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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

343 Ranked Colleges
$40,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” 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.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 28,767 visual & performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,084 and $29,391 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 343 colleges that offer a degree in visual & performing arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in visual & performing arts.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region”.

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.

Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region visual & performing arts students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

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Out of the 343 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region 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 ’s visual & performing arts degrees 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 44 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region. New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts

4
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Juilliard School. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. The Juilliard School is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 316 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Juilliard

5
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 343 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts landed the #5 spot on the list. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 66 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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. 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at PAFA

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Moore College crest
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Moore College of Art and Design landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 92 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Moore College

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Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Manhattan School of Music came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 346 diplomas to qualified ’s visual & performing arts students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Manhattan School of Music

8

Maryland Institute College of Art landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Maryland Institute College of Art is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 507 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full MICA Visual & Performing Arts Report

9

With a ranking of #9, American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 99 ’s visual & performing arts degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York

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New York Academy of Art crest
New York Academy of Art
New York, New York

New York Academy of Art ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 50 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at New York Academy of Art

11
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #11. The University of the Arts is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 345 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The University of the Arts

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Delaware College of Art and Design ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Delaware College of Art and Design is located in Wilmington, Delaware and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

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

13
Hussian crest
Hussian College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hussian College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Hussian is a small private for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Hussian Visual & Performing Arts Report

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Curtis Institute of Music crest
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Curtis Institute of Music ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Curtis Institute of Music is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 62 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Curtis Institute of Music Visual & Performing Arts Report

15

New York School of Interior Design came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. NYSID is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 155 ’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

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Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

Pratt Institute - Main did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #16. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 643 students 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 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Pratt Institute

17
MMC crest
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

Marymount Manhattan College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 174 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at MMC

18
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York

School of Visual Arts came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 609 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at School of Visual Arts

19

American Musical and Dramatic Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #19. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 781 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at American Musical and Dramatic Academy

20
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

With a ranking of #20, Purchase College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 522 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purchase College Visual & Performing Arts Report

21
Five Towns College crest
Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

Five Towns College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Five Towns College is located in Dix Hills, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 76 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. 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 Five Towns College

22
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. The New School is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 1,406 ’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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at The New School

23

Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #23. Fashion Institute of Technology is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,475 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at FIT SUNY

24
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small school is located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, and it awarded 230 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Bard College Visual & Performing Arts Report

25

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 62 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Cooper Union

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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27
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
28
Bloomfield College crest
Bloomfield College
Bloomfield, NJ
29
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
30
Point Park crest
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA
31
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY
32
Cazenovia crest
Cazenovia College
Cazenovia, NY
33
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, PA
34
35
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Wagner College
Staten Island, NY
36
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, NY
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Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
38
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
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41
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
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44
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
45
Drew crest
Drew University
Madison, NJ
46
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
47
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA
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50
Salem County College crest
Salem Community College
Carneys Point, NJ

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51New York UniversityNew York, NY
52Sussex County Community CollegeNewton, NJ

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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