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by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 150,273 visual & performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In , visual & performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $26,820 and had an average of $26,756 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 15,809 visual & performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 505 colleges that offer a degree in visual & performing arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their visual & performing arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree visual & performing arts students.
Out of the 505 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 107 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre is a small school located in Blue Lake, California that handed out 11 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre
Out of the 505 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, American Film Institute Conservatory landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 77 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 American Film Institute
Out of the 505 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Cranbrook Academy of Art landed the #5 spot on the list. Carnbrook Academy is a small school located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan that handed out 55 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Academy of Art ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 42 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 New York Academy of Art Visual & Performing Arts Report
Longy School of Music of Bard College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Longy School of Music of Bard College
Maine Media College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Rockport, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Maine Media College
The New England Conservatory of Music came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 103 degrees to qualified masters’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 The New England Conservatory of Music
With a ranking of #10, San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. SFCM is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #11, Manhattan School of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 173 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Manhattan School of Music
With a ranking of #12, The Juilliard School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 161 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #13, Cleveland Institute of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 40 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Cleveland Institute of Music Visual & Performing Arts Report
Seattle Film Institute ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this small private for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #16. Maryland Institute College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 255 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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 Maryland Institute College of Art
California Institute of the Arts landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 100 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Burbank, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 169 degrees to qualified masters’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Pacific Northwest College of Art landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 33 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art
Vermont College of Fine Arts landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Vermont College of Fine Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Montpelier, Vermont. It awarded 58 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Vermont College of Fine Arts Visual & Performing Arts Report
New York School of Interior Design ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. New York School of Interior Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 49 masters’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at New York School of Interior Design
With a ranking of #23, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Winston Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 47 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Pratt Institute - Main ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Pratt Institute - Main is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 205 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad 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 Pratt Institute - Main
Goddard College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Plainfield, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual & performing arts degrees to 24 students in 2021-2022.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Full Sail University | Winter Park, FL |
| 52 | Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | San Juan, PR |
| 53 | Moore College of Art and Design | Philadelphia, PA |
| 54 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| 55 | Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | Messiah University | Mechanicsburg, PA |
| 57 | Claremont Graduate University | Claremont, CA |
| 58 | The Baptist College of Florida | Graceville, FL |
| 59 | University of Valley Forge | Phoenixville, PA |
| 60 | College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI |
| 61 | Fontbonne University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 62 | University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT |
| 63 | Maharishi International University | Fairfield, IA |
| 64 | Asbury University | Wilmore, KY |
| 65 | Regent University | Virginia Beach, VA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 67 | Wagner College | Staten Island, NY |
| 68 | Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 69 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
| 70 | Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 71 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 72 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 73 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 74 | Sarah Lawrence College | Bronxville, NY |
| 75 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 76 | Alfred University | Alfred, NY |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
