The article actualizes scientific issues related to the development of effective goal-setting activities of art higher education institutions in Ukraine, which are aimed at ensuring sustainable development of art higher education and it will contribute to the development of the domestic economy in the international dimension. The priority directions of development of the system of art higher education with the subsequent formation of alternative management decisions on their successful realization are singled out. It has been noted the key role of innovative support of the organizational and economic mechanism of management of higher education institutions with art profile and bringing them in line with the progressive challenges and bold demands of modern markets of educational services and human capital. The applied significance of the article is to present management cases from European educational practice with the possibility of its approbation in the domestic system of higher art education. This will contribute to a more efficient and sound development of appropriate areas for improving organizational structures and processes, as well as appropriate subsystems of functional support of the mechanism of management of the higher education system in Ukraine.