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2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in North Carolina

20 Ranked Colleges
4,508 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 North Carolina, there were 4,508 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,820 and $24,919 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 North Carolina

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in North Carolina

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Visual & Performing Arts Report

2
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 284 students in 2020-2021.

Appalachian State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,989 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Appalachian State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Appalachian State Visual & Performing Arts Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 245 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UNCSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,276 for north carolina visual & performing arts students per year to attend UNCSA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UNCSA

4
Central Piedmont Community College crest
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central Piedmont Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina. Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 180 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Piedmont Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Piedmont Community College is $5,710 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Central Piedmont Community College

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 347 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Greensboro also took the #8 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $11,629 for north carolina visual & performing arts students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

6
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 125 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,411 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

7

University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a fairly large school located in Wilmington, North Carolina that handed out 159 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina visual & performing arts students list, UNCW has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $19,136 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

8

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 145 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for North Carolina 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Visual & Performing Arts Report

9
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 195 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for East Carolina University is $16,550 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at East Carolina University

10
Wake Technical Community College crest
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina

Wake Technical Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 757 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Technical Community College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Technical Community College is $6,767 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full Wake Technical Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

11
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 138 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina visual & performing arts students list, WCU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $13,924 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Western Carolina University.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Western Carolina University

12

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. UNCA is a small school located in Asheville, North Carolina that handed out 105 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UNCA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $12,551 for north carolina visual & performing arts students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UNCA

13
Guilford Technical Community College crest
Guilford Technical Community College
Jamestown, North Carolina

Guilford Technical Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. This medium-sized school is located in Jamestown, North Carolina, and it awarded 60 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Guilford Technical Community College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Guilford Technical Community College is $10,898 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full Guilford Technical Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

14

University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #14. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school situated in Pembroke, North Carolina. It awarded 45 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Pembroke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Pembroke is $10,792 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UNC Pembroke

15
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #15. NC A&T is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

NC A&T not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina A & T State University is $10,563 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at North Carolina A & T State University

16
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 26 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina visual & performing arts students list, North Carolina Central University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $14,332 for north carolina visual & performing arts students per year to attend North Carolina Central University.

Full North Carolina Central University Visual & Performing Arts Report

17
Meredith crest
Meredith College
Raleigh, North Carolina

Meredith College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #17. Meredith is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 43 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina visual & performing arts students list, Meredith has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $24,362 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Meredith College.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Meredith College

18
WPU crest
William Peace University
Raleigh, North Carolina

William Peace University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. WPU is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

WPU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Peace University is $26,031 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full William Peace University Visual & Performing Arts Report

19
High Point crest
High Point University
High Point, North Carolina

High Point University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. High Point, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

High Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend High Point University is $39,475 for North Carolina Visual & Performing Arts students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full High Point University Visual & Performing Arts Report

20
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $32,459 for north carolina visual & performing arts students.

The impressive undergraduate 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Duke University Visual & Performing Arts Report

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