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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for art education students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the art education degrees they offer, see the list below.
College Of The Ozarks tops our 2027 list of the best value art education schools in Missouri. College Of The Ozarks is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Point Lookout. Students from in state pay about $22,360 in tuition and fees. Early-career art education graduates make about $37,944. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Central Missouri earned it the #2 place for art education. Set in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,050, while out-of-state students pay about $18,600. Students borrow a median of $25,741 to complete the art education program here. Art Education graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $37,460 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,741 median debt. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Northwest Missouri State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in art education, landing the #3 spot this year. Northwest Missouri State University is a large public school located in the town of Maryville. Students from in state pay about $10,611 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Art Education graduates carry a median of $26,221 in student loans. Art Education graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn a median of $38,832 early in their careers. Set against $26,221 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Missouri State University Springfield came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value art education schools. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, compared with $18,770 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $30,294. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $39,237. Set against $30,294 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in art education will find it at Evangel University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Springfield, Evangel University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $28,548. Students borrow a median of $30,175 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Evangel University generally make around $34,872. Set against $30,175 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Evangel University admits about 72% of applicants.
Southwest Baptist University came in at #6 for value in art education this year. Located in the town of Bolivar, Southwest Baptist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $30,566 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,762 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Southwest Baptist University generally make around $35,507. That is a strong return on a $25,762 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.