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2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

364 Ranked Colleges
9,794 Degrees Awarded
$5,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 12,032 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,794 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 364 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the fine arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine Arts Schools

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 Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 364 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $-1,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Stanford University Fine Arts Report

#2

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $5,273 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Fine Arts at WUSTL

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 27 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Vanderbilt

#5

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 26 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,484 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Cornell

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF Fine Arts Report

#7

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#5 in overall quality

Dartmouth College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 20 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $12,052 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Dartmouth College

#8

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,498 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Fine Arts at Notre Dame

#9

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 20 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine Arts at UNC Chapel Hill

#10

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#16 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #16 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of Maryland - College Park

#11

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 78 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $320 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Hunter

#12

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#23 in overall quality

Florida State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State Fine Arts Report

#24 in overall quality

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cooper Union also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is $8,481 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Fine Arts Report

#14

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 136 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $704 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CCNY.

Read full report on Fine Arts at CCNY

#15

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#10 in overall quality

Hamilton College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clinton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Hamilton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,942 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hamilton.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Hamilton College Fine Arts Report

#16

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#13 in overall quality

Colorado College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colorado College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado College, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado College is $11,568 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Colorado College

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 102 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Fine Arts Report

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC excels when it comes to fine arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,477 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#19

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Central Florida landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCF is also in the top of our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Central Florida

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 289 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Cal State Fullerton also did well on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Fine Arts Report

Florida International University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 61 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Florida International University Fine Arts Report

#22

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,255 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Queens College

#23

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 12 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $234 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine Arts at Lehman

#24

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 62 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #18 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of California - Berkeley

#25

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 7 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $6,353 for bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Boston College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#27

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#28

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#29

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#32

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#33

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#34

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#35

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#36

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#37

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#38

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
#39

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#42

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#43

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#44

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#45

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland
#47

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#48

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#50

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
52 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
53 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
54 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
55 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

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