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Willamette University

Reimagine Everything

Explore and experiment in the creative heart of Portland
Portland, OR
PNCA students sitting outside studying
PNCA's main campus building.

Apply to PNCA for Your BFA

Deadlines are just another medium to tackle. Submit your PNCA application by Saturday, November 15 and not only will you be first in line for an admission decision, you’ll automatically lock in a $1,000 renewable scholarship (on top of any other financial aid). Your art is serious. So is this scholarship.

Early Deadline = Early Wins

Your Future Starts Now

Hit submit by 11:59 PST on Saturday, November 15th with your completed online application, artist statement, portfolio, and transcripts. Do it now, and you’ll get your admission decision before the year ends.

Apply to PNCA Now
Portfolio Tips
A person takes a photo of artwork
A PNCA student at the local food truck on campus

High school student? You’re Invited to National Portfolio Day at PNCA

We are hosting the 2025 Portland National Portfolio Day. It’s your chance to get direct feedback on your work, meet other art schools, and tour PNCA. This event is free and specifically designed for aspiring art and design students.

Portfolio Reviews. PNCA Vibes. National Exposure.

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Start your morning at PNCA with breakfast, a tour, and a behind-the-scenes look at life as a PNCA student. Then, from noon to 4 p.m., it’s all about you and your portfolio. Bring you sketches, your work, and your big ideas. Leave with critique and feedback, and maybe even a dream school or two in your sights.

Register for National Portfolio Day
PNCA students in the photography lab on campus
A PNCA student works in a print studio

Burnout Is Out. Wellness Is In.

The old-school model of art education glorified overwork, exhaustion, isolation, and self-neglect, all dressed up as “commitment.” It’s as if suffering were a rite of passage.

At PNCA, we're done with that. We’re reimagining what creative work looks like when it’s rooted in wellness, community, and long-term impact.

Rethinking Creative Success

Your Creativity and Well-Being Flourish Together

At PNCA, success isn’t about survival, it’s about growth. We nurture your talent, strengthen your career resilience, and equip you with responsive skills to thrive in the studio, the workplace, and the world. An arts education should expand your well-being, not diminish it.

Wellness Resources
A PNCA student standing in a studio looking at artwork on the wall
Two PNCA students standing back to back in a park in downtown Portland, Oregon
Wellness as a framework for creativity? It works.

Our programs

Explore PNCA

Discover how you can turn knowledge into action through our undergraduate and graduate programs, or take a closer look at what it’s like to live and learn in the Pacific Northwest.
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A PNCA student stands on a ladder painting artwork.

Visit Our Campus

A visit is the best way to immerse yourself in our vibrant campus and city. Come by for a campus tour, and an admissions counselor will help review your portfolio ahead of your application.

pnca main campus

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