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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

1,475 Ranked Colleges
37,413 Degrees Awarded
$37,800 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 1,475 colleges that offer a degree in fine and studio arts. That schools that top this list have a program in fine and studio arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for fine arts students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Located in New York, New York, this small private for-profit school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY

2
New York Academy of Art crest
New York Academy of Art
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Academy of Art. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major. New York Academy of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at New York Academy of Art

3

Out of the 1,475 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, School of the Art Institute of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 708 ’s Fine Arts degrees 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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

Out of the 1,475 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts landed the #4 spot on the list. PAFA is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 62 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at PAFA

5
Maine Media College crest
Maine Media College
Rockport, Maine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Maine Media College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Rockport, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

Full Maine Media College Fine & Studio Arts Report

6
Platt College - San Diego crest
Platt College - San Diego
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #6, Platt College - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Platt College - San Diego is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

7
Carnbrook Academy crest
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Cranbrook Academy of Art came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Carnbrook Academy is a small school located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan that handed out 37 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Cranbrook Academy of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

8
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Art Institute ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. SFAI is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 33 ’s Fine Arts 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at SFAI

9
Paier College of Art Inc crest
Paier College of Art Inc
Hamden, Connecticut

Paier College of Art Inc did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #9. Paier College of Art Inc is a private for-profit institution located in Hamden, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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

10

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Institute of American Indian Arts is a public institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’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.

Full Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Fine & Studio Arts Report

11

Pacific Northwest College of Art came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 50 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

Full Pacific Northwest College of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

12
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Art Institute landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Kansas City Art Institute is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 58 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Kansas City Art Institute

13
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine

Maine College of Art landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Portland, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Maine College of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

14
Ai Virginia Beach crest
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, The Art Institute of Virginia Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

15

With a ranking of #15, Cleveland Institute of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. CIA is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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 Cleveland Institute of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report

16
Montserrat College of Art crest
Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Beverly, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

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

17

With a ranking of #17, Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. EAPD is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 24 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at EAPD

18

With a ranking of #18, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

19

Massachusetts College of Art and Design came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

20

With a ranking of #20, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

21

With a ranking of #21, Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. MICA is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 Maryland Institute College of Art

22
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California

Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Laguna Beach, California, and it awarded 35 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

23
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at American Academy of Art

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

With a ranking of #24, Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major list. Bard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. It awarded 140 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Bard College

25
RISD crest
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island School of Design came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Fine Arts Major ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 125 students 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at RISD

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools 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
27
28
29
30
30
AAC crest
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
32
Moore College crest
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
33
34
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California
35
Pine Manor crest
Pine Manor College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
36
37
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California
38
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York
39
VCFA crest
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Montpelier, Vermont
40
41
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York
42
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York
43
Hampshire crest
Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts
44
45
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California
46
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois
47
Edinboro crest
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
48
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington
49
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools 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 Williams College Williamstown, MA
52 Purchase College Purchase, NY
53 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
54 Columbus College of Art and Design Columbus, OH
55 Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
56 Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC
57 Bryn Athyn College of the New Church Bryn Athyn, PA
58 Lyon College Batesville, AR
59 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO
60 Salem Community College Carneys Point, NJ
61 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
62 AI Miami International University of Art and Design Miami, FL
63 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
64 Bacone College Muskogee, OK
65 Hastings College Hastings, NE
Rank College Location
66 Sterling College Sterling, KS
67 Fontbonne University Saint Louis, MO
68 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
69 Drew University Madison, NJ
70 Barnard College New York, NY
71 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
72 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
73 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
74 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
75 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
76 Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI
77 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
78 Carleton College Northfield, MN
79 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
80 Knox College Galesburg, IL
81 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
82 Brevard College Brevard, NC
83 Earlham College Richmond, IN
84 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
85 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
86 County College of Morris Randolph, NJ
87 Cottey College Nevada, MO
88 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
89 Keystone College La Plume, PA
90 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
Rank College Location
91 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
92 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
93 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
94 Sussex County Community College Newton, NJ
95 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
96 Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS
97 Lander University Greenwood, SC
98 The City College of New York New York, NY
99 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
100 Bennington College Bennington, VT
101 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
102 Berea College Berea, KY
103 Northern Vermont University Johnson, VT
104 Reed College Portland, OR
105 Tunxis Community College Farmington, CT
106 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
107 Hudson County Community College Jersey City, NJ
108 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
109 Ripon College Ripon, WI
110 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
111 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
112 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
113 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
114 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
115 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
Rank College Location
116 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL
117 Albright College Reading, PA
118 Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH
119 Spalding University Louisville, KY
120 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
121 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY
122 Connecticut College New London, CT
123 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
124 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
125 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR
126 Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac, MI
127 Franklin College Franklin, IN
128 Snow College Ephraim, UT
129 The New School New York, NY
130 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
130 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
132 The College of Wooster Wooster, OH
133 Whittier College Whittier, CA
134 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
134 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA
134 Tohono O’Odham Community College Sells, AZ
134 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
138 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
139 Colby College Waterville, ME
140 Dillard University New Orleans, LA
Rank College Location
141 Beloit College Beloit, WI
142 Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY
143 SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY
144 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
145 Rose State College Midwest City, OK
146 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
147 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
148 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR
149 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
150 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
151 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
152 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
153 Willamette University Salem, OR
154 Holy Cross College Notre Dame, IN
155 LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY
156 Northwestern Connecticut Community College Winsted, CT
156 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
158 Denison University Granville, OH
159 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA
160 Sierra Nevada College Incline Village, NV
161 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
162 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
163 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
164 University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus Los Lunas, NM
165 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
Rank College Location
166 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
167 Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO
168 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
169 Beacon College Leesburg, FL
170 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
171 Wittenberg University Springfield, OH
172 Otterbein University Westerville, OH
173 New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ
174 Maryville College Maryville, TN
174 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
176 Hunter College New York, NY
177 Luther College Decorah, IA
178 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
179 College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO
180 Concord University Athens, WV
181 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
182 Lesley University Cambridge, MA
183 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
184 Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC
185 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
186 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
187 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI
188 Towson University Towson, MD
189 Scripps College Claremont, CA
190 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
Rank College Location
191 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
192 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
193 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
194 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT
195 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
196 Moravian College Bethlehem, PA
197 Alma College Alma, MI
198 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
199 University of South Carolina - Aiken Aiken, SC
200 Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI
201 Glendale Community College Glendale, CA
202 University of Guam Mangilao, GU
203 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
204 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
205 Aquinas College Michigan Grand Rapids, MI
206 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
207 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
208 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
209 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
210 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
211 Housatonic Community College Bridgeport, CT
211 Hood College Frederick, MD
213 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
214 Radford University Radford, VA
215 Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI
Rank College Location
216 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
217 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
218 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
219 Bard College at Simon’s Rock Great Barrington, MA
220 Arcadia University Glenside, PA
221 Marietta College Marietta, OH
222 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary of the Woods, IN
222 Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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