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2025 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools

465 Colleges in the United States
37,604 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,338 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity, fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 465 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for fine & studio arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 37,604 degrees in fine & studio arts annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School

Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools The fine arts program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Fine & Studio Arts Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Fine Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Fine Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 170 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $5,029 more than the standard fine arts grad.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
20.4% Growth in Graduates

Cornell University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 49 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of about $4,735 above the typical income of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Cornell University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts needs to take a look at University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 90 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of about $23,823 above the average earnings of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Southern California

4
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
188 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
14.9% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat New York University if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 188 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from New York University receive $5,716 more than the standard fine arts graduate.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from New York University

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In TN
29.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Vanderbilt University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 152 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients generally make an average of $25,947 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$21,220 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 4th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 149 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career wages of $21,220.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Los Angeles

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Providence, RISD is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 130 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at RISD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients usually make an average of $20,231 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Rhode Island School of Design

9
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
31.0% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 58.00000000000001 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program make around $23,180 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Brown University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In IL

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northwestern University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$32,371 Median Starting Salary

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 142 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Georgia get an earnings boost of around $6,033 above the typical earnings of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Georgia

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

MICA is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Baltimore.

There were about 155 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $22,531.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Maryland Institute College of Art

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO
51 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 51 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Washington University in St Louis

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,425 Median Starting Salary

Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small public college located in the large city of Boston.

There were about 113 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients typically earn an average of $26,425 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In IN

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 14 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Notre Dame

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In CA
142 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. This university ranks 7th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 142 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Santa Barbara

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
200 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,616 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 200 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $4,278 more than the typical fine arts grad.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison

18
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were about 72 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $25,402.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Boston University

19
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 59 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts degree program at University of Pennsylvania make $8,727 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Pennsylvania

20
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

Florida State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee. This university ranks 2nd out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 166 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn about $27,366 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Florida State University

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
20.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 103 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts program at University of Maryland - College Park earn $5,693 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Maryland - College Park

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
22.8% Growth in Graduates

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 101 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career earnings of $20,192.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,113 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 121 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin earn a boost of around $2,775 above the average income of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from The University of Texas at Austin

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$20,368 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 101 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program make around $20,368 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Berkeley

25
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,614 Median Starting Salary

UF is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 122 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients typically earn about $26,614 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Florida

Rest of the Top 50 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools

26
27
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
28
29
30
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
31
32

33

34
35
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
36
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
37
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
38
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
39
40
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
48
49
50
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC

Additional Award Winners

This list represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 465 different United States fine & studio arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
52 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
53 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
54 Williams College Williamstown, MA
55 Emory University Atlanta, GA
56 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
57 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
58 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
59 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
60 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
61 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
62 Illinois State University Normal, IL
63 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
64 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
65 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
66 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
67 Belmont University Nashville, TN
68 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
69 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
70 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
71 Ball State University Muncie, IN
72 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
73 University of Delaware Newark, DE
74 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
75 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
76 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
77 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
78 Barnard College New York, NY
79 Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH
80 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
81 Connecticut College New London, CT
82 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
83 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
84 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
85 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
86 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
87 The New School New York, NY
88 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
89 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
90 Fordham University Bronx, NY
91 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
92 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
93 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
94 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
95 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
96 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
97 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
98 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
99 Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN
100 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
101 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
102 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
103 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
104 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
105 Smith College Northampton, MA
106 Purchase College Purchase, NY
107 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
108 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
109 University of Houston Houston, TX
110 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
111 County College of Morris Randolph, NJ
112 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
113 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
114 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
115 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
116 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
117 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
118 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
119 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
120 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
121 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
122 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
123 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
124 Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR
125 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
126 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
127 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
128 Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
129 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
130 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
131 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
132 Buffalo State Buffalo, NY
133 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
134 University of Denver Denver, CO
135 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
136 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
137 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
138 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
139 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
140 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
141 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
142 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
143 Elon University Elon, NC
144 Hunter College New York, NY
145 Alfred University Alfred, NY
146 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
147 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
148 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
149 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
150 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
151 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
152 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia, PA
153 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI
154 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
155 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC

Fine & Studio Arts by Region

View the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Fine & Studio Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Fine Arts Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Art Studies 18,755
Fine Arts 11,681
Art History 3,491
Intermedia/Multimedia 801
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 773
Painting 643
Jewelry Arts 443
Drawing 323
Sculpture 217
Fiber, Textile & Weaving Arts 164

View All Fine Arts Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 36,323
Music 25,860
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 17,626
Drama & Theater Arts 17,039
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,776
Arts & Media Management 4,667
Dance 3,301
Other Visual Art 999
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 73
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 5

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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