galaxy, explosive nebula clouds, and a star-filled space. A translucent humanoid figure with vibrant neon colors flowing across their body stands in profile against a cosmic backdrop featuring a spiral galaxy, explosive nebula clouds, and a star-filled space.

‘Not Yet, Yet Still’ Brings Themes of Migration and Identity to SVA Gramercy Gallery

Two hands rest atop a surface, the left drawing vertical lines with their fingers, the right pointing creating the words "I Was Here" out of a sandy texture. Below this semi-transparent texture is a forested landscape with a figure standing atop a mountain as a rainbow radiates around them.

October 2025 Exhibitions and Events at SVA

Photograph of a director in a red shirt standing with his hand on his chest beside a teenage actor with short curly blonde hair wearing a navy and gray athletic jacket in a classroom

From Sketch Comedian to Horror Auteur: Alumnus Zach Cregger

A photograph of Citi Field, the home stadium of the New York Mets, at night. There are bright, colorful lights and fireworks going off.

“An Out-of-Body Experience”: Kobe Ligon on Photographing the New York Mets

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Currently on View

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Your Work Belongs at SVA

Picture yourself at SVA, where students and established artists alike exhibit work at our four brick-and-mortar galleries.

Highlighted STUDENT EXHIBITIONS

    @SVANYC’s Latest TikToks

    A sneak peek at what our faculty and students are up to, day in and day out!

VISIT OUR TIKTOK VISIT OUR YOUTUBE

After SVA

Our alumni go on to have extraordinary careers across a wide range of creative fields.

Two-time nominee, Emmy Award, The Nevers • Visual effects supervisor and second unit director, The Nevers • Visual effects supervisor, The Penguin • Visualization artist, Deadpool & Wolverine • CG supervisor, Star Trek Into Darkness and Pacific Rim • Effects animator, Spider-Man 3 and Superman Returns
Johnny Han • Computer Art
Artist, “The Giverny Suite,” The Museum of Modern Art • Artist, “Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art, 1905 – 2016,” Whitney Museum of American Art • Honoree, Guggenheim Fellow • Recipient, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program grant, The Evidence of Things Not Seen • Permanent collection, Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery
Ja'Tovia Gary • Social Documentary Film
Co-founder, Morcos Key • Recipient, Black Design Visionaries Impact Grant, sponsored by Instagram and Brooklyn Museum • Co-founder and design director, Codify Art • Honoree, Forbes 30 Under 30, Art & Style • Author, Black, Queer, & Untold: A New Archive of Designers, Artists, & Trailblazers
Jon Key • Design Research, Writing, and Criticism
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There is no creative culture of New York City without SVA.


LAURIE CUMBO

Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, New York City