College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Virginia

16 Colleges in Virginia
3,654 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,860 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in visual & performing arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #10 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for visual & performing arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,654 degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Visual & Performing Arts School

Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Virginia The visual & performing arts program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Visual & Performing Arts rankings. We derive our Best Overall Visual & Performing Arts School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Visual & Performing Arts Rankings by 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

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 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Visual & Performing Arts in Virginia

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the visual & performing arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
290 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

James Madison University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 290 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at James Madison University get $4,218 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 182 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Virginia Tech make $14,132 more than the typical visual & performing arts graduate.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Virginia Tech

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
633 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts has to check out Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 633 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career wages of $24,350.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,372 Median Starting Salary

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in visual & performing arts. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 119.99999999999999 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia 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 $23,372.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Virginia - Main Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
335 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,954 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 335 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at George Mason University make $2,094 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$20,302 Median Starting Salary

John Tyler Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of Chester. This college ranks 36th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 86 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at John Tyler Community College in the most recent data year. After graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $20,302 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from John Tyler Community College

7
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
112 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$17,818 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 13th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 112.00000000000001 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Shenandoah 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 wages of $17,818.

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

8
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
504 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
13.9% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #265 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 504 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally earn about $28,008 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$34,203 Median Starting Salary

Marymount is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Arlington. This university ranks 14th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 58 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Marymount University receive $6,343 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

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

10
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,752 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 42 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make an average of $29,752 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from William & Mary

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 3,192
West Virginia 38 405
Mississippi 38 695
South Carolina 38 1,353
Florida 38 7,266
Arkansas 38 821
Alabama 37 1,138
Kentucky 37 1,060
Georgia 37 4,303
Tennessee 37 2,628
Louisiana 37 1,147

View All Rankings >

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 1,011
Fine & Studio Arts 733
Music 653
Drama & Theater Arts 440
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 286
General Visual & Performing Arts 279
Other Visual Art 104
Dance 67
Arts & Media Management 61
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 20

View All Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options