2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts
285
Ranked Colleges
2,984
Degrees Awarded
$30,385
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s” 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,984 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s” ranking looked at 285 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine and studio arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular fine and studio arts programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools
The fine arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree fine arts students.
Top 26 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 126 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 72 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Hunter College Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 69 masters’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 61 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Full New York University Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Savannah College of Art and Design. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s. SCAD is a private not-for-profit institution located in Savannah, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at SCAD
With a ranking of #6, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Academy of Art University
School of Visual Arts ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. SVA is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 53 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 SVA Fine & Studio Arts Report
Pratt Institute - Main did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 50 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 Pratt Institute - Main
With a ranking of #9, New York Academy of Art did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. New York Academy of Art is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 46 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Full New York Academy of Art Fine & Studio Arts Report
Yale University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 44 degrees to qualified masters’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Yale University
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s Fine Arts degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 41 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Azusa Pacific University Fine & Studio Arts Report
Cranbrook Academy of Art ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. Carnbrook Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Carnbrook Academy Fine & Studio Arts Report
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 37 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia Fine & Studio Arts Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - Madison Fine & Studio Arts Report
Rhode Island School of Design did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 36 degrees to qualified masters’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 RISD
University of Iowa came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 88%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Iowa
Syracuse University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 30 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Syracuse
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #19. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 28 masters’s Fine Arts degrees 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at California College of the Arts
University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 27 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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 UNK Fine & Studio Arts Report
University of Florida landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 27 masters’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Florida
The New School came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. The New School is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 27 masters’s Fine Arts 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 The New School
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s Fine Arts degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
With a ranking of #20, Massachusetts College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.
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 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%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
With a ranking of #25, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified masters’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 10 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 Tufts
Bard College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #25. Bard is a small school located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York that handed out 24 masters’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%. 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 Bard
Rest of the Best 43 in Most Well Attended Fine Arts Major for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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