by our College Data Analytics Team
[Art Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/art-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong art education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 24 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for art education students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in art education, balancing cost against outcomes.
College Of Mount St Joseph earned the #1 spot for value among art education schools in Ohio. Set in the suburb of Cincinnati, College Of Mount St Joseph is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $38,150 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,273 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $69,964. That is a strong return on a $28,273 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
A rank of #2 makes Youngstown State University one of the best values for art education. Located in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,926 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,286. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $26,751. Art Education graduates of Youngstown State University earn a median of $33,398 early in their careers. Set against $26,751 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Students looking for strong value in art education will find it at University Of Akron Main Campus, which ranked #3. University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Akron. In-state tuition and fees average $13,135, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $27,000. Art Education graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $39,613 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
A rank of #4 makes Ohio State University Main Campus one of the best values for art education. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $23,250. Early-career art education graduates make about $49,282. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Kent State University At Kent one of the best values for art education. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,750 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $47,727. Set against $26,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Ohio University Main Campus earned the #6 position for value in art education this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,546 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $48,312. Set against $24,546 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Muskingum University landed the #7 spot for art education value this year. Muskingum University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of New Concord. In-state tuition and fees average $31,701. Art Education graduates carry a median of $26,932 in student loans. Early-career art education graduates make about $39,918. Set against $26,932 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Muskingum University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #8 position for value in art education this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $41,843. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University placed #9 among the best values for art education. Set in the town of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,193. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $53,377. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Ashland University placed #10 among the best values for art education. Located in the town of Ashland, Ashland University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $31,210 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $27,000. Art Education graduates of Ashland University earn a median of $44,979 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ashland University admits about 76% of applicants.
Capital University came in at #11 for value in art education this year. Located in the suburb of Columbus, Capital University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $43,234 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art education program here. Art Education graduates of Capital University earn a median of $32,597 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Capital University admits about 70% of applicants.
The University Of Findlay placed #12 among the best values for art education. Located in the town of Findlay, The University Of Findlay is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,164. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $25,759. Art Education graduates of The University Of Findlay earn a median of $57,676 early in their careers. Set against $25,759 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio Northern University landed the #13 spot for art education value this year. Set in the town of Ada, Ohio Northern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $39,600 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,661 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Ohio Northern University generally make around $56,878. Set against $26,661 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio Northern University admits about 74% of applicants.
Miami University Oxford ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value art education schools. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,519 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $38,965. Students borrow a median of $24,560 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Miami University Oxford generally make around $46,681. Set against $24,560 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of Rio Grande placed #15 among the best values for art education. Set in the rural area of Rio Grande, University Of Rio Grande is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,560. Students borrow a median of $27,044 to complete the art education program here. Art Education graduates of University Of Rio Grande earn a median of $46,611 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,044 median debt.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.