The New Hampshire Institute of Art was established as the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences in 1898. From the Institute’s outset, it has had a firm commitment to educating diverse traditional and nontraditional students in the fine arts. As an art college accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the Institute offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Certificate Programs and a strong Continuing Education program. A dedicated faculty promote intellectual and artistic development and teach students to respond artistically to contemporary social, political, and aesthetic issues.

The New Hampshire Institute of Art supports excellence in teaching and recruits practicing artists, working writers, designers, and arts-oriented liberal arts faculty who are highly qualified educators and community members. They provide curriculum that balances the teaching of technical skills with the development of critical, intellectual, and creative abilities.

The New Hampshire Institute of Art, in Fall 2007, had enrollment of 315 BFA students consisting of both commuter and residential students. Of the BFA student population, approximately 70% are female and 30% are male. In Fall 2007 half of the student body lived on-campus in one of the three residence halls. Ninety-five percent of BFA students are from the New England states. The Institute's retention rate is comparable of other independent colleges of art.