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2024 Best Fine Arts Schools

307 Colleges in the United States
11,922 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
Ranked #66 in popularity, fine arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 307 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for fine arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 11,922 degrees in fine arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine Arts School

Best Fine Arts Schools The fine arts program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Fine Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Fine Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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.

Fine Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Fine Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fine Arts Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Fine Arts in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Fine Arts

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In CA
15.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in fine arts needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 19 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Southern California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In IN

University of Notre Dame is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in fine arts. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Notre Dame

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CA
66 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

University of California - Berkeley is a good choice for students interested in a degree in fine arts. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 66 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of California - Berkeley

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In PA
34 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

University of Pennsylvania is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in fine arts. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 34 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Pennsylvania

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 26 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Washington University in St Louis

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TX
75 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 75 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from The University of Texas at Austin

7
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NH

Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were approximately 19 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Dartmouth College

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MD
65 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 65 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Maryland - College Park

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In GA
53.3% Growth in Graduates

UGA is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 15 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Georgia

10
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In NY
59 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 59 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from New York University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In TX

SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. This university ranks 4th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 17 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Southern Methodist University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In CA
61 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 61 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of California - Santa Barbara

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In TN

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 5 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Vanderbilt University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In LA
17.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were approximately 29 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Tulane University of Louisiana

15
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In FL
100 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UF is a fairly large public university located in the city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 100 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Florida

16
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
117 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tallahassee. This university ranks 3rd out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 117 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Florida State University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
30.4% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 23 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MA
18.8% Growth in Graduates

Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waltham. This university ranks 14th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 16 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Brandeis University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In CA
46 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. This university ranks 13th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 46 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from University of California - Davis

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
147 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 147 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from San Jose State University

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DC

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 16 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from George Washington University

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In UT
46.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 30 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University - Provo

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In TX
20.0% Growth in Graduates

TCU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Fort Worth. This university ranks 5th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 10 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Texas Christian University

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In NY
61 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Pratt Institute is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Brooklyn.

There were approximately 61 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from Pratt Institute - Main

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
204 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 28th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 204 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine arts from California State University - Long Beach

Rest of the Top Best Fine Arts Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
32

33

34
35
36
37
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
38
39
40
41
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC

42
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, NY

43
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
44
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
45
46

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Fine Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
47 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
48 University of North Texas Denton, TX
49 Illinois State University Normal, IL
50 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
51 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
52 Baylor University Waco, TX
53 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
54 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
55 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
56 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
57 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
58 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
59 Smith College Northampton, MA
60 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
61 Binghamton University Vestal, NY

Fine Arts by Region

View the Best Fine Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Fine Arts is one of 13 different types of Fine & Studio Arts programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Art Studies 18,323
Art History 3,512
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 837
Intermedia/Multimedia 805
Painting 646
Drawing 347
Jewelry Arts 321
Sculpture 236
Fiber, Textile & Weaving Arts 168
Printmaking 160

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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College Rankings
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Degree Guides by Major
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