Admissions — American College of the Building Arts

Applying for Admission to American College of the Building Arts

ACBA is now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 Semester. Applications for Fall 2025 admissions closes on May 30, 2025.

We encourage you to tour ACBA in person to experience the uniqueness of the college firsthand. During the tour, you’ll have the chance to talk to other students and faculty members to learn their take on this unique educational experience. ACBA hosts Open House monthly. Please join us for breakfast 8:45am with followed by the Open House tour running from 9am to 12.30pm. To register for an Open House date, click here.

Spaces are limited within each trade specialization, therefore we recommend submitting your application as early as possible in the trade of your choice. Please complete all of the requirements for admissions as outlined below.

Click on the image at right to view or download the Student Prospectus. To see our work in action, check out our most recent impact here.

Requirements for admission

Application form and $50 application fee

Personal essay outlining your educational and career goals
Creative portfolio (digital or print)
Official transcript(s) from all schools attended
Official SAT, ACT or CLT scores
Personal Interview
Optional - letters of recommendation

Transcript(s) from all schools attended

Students preparing to graduate from a public or private high school should have their school send an official copy of their most current official high school transcript directly from the institution.
Students who have graduated high school should ask their previous high school to include a copy of their diploma.
Home School applicants should ask the parent(s) to submit a transcript showing successful completion of all your requirements, which vary by state and organization used to establish the curriculum.
Those who have been enrolled in college before (whether completing a degree or not), ask your college to send official transcripts to determine which classes might transfer to ACBA.

Please ensure all completed documents are sent to admissions@acba.edu.

ACT, SAT or CLT scores:

To apply to ACBA*, our Admissions Committee relies on a variety of considerations to put together a complete picture of the applicant. ACBA’s goal is for you to succeed inside our building and in life beyond. All measures are taken in to account for each individual applicant. Lower scores can be overcome by a good GPA, portfolio, interview, essay, etc. Put together an application packet that reflects why one test doesn't define you!

*Test scores are not required if you graduated high school more than five years ago.

Creative Portfolios

ACBA’s Admissions Committee is interested in seeing your artistic side. Applicants are therefore required to submit a portfolio of artisan/craft experience and completed work, showcasing your artistic and creative skills and experience. Experience in your desired craft specialization, however, is not always a prerequisite for admission to the college.

The portfolio should demonstrate work or artistic ability. Please specify your personal contributions to projects on which you may have collaborated. The portfolio can be a representation of you through photos of work, videos, drawings, sculpture, photography, written works, miniature models, or guild/club participation. Make sure to include a short description of each piece of work.

Portfolios become a permanent part of your admission file and will not be returned.

Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are recommended as part of your application package, but not required. Up to three people (not related to you) with the knowledge to assess your potential as a candidate for admission should submit their letter directly to the Office of Admissions.