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2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

111 Ranked Colleges
6,169 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 37,413 people earned their degree in fine and studio arts, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $25,051 and had an average of $25,492 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 6,169 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,404 and $26,517 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 111 colleges that offered a degree in fine and studio arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine and studio arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine and studio arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $371 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Duke University Fine & Studio Arts Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 129 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Florida

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,176 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Vanderbilt

4
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 149 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Florida State University

5
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #5 spot on the list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,303 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Georgia Fine & Studio Arts Report

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 48 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,753 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at UNC Chapel Hill

7

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 127 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at USF Tampa

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #8, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 31 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,538 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Fine & Studio Arts Report

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,476 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Virginia

10

Florida International University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 122 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $3,196 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at FIU

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 177 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,468 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full UCF Fine & Studio Arts Report

12
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Florida is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,367 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNF.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UNF

13
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech also took the #10 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,934 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 93%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Virginia Tech

14
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, JMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $14,288 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at James Madison University

15

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,318 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Louisiana State University

16
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida Atlantic University is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 92 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,726 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FAU.

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%.

Full Florida Atlantic University Fine & Studio Arts Report

17

The University of West Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 43 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $4,288 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at The University of West Florida

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 49 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,433 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Fine & Studio Arts Report

19
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 41 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,354 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Appalachian State

20

With a ranking of #20, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 74 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $12,130 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Fine & Studio Arts Report

21
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 15 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Fine & Studio Arts Report

22
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 49 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for southeast region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northern Kentucky University

23

With a ranking of #23, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 101 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,645 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UNC Greensboro

24
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 50 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,014 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WVU.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at WVU

25
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

UK also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $12,593 for Southeast Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kentucky.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Kentucky Fine & Studio Arts Report

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