The Victorian College of the Arts has a distinguished history. Our foundation school, the School of Art, was originally the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, which admitted its first students in 1867. The School’s graduates went on to become some of Australia’s most significant artists and include Fred McCubbin, Tom Roberts, Rupert Bunney, Arthur Boyd, Clara Southern, Margaret Preston, Joy Hester, Clifton Pugh and Fred Williams.

In 1972 the VCA was proclaimed, and in 1973 the School of Art became the first school of the Victorian College of the Arts, to be joined one year later by the School of Music. The School of Drama was established in 1975 and the School of Dance in 1979. In 1966 Swinburne Institute of Technology set up a School of Film and Television and at the beginning of 1992 the School became part of the VCA. Also in that year, further expansion of the College took place when the fine arts programs of the former Faculty of Art and Design, Victoria College, were incorporated into the School of Art. In 2001 the School of Production was created, emerging from its status as a department within the School of Drama.

On 1 July, 1991 the VCA became an affiliated college of The University of Melbourne and all its academic programs were accredited by the University and became subject to its quality control. This was followed by full integration with the University on 1 January, 2007, at which time the VCA became formally titled the "Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts". This integration has been implemented in a way that endeavours to preserve the distinctive character and mission of the Victorian College of the Arts while extending its capacity to fulfil the special role it has as a leading visual and performing arts training institution within the Australian higher education sector.

Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School
Formally associated with the College is the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS). Since 1978 the secondary school has provided specialised training in either dance or music in conjunction with a general education program over years 7 to 12. VCASS also delivers the general education program to students of the Australian Ballet School and the Australian Institute of Sport gymnasts and tennis program.