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2024 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

682 Colleges in the United States
149,215 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,700 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in visual & performing arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #10 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 682 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 149,215 degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Visual & Performing Arts School

Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools Your choice of visual & performing arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Visual & Performing Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Visual & Performing Arts Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Master's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Visual & Performing Arts in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the visual & performing arts degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,557 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 378 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at Northwestern University earn $4,857 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Northwestern University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$48,216 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 141 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at University of Notre Dame get $21,516 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Notre Dame

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$38,636 Median Starting Salary

Duke University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 72 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Duke University earn $11,936 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Duke University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
540 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 540 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn about $25,673 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,000 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,798 Median Starting Salary

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 1000 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at University of Southern California get $5,098 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Southern California

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
358 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 358 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York get an earnings boost of about $8,428 above the typical earnings of visual & performing arts graduates.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Columbia University in the City of New York

7
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
279 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,927 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were roughly 279 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make about $26,927 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Yale University

8
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 129 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients usually earn about $28,275 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Rice University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 172 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis earn a boost of around $3,075 over the average income of visual & performing arts majors.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Washington University in St Louis

10
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 99 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Emory University make $10,008 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Emory University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 326 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University earn a boost of approximately $21,831 over the average income of visual & performing arts majors.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Carnegie Mellon University

12
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,494 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,046 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 1494 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at New York University get $4,346 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from New York University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,952 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 285 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at University of California - Berkeley make $3,252 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Berkeley

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
580 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 116 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 580 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $6,236 more than the typical visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Austin

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
581 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
6.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 581 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn about $26,313 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Los Angeles

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
352 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 352 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $5,956 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
283 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 283 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Iowa State University earn a boost of around $2,878 over the typical income of visual & performing arts majors.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Iowa State University

18
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,534 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were about 251 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at The Juilliard School get $4,835 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The Juilliard School

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
457 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 457 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison make $8,543 more than the typical visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
380 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 380 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Michigan State University earn $9,464 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Michigan State University

21
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$36,441 Median Starting Salary

Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were about 58 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Dartmouth College make $9,741 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Dartmouth College

22
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,788 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This university ranks 1st out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 84.00000000000001 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career income of $26,788.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Vanderbilt University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
200 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$18,024 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 200.00000000000003 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. After graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make an average of $18,024 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Johns Hopkins University

24
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,686 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 114 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $24,686.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Pennsylvania

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
171 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 116 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 171 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Texas Christian University get $2,911 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Texas Christian University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

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28
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30
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
31

32

33
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
34
35
36
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
37
38
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
39
40

41

42
43
44
45
46
47
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
48
49
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 682 different United States visual & performing arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
51 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
52 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
53 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
54 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
55 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
56 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
57 The New School New York, NY
58 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA
59 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
60 Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD
61 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
62 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
63 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
64 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA
65 Brown University Providence, RI
66 George Washington University Washington, DC
67 Tufts University Medford, MA
68 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
69 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
70 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
71 Lafayette College Easton, PA
72 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
73 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
74 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
75 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
76 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
77 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
78 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
79 Auburn University Auburn, AL
80 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
81 The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA
82 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
83 Emerson College Boston, MA
84 Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
85 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
86 Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI
87 San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA
88 American Film Institute Conservatory Los Angeles, CA
89 University of North Texas Denton, TX
90 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
91 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
92 Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH
93 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
94 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
95 Williams College Williamstown, MA
96 Drake University Des Moines, IA
97 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
98 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
99 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
100 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
101 Towson University Towson, MD
102 Berklee College of Music Boston, MA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Visual & Performing Arts students that almost earned our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
103 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
104 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
105 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
106 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
107 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
108 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
109 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
110 University of Houston Houston, TX
111 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
112 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
113 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
114 Clemson University Clemson, SC
115 American University Washington, DC
116 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
117 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
118 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
119 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
120 University of Delaware Newark, DE
121 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
122 Baylor University Waco, TX
123 University of Denver Denver, CO
124 Luther College Decorah, IA
125 Manhattan School of Music New York, NY
126 Illinois State University Normal, IL
127 DePaul University Chicago, IL
128 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
129 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC
130 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
131 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
132 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
133 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
134 Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA
135 University of Evansville Evansville, IN
136 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA

Visual & Performing Arts by Region

View the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119

View All Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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