With the Estonian Minister of Education and Research' Act no.145 from February 10, 2007, the EKA was accredited by an international expert committee as an institution.

The founders based the original curriculum on that of the art school founded by Baron Alexander von Stieglitz in St. Petersburg.

From 1959 to 1989 the rector of ERKI was Jaan Vares, under whose leadership the school became, in spite of the pressure of Soviet ideology, a popular educational institution with liberal attitudes and European standards, where students of up to 20 nationalities studied throughout several decades and where several generations of Estonian artists have acquired their education.

In 1978 a foundation was laid to the unique tradition of Finno-Ugric expeditions of ERKI under the leadership of Professor Kaljo Põllu.

The name was certified in 1996. International contacts of the school increased greatly: student and teaching staff exchanges, participation in SOCRATES, Leonardo da Vinci, Tempus Phare etc.

Development of the academy was supported by the new economic and financial system, which brought along some bad decisions, but which eventually started to pull the school out of the recession.

One of the main turning points was the provision of a new concept of teaching, which was based on a Western model – lifelong learning or continuous education.

In 2002 the curriculum of the EKA was updated according to principles of the Bologna Declaration, bringing them into compliance with the standard system of levels of higher education implemented in the European Union.

In 2005 textile artist Signe Kivi was elected rector of The Estonian Academy of Arts (Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia 1999–2001; member of Parliament 2002–2005).

In the 2006 spring semester (March 31), the Council of the EKA approved the decision to start construction of a new building for the Estonian Academy of Arts, at the historical location of Tartu Maantee 1.

In 2013, however, the Council decided for another location: the former building of the Suva stockings factory, at the corner of Kotzebue tänav and Põhja puiestee in the subdistrict of Kalamaja.