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2027 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in District of Columbia

[Fine Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/fine-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for fine arts students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Fine Arts Schools in District of Columbia

2027 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in District of Columbia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine arts, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

$67,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,910 Avg Student Debt

$90,873 Median Earnings (10yr)

George Washington University earned the #1 spot for value among fine arts schools in District of Columbia. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Typical student debt for fine arts graduates is $22,910. Early-career fine arts graduates make about $73,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,250 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine arts, landing the #2 spot this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. Typical student debt for fine arts graduates is $23,250. Early-career fine arts graduates make about $35,197. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.

View All Fine Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.