Idyllwild Arts Academy

Residential Arts High School

Idyllwild Arts Academy is an internationally acclaimed boarding arts high school where education is guided by the belief that art is the greatest teacher of humanity. Ranked by Niche as the #1 High School for the Arts in America, Idyllwild Arts Academy equips students (grades 9-12 & postgraduate) with the tools to leverage their own imagination to change themselves and the world around them.

Who We Are

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#1 High School for the Arts in America

Accepting Applications for Fall 2025

Idyllwild Arts Academy is the country’s premier and internationally-acclaimed residential arts high school. Ranked by Niche as the #1 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.

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What's Happening

Idyllwild Arts Community Day

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Join us on campus for Community Day, our biggest fundraising event of the year, where you’ll experience the essence of Idyllwild Arts. Enjoy performances and exhibitions from students across Dance, Music, Creative Writing, Fashion, Dramatic Arts, and InterArts, as well as inspiring lectures and masterclasses by select IA faculty.

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New!

Semester Exchange Program

An immersive, single-semester experience at Idyllwild Arts Academy

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Application Deadlines

Accepting Applications for Fall 2025

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

Admission Process

Apply Now

What's Happening

News & Events

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Where to Shop

Online Bookstore

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

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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..

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The Idyllwild Arts Difference

Idyllwild Arts Academy is a residential art high school in California 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 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.

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Academy Viewbook

5:1

Student-Teacher Ratio

30

Countries Represented

60%

Receive Scholarships or Aid

8

Art Majors

A visual arts student alongside her work.

A fashion design student alongside her work.

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.

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A faculty member teaching a Spanish class.

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.

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Arts Enterprise Laboratory

Idyllwild Arts believes that art is the greatest teacher of humanity, and only at this arts boarding school can students participate in a trailblazing extracurricular program that combines grants, strategic partnerships, masterclasses, and alumni engagements to provide unrivaled real-world training, exposure, and experiences.

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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.

Guide to Idyllwild

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Admission

Our Campus

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.