2026 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for painting students.
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2026 Best Value Painting Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in painting, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Painting Schools
For return on investment in painting, no school beat Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania this year. Set in the town of Slippery Rock, Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,568 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,676. Painting graduates carry a median of $28,850 in student loans. Soon after graduation, painting degree recipients from Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $44,294. That is a strong return on a $28,850 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Temple University earned it the #2 place for painting. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,005, with out-of-state students paying around $38,805. Painting graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Painting graduates of Temple University earn a median of $24,558 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts is a great value for students pursuing a degree in painting, landing the #3 spot this year. Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,600. Painting graduates carry a median of $26,750 in student loans. Painting graduates of Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts earn a median of $17,887 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
