2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in North Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the fine & studio arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill tops our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $14,600 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $24,005. Set against $14,600 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 15%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of North Carolina At Greensboro one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,661, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $18,745. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina At Pembroke one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,648, while out-of-state students pay about $7,648. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $40,578. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Western Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $26,000. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $24,253. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at University Of North Carolina At Asheville, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Asheville, University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,501, with out-of-state students paying around $24,849. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,942. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of North Carolina At Asheville earn a median of $23,504 early in their careers. Set against $23,942 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte landed the #6 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $25,855 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Fayetteville State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fayetteville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,353, while out-of-state students pay about $8,353. Students borrow a median of $27,497 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Fayetteville State University generally make around $16,454. That is a strong return on a $27,497 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
North Carolina A And T State University came in at #8 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina A And T State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,813, while out-of-state students pay about $20,673. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $15,257. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned the #9 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $30,577. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
Appalachian State University landed the #10 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. Students from in state pay about $7,579 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,212. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $21,985. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Appalachian State University generally make around $22,120. Set against $21,985 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
East Carolina University placed #11 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,361 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $21,271. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Davidson College landed the #12 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Davidson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Davidson. In-state tuition and fees average $64,430. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $19,906 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $41,505. That is a strong return on a $19,906 median debt. Davidson College admits about 13% of applicants.
North Carolina Central University earned the #13 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Durham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,699, while out-of-state students pay about $19,735. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of North Carolina Central University earn a median of $21,980 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public school located in the city of Wilmington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $26,672 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $43,497. That is a strong return on a $26,672 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% of applicants.
Duke University earned the #15 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Students borrow a median of $13,296 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 37 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 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.
[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
