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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Massachusetts

37 Ranked Colleges
4,357 Degrees Awarded
$26,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 155,377 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. 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” ranking analyzed 37 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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

#1

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westfield State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts. Westfield is a medium-sized school located in Westfield, Massachusetts that handed out 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westfield, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $19,167 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full Westfield Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Bridgewater State is a fairly large public school situated in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It awarded 75 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, Bridgewater State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $18,457 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Bridgewater State

#3

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Amherst

#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts. UMass 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 made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Massachusetts - Lowell Visual & Performing Arts Report

#20 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #4 spot on the list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 336 students in 2019-2020.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts College of Art and Design is $24,043 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

#6

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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

Full Framingham State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#7

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Salem State University is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Salem State University.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Salem State University

#8

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in North Adams, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MCLA is $16,861 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

#9

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. 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 UMass Dartmouth is $18,503 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth

#10

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #10. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 55 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,340 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend UMass Boston.

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

#11

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Wentworth Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIT, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wentworth Institute of Technology is $36,113 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at WIT

#12

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Endicott College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Endicott College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beverly, Massachusetts. It awarded 53 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Endicott, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $35,642 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Endicott.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Endicott College

#13

Bay State College

Boston, Massachusetts

Bay State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #13. Bay State College is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 11 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bay State College is $31,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Bay State College

#14

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, Lesley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Lesley University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 142 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $33,644 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Lesley.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Lesley University

#15

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Gordon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $25,777 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Gordon College.

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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Gordon College

#16

Montserrat College of Art

Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Montserrat College of Art is a small school located in Beverly, Massachusetts that handed out 43 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Montserrat College of Art is $31,313 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Full Montserrat College of Art Visual & Performing Arts Report

#17

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts

Lasell University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Newton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lasell is $27,428 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Lasell University

#18

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

Emmanuel College Massachusetts came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Emmanuel College Massachusetts is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 16 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emmanuel Boston, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $28,314 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Emmanuel Boston.

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%.

Full Emmanuel College Massachusetts Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19

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 ranking, coming in at #19. Clark 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,805 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Clark.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Clark University

#20

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #20, Suffolk University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Suffolk is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 60 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $30,701 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Suffolk.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Suffolk

#21

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Williams College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $19,480 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Williams College

#22

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Stonehill College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Easton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, Stonehill has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stonehill College is $34,658 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Stonehill

#23

Curry College

Milton, Massachusetts

Curry College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Located in Milton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Curry is $27,739 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Curry

#24

Dean College

Franklin, Massachusetts

Dean College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Franklin, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Dean College is $31,337 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Full Dean College Visual & Performing Arts Report

#25

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

Berklee College of Music came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 922 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Berklee College of Music not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $49,514 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Berklee College of Music.

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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Berklee College of Music

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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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