by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 124 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 18,277 bachelor's degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of visual & performing arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality visual & performing arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for visual & performing arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for visual & performing arts students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat New York University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from New York University
Fashion Institute of Technology is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Fashion Institute of Technology
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts needs to take a look at Cornell University. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Cornell University
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts needs to take a look at Carnegie Mellon University. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Carnegie Mellon University
Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Pratt Institute - Main
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
RIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Rochester Institute of Technology
Located in the large city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Maryland Institute College of Art
Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Syracuse University
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Drexel University
Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Johns Hopkins University
New School University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from The New School
Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ithaca.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Ithaca College
Located in the midsize city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Rochester
Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Temple University
Located in the large city of Washington, CUA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Catholic University of America
The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from American University
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Thomas Jefferson University
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the large suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from The College of New Jersey
Juilliard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from The Juilliard School
Located in the city of New York, SVA is a private for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from School of Visual Arts
Here are some additional great schools for Visual & Performing Arts students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 26 | Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY |
| 27 | Barnard College | New York, NY |
| 28 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 29 | University at Buffalo | Buffalo, NY |
| 30 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 31 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 32 | Marymount Manhattan College | New York, NY |
| 33 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 34 | Marist College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 35 | Muhlenberg College | Allentown, PA |
| 36 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 37 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY |
| 38 | The University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA |
| 39 | Fordham University | Bronx, NY |
| 40 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 41 | Alfred University | Alfred, NY |
Explore the best visual & performing arts schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 4,279 |
| New York | 37 | 10,551 |
| New Jersey | 34 | 1,892 |
| Maryland | 33 | 1,285 |
| Delaware | 30 | 100 |
| District of Columbia | 28 | 381 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Design & Applied Arts | 4,200 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,951 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 2,902 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,571 |
| Music | 2,500 |
| Dance | 779 |
| Arts & Media Management | 674 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 481 |
| Other Visual Art | 212 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 7 |
