2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Oregon
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
Leading the list is Portland Community College, our #1 best value for fine & studio arts in Oregon. Portland Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Portland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,220, compared with $10,440 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $20,648. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Portland Community College earn a median of $49,580 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at Portland State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,118, compared with $29,136 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $35,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Portland State University generally make around $20,866. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Western Oregon University one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Western Oregon University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Monmouth. In-state tuition and fees average $11,514, compared with $32,169 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,166 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Western Oregon University generally make around $31,917. That is a strong return on a $24,166 median debt. Western Oregon University admits about 98% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at Southern Oregon University, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Ashland, Southern Oregon University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,762 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,887. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $24,951 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $41,038. Set against $24,951 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Oregon State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Oregon State University is a very large public school located in the city of Corvallis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,400, compared with $38,190 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $24,043. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Oregon State University generally make around $51,000. Set against $24,043 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Oregon State University admits about 77% of applicants.
University Of Oregon landed the #6 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the city of Eugene, University Of Oregon is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,320, while out-of-state students pay about $42,516. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $26,404. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Lewis And Clark College came in at #7 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the city of Portland, Lewis And Clark College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $64,828 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $43,381. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Reed College landed the #8 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the city of Portland, Reed College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,350. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $21,137 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Reed College earn a median of $30,588 early in their careers. Set against $21,137 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Reed College admits about 25% of applicants.
Pacific Northwest College Of Art landed the #9 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the city of Portland, Pacific Northwest College Of Art is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $49,006 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Pacific Northwest College Of Art generally make around $27,350. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Pacific Northwest College Of Art admits about 75% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
