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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Art History

434 Ranked Colleges
3,512 Degrees Awarded
$36,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Art History Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Art History Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 3,512 people earned their degree in art history, making the major the 192nd most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Art History Major” ranking, we looked at 434 colleges that offer a degree in art history. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in art history.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Art History Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Art History Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Art History Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Art History Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for art history students.

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s art history degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Art History at New York University

2

Out of the 434 schools in the Most Well Attended Art History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 98 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Art History Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Art History Major. Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY is a private for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Art History at Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY

4

Out of the 434 schools in the Most Well Attended Art History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 68 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at UCLA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s art history degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Art History Report

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #6. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s art history degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at Hunter College

7

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #7. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 47 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at UT Austin

8
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s art history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full George Washington University Art History Report

9

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Art History at University of California - Berkeley

10
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #10. Barnard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 33 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Art History at Barnard College

11
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s art history degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Art History at University of Chicago

11
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Art History Major list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 32 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at Florida State University

13
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 31 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Emory University Art History Report

14
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #14. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s art history degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Princeton University Art History Report

14

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Art History Major list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s art history degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Art History Report

14
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

With a ranking of #14, Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major list. Bard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Bard Art History Report

14

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Art History Major list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 30 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Art History at U-M

18
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Art History Major list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 29 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at Harvard University

19
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s art history students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Yale Art History Report

19
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s art history degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Art History at The Graduate Center, CUNY

19

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #19. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 28 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Art History Report

22
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Art History Major list. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 27 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Art History at Syracuse University

22
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #22. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s art history degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Art History at New School University

24

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 26 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Art History at UC Santa Cruz

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 26 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Art History at University of California - Riverside

24

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Art History at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

24

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Art History Major ranking, coming in at #24. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 26 ’s art history degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Art History Report

Rest of the Best 48 in Most Well Attended Art History Major

Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

28
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri
29
29
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
31
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
31
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York
31
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
31
35
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
35
37
37
39
39
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
39
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California
39
Blinn College crest
Blinn College
Brenham, Texas
39
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
39
39
39
39
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
39
39
39
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Art History Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
51University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
51Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
51University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
51University of KansasLawrence, KS
56University of FloridaGainesville, FL
56Duke UniversityDurham, NC
56Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
56University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
56American UniversityWashington, DC
56Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA
62Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
62Purchase CollegePurchase, NY
62Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
62University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
RankCollegeLocation
62Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA

Notes and References

References

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