Higher education became free of charge which allowed more young people to pursue a career in theatre.

The Academy started off as a temporary, two-year theatre course at the Ivan Vazov National Theater.

The School was initially housed at 43 Vasil Levski Boulevard, but the building turned out to be too small to accommodate all of its students.

In 1955, the Institute received a new building with three stages and a larger audience capacity, located at 108A Rakovski Street.

In 1966, the Training Puppet Theater was inaugurated with a performance of The Carnival of the Animals to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns, directed and written by Nikolina Georgieva.

On 1 August 1995, the university received its current name: Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theater and Film Arts.