2027 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Colorado

[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value fine & studio arts schools.
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2027 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Colorado
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the fine & studio arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
University Of Colorado Denver tops our 2027 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools in Colorado. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,383 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $25,490. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $31,144. That is a strong return on a $25,490 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Arapahoe Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,434, compared with $17,034 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,448 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $47,579. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Front Range Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Located in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,663, while out-of-state students pay about $17,263. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $17,384. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $40,414. That is a strong return on a $17,384 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mesa State College earned it the #4 place for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $25,124. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $22,310. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $27,136. That is a strong return on a $22,310 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Metropolitan State College Of Denver one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,124, while out-of-state students pay about $30,684. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $26,102 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Metropolitan State College Of Denver admits about 99% of applicants.
Western State College Of Colorado ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the town of Gunnison, Western State College Of Colorado is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,318, compared with $24,434 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,455. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $36,712. That is a strong return on a $23,455 median debt. Western State College Of Colorado admits about 100% of applicants.
Fort Lewis College came in at #7 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Durango. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,958, compared with $21,526 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $16,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Fort Lewis College generally make around $22,754. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
University Of Northern Colorado earned the #8 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. University Of Northern Colorado is a large public school located in the city of Greeley. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,901, with out-of-state students paying around $26,979. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of Northern Colorado earn a median of $40,026 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Colorado State University Fort Collins landed the #9 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $21,500. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $30,143 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Boulder came in at #10 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,214 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $17,501. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Colorado College earned the #11 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $70,734 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,921 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $37,342. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 18%.
University Of Denver placed #12 among the best values for fine & studio arts. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,398. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $22,534. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $36,943 early in their careers. Set against $22,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Denver admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.