2027 Best Value Painting Schools in Pennsylvania
[Painting](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/painting/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong painting education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for painting students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Painting Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the painting degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Painting Schools
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2027 list of the best value painting schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the town of Slippery Rock, Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,568, compared with $14,676 for out-of-state students. Painting graduates carry a median of $28,850 in student loans. Early-career painting graduates make about $44,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Temple University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in painting, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $23,005 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,805. Typical student debt for painting graduates is $26,000. Early-career painting graduates make about $24,558. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Arcadia University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value painting schools. Arcadia University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Glenside. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,610. Typical student debt for painting graduates is $26,975. Early-career painting graduates make about $22,389. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arcadia University admits about 80% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts one of the best values for painting. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $44,600 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,750 to complete the painting program here. Soon after graduation, painting degree recipients from Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts generally make around $17,887. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
View All Painting Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
