College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Missouri (With Aid)

14 Ranked Colleges
1,973 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 149,215 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,700 and had an average of $25,051 in loans still to pay off.

Across Missouri, there were 1,973 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,198 and $25,397 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent visual and performing arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The visual & performing 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 “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Missouri (With Aid)

1
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

UMSL also took the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $12,232 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend UMSL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UMSL

2
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school awarded 66 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $12,301 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Truman State

3
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Louis Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our missouri visual & performing arts students with aid list, Saint Louis Community College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $7,056 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Saint Louis Community College.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Saint Louis Community College

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Kansas City. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 202 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our missouri visual & performing arts students with aid list, UMKC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $15,702 for Missouri Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Missouri - Kansas City

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 137 students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,559 for Missouri Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Mizzou

6
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 82 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Southeast Missouri State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. It costs about $13,568 for Missouri Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University

7
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 86 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Lindenwood University also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,366 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Lindenwood University Visual & Performing Arts Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 234 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $16,718 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Missouri State

9
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Missouri is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UCM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend UCM is $14,058 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

Full UCM Visual & Performing Arts Report

10
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $26,921 for Missouri Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at WUSTL

11
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 173 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Webster did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend Webster is $23,248 for Missouri Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Webster

12
Stephens crest
Stephens College
Columbia, Missouri

Stephens College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Stephens College is a small school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 48 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Stephens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. It costs about $22,460 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Stephens College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Stephens

13

Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid ranking. Maryville U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 44 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Maryville U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for Maryville U is $27,290 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Maryville University of Saint Louis

14
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #14, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 126 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Kansas City Art Institute also took the #8 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas City Art Institute is $28,529 for missouri visual & performing arts students with aid.

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.

Full Kansas City Art Institute Visual & Performing Arts Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options