Refer to the list of 31 independently established art colleges.

Central Academy of Fine Arts, Central Academy of Drama, Central Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing Film Academy, Beijing Dance Academy, Chinese Academy of Opera, Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang Conservatory of Music , Jilin University of the Arts, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Theater Academy, Nanjing University of the Arts, China Academy of Art, Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute, Shandong University of the Arts, Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Shandong Institute of Arts and Crafts, Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Guangxi University of the Arts, Sichuan University of Fine Arts, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Yunnan University of the Arts, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, Xi'an Conservatory of Music, Xinjiang University of the Arts, and People's Liberation Army Art College.

The 13 reference independent universities are: Tsinghua University, Communication University of China, Minzu University of China, Donghua University, Jiangnan University, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Tianjin University of Technology, Fudan University Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, Beijing Institute of Graphic Arts (only for undergraduate majors in art and design), Suzhou University (only for undergraduate majors in art and design), Zhejiang University of Communication (only for 4 undergraduate majors in broadcasting and hosting arts, radio and television directing, photography, and recording arts), Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (only (Limited to undergraduate majors in art and design), Inner Mongolia University (limited to 3 undergraduate majors in music performance, performance, and musicology).