Internationally-Acclaimed Residential Arts High School

Idyllwild Arts Academy

Idyllwild Arts Academy is the country’s premier and internationally-acclaimed residential arts high school. Ranked by Niche as the Best Private High School for the Arts in America, students (grades 9-12 & postgraduate) receive pre-professional training in the arts and a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum.

A group of students on stage.

New!

Semester Exchange Program

An immersive, single-semester experience at Idyllwild Arts Academy

Application Deadlines

Accepting Applications for Fall 2024

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis while space remains available. 

What's Happening

Admission Open House Events

If you are wondering whether Idyllwild Arts might be the right place for you or someone you know, please join us for one of our upcoming Open House events to experience our beautiful campus and learn more about our amazing school.

Students eating lunch.

What's Happening

News & Events

Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to our email newsletter to learn about events, performances, exhibitions, and more.

Where to Shop

Online Bookstore

Explore a curated collection of clothing, water bottles, jewelry and more!

Learn More About Idyllwild Arts

Chat with a Current Parent

With PeerPal, you can connect with current Idyllwild Arts Academy Parents to learn about their experience at our school. Ask questions, make connections, and discover the difference that Idyllwild Arts can make in your child..

Discover

The Idyllwild Arts Difference

Idyllwild Arts Academy is a residential high school that is global by design, and proud to welcome students from all over the world who are united by their passion for artistic excellence. Gifted young artists and thrive in our welcoming and supportive community under the tutelage of experienced, professional instructors. Benefiting from small class sizes, students explore their creative potential, sharpen their skills, and become Citizen Artists with the confidence and commitment to ignite meaningful change in the world.

5:1

Student-Teacher Ratio

30

Countries Represented

60%

Receive Scholarships or Aid

8

Art Majors

A Comprehensive Art Experience

A visual arts student alongside her work.
A fashion design student alongside her work.
Two film and digital media students.
A student with colorful face paint.
A cellist performing in the woods.
A theatre student acting on stage.

Art Majors

Talent and passion thrive within our unique dual curriculum. Idyllwild Artists get hands-on training and a customized education led by expert faculty who invest in every student’s potential and commit to every student’s success. Your journey starts here.

Students in class.
A faculty member teaching a Spanish class.
A humanities student reading outside.
A student showing a painting.

Academics

With a focus on critical thinking, innovative approaches, and creative problem solving, Idyllwild Arts Academy empowers students to become lifelong learners and engaged citizens of the world. Every course inspires holistic, critical thinking, fosters innovative problem-solving, and ignites imagination.

Arts enterprise lab dance performance.

Signature Programs

Idyllwild Arts believes that art is the greatest teacher of humanity, and only at Idyllwild Arts can you find one-of-a-kind Signature Programs that go beyond the curriculum to expand achievement and empower students to make a lasting impact on the world. Arts Enterprise Laboratory and Art in Society promote intercultural understanding, enlist advocacy, and cultivate entrepreneurial agency all while re-envisioning the artist’s contributions to society.

Idyllwild, California on a state map.

Our Location

Centrally located between Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, Idyllwild Arts’ picturesque campus is set on 205 acres of pristine pine forest in the renowned arts village of Idyllwild in Southern California’s San Jacinto Mountains.

Learn More About Idyllwild Arts

Idyllwild Arts is one of the most supportive, enriching, and artistically vibrant environments I have ever experienced. I was offered a wealth of creative opportunities and exposed to a unique community of artists from around the globe.

Why think of art as an isolated endeavor, when it can shape and profoundly impact our communities? Our students use their art to shape social, economic, technological, and environmental change as only creative thinkers can.

As a filmmaker, I learned so much about my personal taste and my strengths from making movies at Idyllwild Arts. That has really allowed me to make use of my time in college and start making things I’m proud of sooner.

See what’s happening at Idyllwild Arts.