10
Colleges in the Far Western US Region
1,366
Visual Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,435
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
general visual & performing arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #116 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,366 degrees in general visual & performing arts annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of general visual & performing arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall General Visual & Performing Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
The visual 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 the Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
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 visual arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Visual Arts
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In CA
56
Visual Arts Degrees Awarded
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general visual & performing arts. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 56 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from University of Southern California
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
83
Visual Arts Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat University of California - San Diego if you want to pursue a degree in general visual & performing arts. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were roughly 83 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from University of California - San Diego
Otis College of Art and Design is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Otis College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
There were approximately 90 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Otis College of Art and Design in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, visual arts degree recipients typically make an average of $21,558 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from Otis College of Art and Design
Academy of Art University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 47th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 87 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Academy of Art University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual arts program earn about $28,494 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from Academy of Art University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
38
Visual Arts Degrees Awarded
Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Azusa. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Azusa Pacific is a great university overall.
There were roughly 38 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from Azusa Pacific University