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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts

1,094 Ranked Colleges
24,429 Degrees Awarded
$24,515 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking.

Fine & Studio Arts is the 31st most popular major in the country with 37,604 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , fine & studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $25,159 and had an average of $25,720 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 24,429 fine & studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 1,094 colleges that offer a degree in fine & studio arts. That schools that top this list have a program in fine & studio arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Fine Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts

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 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 589 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

2
Platt College - San Diego crest
Platt College - San Diego
San Diego, California

Out of the 1,094 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Platt College - San Diego landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in San Diego, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 & Studio Arts at Platt College - San Diego

3
Paier College of Art Inc crest
Paier College of Art Inc
Bridgeport, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Paier College of Art Inc. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. This small school is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Paier College of Art Inc

4
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at PAFA

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development is a small school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico that handed out 21 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

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.

Full Institute of American Indian Arts Fine & Studio Arts Report

6
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Kansas City Art Institute

7
Ai Virginia Beach crest
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

8
9

Cleveland Institute of Art landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Cleveland Institute of Art

10
Montserrat College of Art crest
Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Montserrat College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Montserrat College of Art is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Montserrat College of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

11

Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico

12

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 62 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

13

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 45 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Fine & Studio Arts Report

14

Pacific Northwest College of Art landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art

15
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. The Academy is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at American Academy of Art

16

Massachusetts College of Art and Design came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 102 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Fine & Studio Arts Report

17

Maryland Institute College of Art landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Maryland Institute College of Art is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Maryland Institute College of Art

18

The Art Institute of San Antonio ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Ai San Antonio is a small private for-profit school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 12 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ai San Antonio

19

The Art Institute of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #19. Houston, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ai Houston

20

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

20

Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #20. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Art Academy of Cincinnati Fine & Studio Arts Report

22
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine

With a ranking of #22, Maine College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Located in Portland, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Maine College of Art

23

Ringling College of Art and Design ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Sarasota, Florida, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ringling College of Art and Design

24
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

With a ranking of #24, Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 138 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Bard College

25

With a ranking of #25, The Art Institute of Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. The Art Institute of Dallas is a private for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 & Studio Arts at The Art Institute of Dallas

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on 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:

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32
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38
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40
Covenant crest
Covenant College
Lookout Mountain, GA
41
42
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, NY
43
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, CA
44
45
46
Lyon crest
Lyon College
Batesville, AR
47
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50
Hastings crest
Hastings College
Hastings, NE

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Sterling CollegeSterling, KS
52Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
53School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY
54Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
55Drew UniversityMadison, NJ
56Barnard CollegeNew York, NY
57Hollins UniversityRoanoke, VA
58Oglethorpe UniversityAtlanta, GA
59Southwestern UniversityGeorgetown, TX
60Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, WA
61The University of the ArtsPhiladelphia, PA
62Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IA
63Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
64University of North Carolina at AshevilleAsheville, NC
65Knox CollegeGalesburg, IL
RankCollegeLocation
66University of MontevalloMontevallo, AL
67Brevard CollegeBrevard, NC
68Earlham CollegeRichmond, IN
69Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
70Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
71Bethany Lutheran CollegeMankato, MN
72Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI
73St Mary’s College of MarylandSt. Mary’s City, MD
74Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
75Humboldt State UniversityArcata, CA
76Pine Manor CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
77Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA
78Bethel College - North NewtonNorth Newton, KS
79Lander UniversityGreenwood, SC
80St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
81Bennington CollegeBennington, VT
82California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
83Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
84Berea CollegeBerea, KY
85Reed CollegePortland, OR
86Art Center College of DesignPasadena, CA
87Keystone CollegeLa Plume, PA
88Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY
89Ripon CollegeRipon, WI
90Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO
RankCollegeLocation
91Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
92Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN
93Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA
94California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
95Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
96Flagler College - St AugustineSaint Augustine, FL
97Albright CollegeReading, PA
98Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouth, OH
99Spalding UniversityLouisville, KY
100The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
101Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT
102Birmingham Southern CollegeBirmingham, AL
103Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelaware, OH
104University of the OzarksClarksville, AR
105Franklin CollegeFranklin, IN
106Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, PA
106Salem CollegeWinston-Salem, NC
108The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
109The College of WoosterWooster, OH
110Whittier CollegeWhittier, CA
111Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar, VA
111Lawrence UniversityAppleton, WI
111Wheaton College MassachusettsNorton, MA
114Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
115Dillard UniversityNew Orleans, LA
RankCollegeLocation
116Beloit CollegeBeloit, WI
117Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, IL
118Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IN
119University of Arkansas at Pine BluffPine Bluff, AR
120SUNY OswegoOswego, NY
121California State University - Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA
122Saint Michael’s CollegeColchester, VT
123Willamette UniversitySalem, OR
124Holy Cross CollegeNotre Dame, IN
125Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, OR
126Denison UniversityGranville, OH
127Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL
128Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsNorth Adams, MA
129Sierra Nevada CollegeIncline Village, NV
130Sewanee - The University of the SouthSewanee, TN
131Northern Vermont UniversityJohnson, VT
132Guilford CollegeGreensboro, NC
133College for Creative StudiesDetroit, MI
134Shepherd UniversityShepherdstown, WV
135Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO
136Randolph CollegeLynchburg, VA
137William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ
138Wittenberg UniversitySpringfield, OH
139Otterbein UniversityWesterville, OH
140Maryville CollegeMaryville, TN
RankCollegeLocation
141Luther CollegeDecorah, IA
142University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, VA
143College of the OzarksPoint Lookout, MO
144SUNY Empire State CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
145Concord UniversityAthens, WV
146California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
147Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
148Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
149Mars Hill UniversityMars Hill, NC
150Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
151Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeMilwaukee, WI
152Western Connecticut State UniversityDanbury, CT
153New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ
154Scripps CollegeClaremont, CA
155Agnes Scott CollegeDecatur, GA
156Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC
157California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
158Eastern Connecticut State UniversityWillimantic, CT
159St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY
160Moravian CollegeBethlehem, PA
161Alma CollegeAlma, MI
162University of South Carolina - AikenAiken, SC
163Brigham Young University - HawaiiLaie, HI
164University of GuamMangilao, GU
165University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
RankCollegeLocation

Notes and References

References

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