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2025 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee

10 Colleges in Tennessee
460 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,338 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity, fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 460 degrees in fine & studio arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School

Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee Your choice of fine & studio arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Fine & Studio Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in Tennessee

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Fine Arts

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In TN
29.2% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Vanderbilt University if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Vanderbilt University

2
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In TN

Belmont University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #237 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were roughly 15 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Belmont University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,661 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat The University of Tennessee - Knoxville if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #226 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were about 42 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,661.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,084 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts has to look into Middle Tennessee State University. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro. This university ranks 18th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 62 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts program at Middle Tennessee State University get $2,746 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Middle Tennessee State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,451 Median Starting Salary

UofM is a very large public university located in the large city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #807 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 64 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career income of $26,451.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Memphis

6
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In TN
40.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 20 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Lee University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$21,766 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 53 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career income of $21,766.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$19,231 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 19th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 21 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Tech University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn about $19,231 for their early career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Tennessee Technological University

9

Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #802 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career earnings of $16,696.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from East Tennessee State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
10.4% Growth in Graduates

Austin Peay State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Clarksville. This university ranks 25th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 48 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent data year. After graduation, fine arts degree recipients typically make around $19,157 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Austin Peay State University

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 945
Florida 282 1,339
North Carolina 279 707
Virginia 274 761
South Carolina 248 347
Kentucky 244 375
Louisiana 242 370
Mississippi 234 130
Arkansas 234 221
Alabama 233 377
West Virginia 207 119

View All Rankings >

Fine & Studio Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Fine Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Art Studies 275
Fine Arts 138
Art History 41
Painting 6

View All Fine Arts Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 822
Arts & Media Management 583
Design & Applied Arts 372
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 271
Drama & Theater Arts 232
General Visual & Performing Arts 78
Dance 15
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 1

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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