Fine Arts Schools NAICS 611610

Sep 10, 2025 - New York City Art Schools See Surge In Gen Z Applications

• Fine arts programs in New York City are receiving record-high applications, according to Gothamist. Small, independent organizations may see greater demand from K-12 students who hope to enroll in post-secondary fine arts programs. Pratt Institute, which has an annual tuition of around $62,000, has a waiting list for its painting and drawing programs, which both enrolled their largest classes in recent history this past fall. The School of Visual Arts also reported an increase in fine arts major applications. Applications to arts programs at Parsons School of Design have risen 64% since 2016. The trend is not limited to private schools. Hunter College, the Fashion Institute of Technology and LaGuardia Community College — all public schools where in-state tuition is less than $10,000 annually — reported increases in fine arts applicants. Education experts contacted by Gothamist said that it’s particularly surprising to see an uptick in arts programs because uncertain economic times are typically correlated with more students choosing pre-professional tracks that are considered safer investments, but at a time when AI threatens many workers' job security, the arts may have a leg up on more traditional career tracks because they can offer a comforting, human sense of purpose.
• President Trump signed an executive order requiring all agencies to review grants and contracts for wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse. Contributions, gifts, and grants account for about 30% of revenue for nonprofit institutions including fine arts schools. The order also directed agency leaders to build a payment and contract recording system alongside employees of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Teams of DOGE personnel have been assigned to each agency to develop the system, which will be used to review and justify all expenditures made by employees.

• Adults who created art and/or attended arts events within the previous month were more likely than those who did not to participate in social groups like church groups, unions, fraternal or athletic groups, according to research conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts. About 46% of arts creators reported not belonging to a social group while about 57% of non-creators—reported not belonging to a social group.
• Fine art school industry employment increased moderately during the first five months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fine arts school sales are forecast to increase at a 1.33% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.