College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina

19 Colleges in North Carolina
4,085 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,865 Avg Early-Career Salary
Visual & Performing Arts is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #10 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for visual & performing arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 4,085 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 North Carolina 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for visual & performing arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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

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 the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Visual & Performing Arts in North Carolina

The schools below may not offer all types of visual & performing arts degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top North Carolina Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$38,636 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts has to take a look at Duke University. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 55 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Duke University receive an earnings boost of around $13,771 over the typical earnings of visual & performing arts graduates.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts needs to check out University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 126 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make around $22,476 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
276 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

University of North Carolina School of the Arts is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston Salem, UNCSA is a public university with a small student population.

There were approximately 276 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UNCSA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $25,687.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of North Carolina School of the Arts

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
148 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
15.5% Growth in Graduates

North Carolina State University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 148 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at North Carolina State University get $9,448 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
493 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$20,031 Median Starting Salary

Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Raleigh. This college ranks 13th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 493 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Wake Technical Community College in the most recent data year. After graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients usually make about $20,031 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Wake Technical Community College

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$21,656 Median Starting Salary

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Boone. A Best Colleges rank of #445 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.

There were about 258 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career income of $21,656.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the city of Charlotte. A Best Colleges rank of #378 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were approximately 161 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte 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 $24,761.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

8
Meredith crest
Meredith College
Raleigh, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
24.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Raleigh, Meredith is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #517 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Meredith is a great college overall.

There were roughly 57 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Meredith in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Meredith College get $9,978 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$20,735 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 19th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 180 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Central Piedmont Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $20,735 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Central Piedmont Community College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,426 Median Starting Salary

UNCW is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Wilmington. A Best Colleges rank of #457 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNCW is a great university overall.

There were roughly 155 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of North Carolina at Wilmington receive $5,561 more than the average visual & performing arts grad.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
West Virginia38405
South Carolina381,353
Florida387,266
Virginia383,458
Arkansas38821
Mississippi38695
Louisiana371,147
Alabama371,138
Kentucky371,060
Georgia374,303
Tennessee372,628

View All Rankings >

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts1,766
Fine & Studio Arts713
Music553
Drama & Theater Arts466
Film, Video & Photographic Arts244
Dance127
Arts & Media Management110
General Visual & Performing Arts81
Other Visual Art13
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry12

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