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2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major

740 Ranked Colleges
11,922 Degrees Awarded
$30,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Fine Arts 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 Fine Arts Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,922 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 740 colleges that offer a degree in fine arts. To top this list, a school must have a successful fine arts program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The fine arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major”.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 678 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fine Arts Report

2

Out of the 740 schools in the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 323 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Cal State Fullerton Fine Arts Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 204 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about Fine Arts at California State University - Long Beach

4

Out of the 740 schools in the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 156 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of North Texas

5
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 147 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at San Jose State University

6

With a ranking of #6, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 129 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at CCNY

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 117 degrees to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Florida State

9

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 114 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Arlington

10
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Bard College is located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Bard College

11
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 108 ’s fine arts degrees 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 full report on Fine Arts at Hunter

12

With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 107 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Fine Arts Report

13

With a ranking of #13, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

13

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Louisiana State University

15

With a ranking of #15, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Colorado State is a large public school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 101 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Fine Arts at Colorado State

16

Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #16. Fashion Institute of Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 100 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Fine Arts Report

17

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 98 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Fine Arts Report

18
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Fine Arts Report

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 89 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at California State University - East Bay

20
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York

LaGuardia Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major list. Located in Long Island City, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 88 degrees to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Fine Arts at LaGuardia Community College

21
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 84 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full ECU Fine Arts Report

22
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 83 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Arizona

23
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York

School of Visual Arts came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 82 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Fine Arts at School of Visual Arts

24
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

Towson University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. Towson University is located in Towson, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Towson Fine Arts Report

25

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 78 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
29
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas
30
30
32
32
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
34
34
36
37
37
39
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York
39
41
42
42
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York
44
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
44
46
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
46
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
46
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
49
UNG crest
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, Georgia
50
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
51Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NY
53Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
53University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
55The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
56Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
56University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
58Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
59California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
59Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
61Bowling Green State University - Main CampusBowling Green, OH
61Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL
63University of California - DavisDavis, CA
64The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
65Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
RankCollegeLocation
66Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD
67Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
68University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
68University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
70University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
70Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
70Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI
70University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
74Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
74Hudson County Community CollegeJersey City, NJ
76Milwaukee Institute of Art & DesignMilwaukee, WI
76Art Center College of DesignPasadena, CA
78University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
78Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH
78Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
78Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC
82West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
82Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
84Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts DevelopmentSanta Fe, NM
84University of KentuckyLexington, KY
86College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
86Laguna College of Art and DesignLaguna Beach, CA
86University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
89University of VermontBurlington, VT
90Otis College of Art and DesignLos Angeles, CA
RankCollegeLocation
90University of KansasLawrence, KS
92University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
92California State University - ChicoChico, CA
92Murray State UniversityMurray, KY
95Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO
95University of MississippiUniversity, MS
95Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
95Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN
95Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
100University of Missouri - St LouisSaint Louis, MO
100Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN
100Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
100Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
100Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA
100Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS
100SUNY OswegoOswego, NY
107Texas A&M University - CommerceCommerce, TX
107The College at BrockportBrockport, NY
107University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
107The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
111Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, MA
111Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ
111California Institute of the ArtsValencia, CA
111The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
111University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
RankCollegeLocation
111Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsPhiladelphia, PA
111Eastern Connecticut State UniversityWillimantic, CT

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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