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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

1,094 Ranked Colleges
24,602 Degrees Awarded
$24,449 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 24,602 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking looked at 1,094 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine and studio arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their fine and studio arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

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More Fine Arts 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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 569 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report

2
Platt College - San Diego crest
Platt College - San Diego
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Platt College - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. Platt College - San Diego is a small private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 48 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Platt College - San Diego

3
Paier College of Art Inc crest
Paier College of Art Inc
Hamden, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Paier College of Art Inc. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. This small school is located in Hamden, Connecticut, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Paier College of Art Inc

4
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development

6
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Art Institute came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Kansas City Art Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Kansas City Art Institute

7
Ai Virginia Beach crest
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this small private for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

Full The Art Institute of Virginia Beach Fine & Studio Arts Report

8
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Art Institute came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 19 students 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at San Francisco Art Institute

9

Cleveland Institute of Art came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Cleveland Institute of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

10
Montserrat College of Art crest
Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #10. Montserrat College of Art is a small school located in Beverly, Massachusetts that handed out 16 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Montserrat College of Art

11

Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. EAPD is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico Fine & Studio Arts Report

12

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 55 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Cooper Union

13

With a ranking of #13, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. This small school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at MIAD

14

Pacific Northwest College of Art landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 29 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art

15
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at The Academy

16

Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Fine & Studio Arts Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. MICA is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 119 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Maryland Institute College of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

18

The Art Institute of San Antonio landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. The Art Institute of San Antonio is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 14 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full The Art Institute of San Antonio Fine & Studio Arts Report

19

With a ranking of #19, The Art Institute of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Located in Houston, Texas, this small private for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ai Houston

20

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

20
AAC crest
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

Art Academy of Cincinnati came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Art Academy of Cincinnati

22
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine

Maine College of Art did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Portland, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Maine College of Art

23

Ringling College of Art and Design landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Sarasota, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ringling College of Art and Design

24
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Bard College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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.

Full Bard College Fine & Studio Arts Report

25

The Art Institute of Dallas landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full The Art Institute of Dallas Fine & Studio Arts Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California
27
RISD crest
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island
28
29
Moore College crest
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
30
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York
31
32
Hampshire crest
Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts
33
34
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California
34
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California
36
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois
37
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington
38
Edinboro crest
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
39
40
Covenant crest
Covenant College
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
41
42
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York
43
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California
44
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California
45
Bryn Athyn College crest
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
46
Lyon crest
Lyon College
Batesville, Arkansas
47
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York
48
49
50
Hastings crest
Hastings College
Hastings, Nebraska

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Sterling College Sterling, KS
52 Williams College Williamstown, MA
53 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
54 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
55 Drew University Madison, NJ
56 Barnard College New York, NY
57 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
58 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
59 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
60 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
61 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
62 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
63 Carleton College Northfield, MN
64 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
65 Knox College Galesburg, IL
Rank College Location
66 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
67 Brevard College Brevard, NC
68 Earlham College Richmond, IN
69 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
70 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
71 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
72 Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI
73 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
74 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
75 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
76 Pine Manor College Chestnut Hill, MA
77 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
78 Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS
79 Lander University Greenwood, SC
80 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
81 Bennington College Bennington, VT
82 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
83 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
84 Berea College Berea, KY
85 Reed College Portland, OR
86 Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
87 Keystone College La Plume, PA
88 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
89 Ripon College Ripon, WI
90 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
Rank College Location
91 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
92 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
93 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
94 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
95 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
96 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL
97 Albright College Reading, PA
98 Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH
99 Spalding University Louisville, KY
100 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
101 Connecticut College New London, CT
102 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
103 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
104 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR
105 Franklin College Franklin, IN
106 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
106 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
108 The City College of New York New York, NY
109 The College of Wooster Wooster, OH
110 Whittier College Whittier, CA
111 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA
111 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
111 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
114 Colby College Waterville, ME
115 Dillard University New Orleans, LA
Rank College Location
116 Beloit College Beloit, WI
117 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
118 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
119 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR
120 SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY
121 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
122 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
123 Willamette University Salem, OR
124 Holy Cross College Notre Dame, IN
125 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
126 Denison University Granville, OH
127 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
128 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA
129 Sierra Nevada College Incline Village, NV
130 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
131 Northern Vermont University Johnson, VT
132 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
133 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
134 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
135 Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO
136 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
137 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
138 Wittenberg University Springfield, OH
139 Otterbein University Westerville, OH
140 Maryville College Maryville, TN
Rank College Location
141 Luther College Decorah, IA
142 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
143 College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO
144 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
145 Concord University Athens, WV
146 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
147 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
148 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
149 Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC
150 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
151 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI
152 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
153 New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ
154 Scripps College Claremont, CA
155 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
156 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
157 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
158 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT
159 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
160 Moravian College Bethlehem, PA
161 Alma College Alma, MI
162 University of South Carolina - Aiken Aiken, SC
163 Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI
164 University of Guam Mangilao, GU
165 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
Rank College Location

Notes and References

References

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