The Onstead Institute is within the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design — one of the public university's most comprehensive arts and design programs. Considered one of the best art schools in the South and Southwest with program areas in art education, the college offers a Ph.D. in art education and a broad range of studio and design practice. The college’s faculty are master artists, designers, and scholars who are known internationally.

By partnering with CVAD faculty and students — as well as with schools, museums, galleries, cultural arts organizations, and others throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth region — the Onstead Institute functions as a platform that fosters programs, collaborative initiatives, research, and resources at the leading-edge of K-12 art education.