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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)

37 Ranked Colleges
4,357 Degrees Awarded
$24,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 155,377 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,427 and had an average of $28,377 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 5,842 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,451 and $27,325 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,357 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 37 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual and performing arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #1 spot on the list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 42 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid list, Williams has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $19,480 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Williams Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $15,386 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Harvard

#3

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Bridgewater State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Bridgewater State University is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 75 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $18,457 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Bridgewater State University

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #4 spot on the list. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $22,087 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Wellesley

#5

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Westfield State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Westfield State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Westfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Westfield also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $19,167 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westfield Visual & Performing Arts Report

#6

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a small public school situated in North Adams, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is $16,861 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at MCLA

#19 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a fairly large school located in Lowell, Massachusetts that handed out 104 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also took the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,119 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#8

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also took the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts Amherst is $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMass Amherst Visual & Performing Arts Report

#9

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 85 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Salem State University

#10

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Framingham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Framingham State is $20,001 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Framingham State University

#11

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a medium-sized school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts that handed out 91 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $18,503 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth

#12

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $18,340 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#20 in overall quality

Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 336 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts College of Art and Design is $24,043 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

The impressive 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.

Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Visual & Performing Arts Report

#14

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Boston College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $35,899 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Boston College

#15

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Holy Cross is $37,292 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Holy Cross Visual & Performing Arts Report

#16

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Boston University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 162 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid list, Boston U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $30,259 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Boston U

#17

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Smith College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 66 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith College Visual & Performing Arts Report

#18

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#17 in overall quality

Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Norton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#19

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Gordon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Wenham, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Gordon College also took the #21 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Gordon College

#20

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Tufts University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Tufts University

#21

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 62 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also took the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $27,149 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Mount Holyoke College

#22

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts

Lasell University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Newton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lasell is $27,428 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Lasell University

#23

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Clark University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 50 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Clark also took the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clark is $28,805 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Clark University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Stonehill College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stonehill is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Massachusetts. It awarded 20 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Stonehill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $34,658 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Stonehill College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Stonehill Visual & Performing Arts Report

#25

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Emmanuel Boston is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 16 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Emmanuel Boston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,314 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Emmanuel College Massachusetts.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Emmanuel College Massachusetts

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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