College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s

66 Ranked Colleges
501 Degrees Awarded
$37,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Painting is the 517th most popular major in the country with 646 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 501 painting graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer a degree in painting. To top this list, a school must have a successful painting program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Painting Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Painting Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree painting students.

1
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pratt Institute - Main. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Pratt Institute - Main is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Pratt Institute Painting Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Savannah College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Savannah, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Painting at SCAD

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full VCU Painting Report

4
RISD crest
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rhode Island School of Design. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Rhode Island School of Design is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s painting degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Painting at Rhode Island School of Design

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 27 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Painting at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

6

Maryland Institute College of Art landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s painting students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art

7
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Purchase College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Painting at Purchase College

8
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #8, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s painting degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Painting at Kansas City Art Institute

8
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UH Painting Report

8
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s painting degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Painting at Boston U

11
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s painting students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Temple University Painting Report

12
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s painting degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Painting at PAFA

13
SUNY New Paltz crest
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, New York

With a ranking of #13, SUNY New Paltz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. SUNY New Paltz is located in New Paltz, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s painting degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Painting at SUNY New Paltz

14

Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in San Juan, , this small public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s painting students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Painting at Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico

15

Cleveland Institute of Art came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s painting degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full CIA Painting Report

15

Minneapolis College of Art and Design came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s painting students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Painting at Minneapolis College of Art and Design

17
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Art Institute came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Francisco Art Institute is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Painting at SFAI

18

Pacific Northwest College of Art came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Painting at Pacific Northwest College of Art

19
UHart crest
University of Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut

University of Hartford did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. UHart is a medium-sized school located in West Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 9 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Painting at UHart

20
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine

Maine College of Art came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Maine College of Art is a small school located in Portland, Maine that handed out 7 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Painting at Maine College of Art

20
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s painting students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California College of the Arts Painting Report

20
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Painting at American Academy of Art

23
Anderson University South Carolina crest
Anderson University South Carolina
Anderson, South Carolina

With a ranking of #23, Anderson University South Carolina did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. Anderson University South Carolina is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Anderson, South Carolina. It awarded 6 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Painting at Anderson University South Carolina

23
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full SUNY Fredonia Painting Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Painting at UIUC

23
Montserrat College of Art crest
Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Painting Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Montserrat College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beverly, Massachusetts. It awarded 6 bachelors’s painting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Painting at Montserrat College of Art

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options