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Willamette University

Reimagine Everything

Explore and experiment in the creative heart of Portland
Portland, OR
The PNCA Admissions office lobby
A group of students work on a painting together at PNCA

PNCA Applications are Officially Open

You’ve made the work. Filled the sketchbooks. Lost track of time making something because you had to see where it went. Now take the next step and apply to PNCA.

We’re Ready for You

Start Your PNCA Application

Applying is pretty straightforward. Submit your application through PNCA or the Common App, then show us what you’ve been making and thinking about. Your work doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. (That’s kind of the point.)

Start Your Application
A PNCA student shows their work to people at campus
Closeup of a person illustrating artwork in a notebook
PNCA starts with the art you’re already making.

Attention Oregon Artists: Full Tuition Could Be Within Reach

If cost has made you question whether art school is possible, take another look at PNCA. Our new full-tuition scholarship can cover remaining tuition for eligible Oregon students, giving you more freedom to focus on what you’re here to do, like make, experiment, and build your future as an artist or designer.

New for Fall 2027

Oregon Arts Access Scholarship at PNCA

Eligible Oregon residents from families with an adjusted gross income of less than $80,000 annually may qualify for coverage of their remaining full-time tuition after eligible federal and state grants are applied. Apply to PNCA, submit your portfolio, and complete the FAFSA by the required deadlines.

Explore the Scholarship
An interior view of PNCA's main campus building.
People visit one of the art galleries at PNCA campus
Make your work. Find your people. Build your creative future in Portland.

The Art Schools Are Coming to Portland

At Portland National Portfolio Day, you can get free, personalized feedback from art schools from around the world. And maybe discover a few possibilities you hadn’t considered yet. Join us at PNCA on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Critique Without the Grade

Get Feedback from Art Schools Around the World

Bring finished work, works in progress, sketchbooks, experiments, and the pieces you’re still figuring out. Representatives from schools will be at PNCA to talk with you one-on-one. Want to get an earlier start? Students and families can join PNCA for a morning info session from 9 to 10 a.m., complete with coffee and pastries.

Register for Portland National Portfolio Day at PNCA
National Portfolio Day at PNCA
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Come with questions.

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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People look at artwork at the PNCA First Thursday event.

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.

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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.