2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
For return on investment in fine & studio arts, no school beat Northern Virginia Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,891 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. Students borrow a median of $14,413 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College generally make around $40,126. Set against $14,413 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
George Mason University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $63,131 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Old Dominion University one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,750 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,780. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $31,000. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $27,535. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Radford University one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,548 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,633 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $26,000. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $23,308. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Thomas Nelson Community College earned it the #5 place for fine & studio arts. Set in the suburb of Hampton, Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,088, with out-of-state students paying around $11,526. Students borrow a median of $14,402 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Thomas Nelson Community College earn a median of $36,758 early in their careers. Set against $14,402 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Norfolk State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the city of Norfolk, Norfolk State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,180, with out-of-state students paying around $21,682. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Norfolk State University generally make around $54,971. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #7 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,374 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $20,934. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
James Madison University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Students borrow a median of $23,001 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $33,501. That is a strong return on a $23,001 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Mary Washington came in at #9 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the suburb of Fredericksburg, University Of Mary Washington is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,905, compared with $28,083 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of Mary Washington earn a median of $24,013 early in their careers. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Mary Washington admits about 80% of applicants.
College Of William And Mary ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the suburb of Williamsburg, College Of William And Mary is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,734, with out-of-state students paying around $51,038. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $18,935 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from College Of William And Mary generally make around $29,752. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. College Of William And Mary admits about 34% of applicants.
University Of Virginia Main Campus ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. In-state tuition and fees average $23,118, with out-of-state students paying around $61,591. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from University Of Virginia Main Campus generally make around $23,372. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 17%.
Hollins University earned the #12 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Hollins University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Roanoke. Students from in state pay about $43,560 in tuition and fees. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $26,798. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #13 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $26,323 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $36,927 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.
University Of Richmond landed the #14 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. University Of Richmond is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of University of Richmond. In-state tuition and fees average $65,230. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $21,634. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of Richmond earn a median of $53,815 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 22% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 36 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
