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2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in the Rocky Mountains Region

28 Ranked Colleges
5,129 Degrees Awarded
$13,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 149,215 visual and performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. 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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 5,129 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,302 and $25,464 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking analyzed 28 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Rocky Mountains Region” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in the Rocky Mountains Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 360 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,474 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Brigham Young University - Provo

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 217 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

BYU - I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $6,698 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Visual & Performing Arts Report

3
Arapahoe Community College crest
Arapahoe Community College
Littleton, Colorado

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arapahoe Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. This fairly large school is located in Littleton, Colorado, and it awarded 62 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students list, Arapahoe Community College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arapahoe Community College is $10,265 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full Arapahoe Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Utah Valley University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Utah Valley University is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 435 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UVU is $9,955 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

Full UVU Visual & Performing Arts Report

5
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 68 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW is $11,085 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wyoming Visual & Performing Arts Report

6

Community College of Aurora came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Colorado, and it awarded 58 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $7,509 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend CCA.

Full Community College of Aurora Visual & Performing Arts Report

7
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school awarded 86 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Salt Lake Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Salt Lake Community College is $6,197 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students.

Full Salt Lake Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

8

Weber State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Ogden, Utah, this large public school awarded 122 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

WSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WSU is $11,647 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Weber State University

9
Northwest Community College crest
Northwest College
Powell, Wyoming

With a ranking of #9, Northwest College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Northwest College is a small school located in Powell, Wyoming that handed out 32 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwest Community College also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $7,427 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend Northwest Community College.

Full Northwest Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Lakewood, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students list, RMCAD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $18,533 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.

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

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

11
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 433 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,572 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend U of U.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at U of U

12

Utah State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. USU is located in Logan, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

USU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USU is $13,257 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USU Visual & Performing Arts Report

13

University of Northern Colorado landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 215 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students list, University of Northern Colorado has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Colorado is $15,570 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Northern Colorado

14
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #14. U of I is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 89 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

U of I also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $13,964 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend U of I.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at U of I

15
Dixie State College crest
Dixie State University
Saint George, Utah

Dixie State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #15. Dixie State College is a fairly large school located in Saint George, Utah that handed out 82 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students list, Dixie State College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,459 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend Dixie State College.

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

16

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. UCCS is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UCCS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $15,648 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

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

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UCCS

17
Southern Utah University crest
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, Utah

Southern Utah University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Southern Utah University is a fairly large school located in Cedar City, Utah that handed out 118 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Utah University is $13,578 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Utah University

18

Colorado State University - Pueblo landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Colorado State University - Pueblo is a medium-sized public school situated in Pueblo, Colorado. It awarded 30 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,695 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Colorado State University - Pueblo

19

Boise State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Boise State University is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 157 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boise State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State University is $16,153 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Boise State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

20

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 239 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Colorado State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $18,679 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Colorado State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

21
MSU Bozeman crest
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

With a ranking of #21, Montana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Bozeman, Montana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 136 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Bozeman, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montana State University is $19,453 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

22

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this large public school handed out 290 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

CU Anschutz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is $14,470 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at CU Anschutz

23
UM crest
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

The University of Montana landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. UM is located in Missoula, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Montana is $14,755 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UM

24
Colorado Mesa crest
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, Colorado

Colorado Mesa University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 45 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,118 for Rocky Mountains Region Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Colorado Mesa University.

Full Colorado Mesa Visual & Performing Arts Report

25

Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 140 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU Denver also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $14,313 for rocky mountains region visual & performing arts students per year to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Full MSU Denver Visual & Performing Arts Report

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