2021 Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges for Veterans in the United States
Finding the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools for Vets
In 2018-2019, 25,815 people earned their bachelor's in fine and studio arts, making the major the #23 most popular in the United States.
This year's Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges for Veterans in the United States ranking analyzed 331 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine and studio arts programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine and studio arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Fine Arts Schools for Veterans 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
2021 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools for Veterans in the United States
Check out the Fine Arts programs at these schools if you want to see which ones are the best for vets.
Top 25 Most Veteran Friendly Fine & Studio Arts Schools
Our rankings recognize University of Maryland - College Park as the #1 school in this year's rankings. Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public college with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #4 rank in our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States ranking.
Among the 41,200 students enrolled at UMCP, 896 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 672 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $13,240. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMCP does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Veterans at University of Maryland - College Park Report
Request Information
Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #2 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population. Columbia also made our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list, coming in at #2.
Among the 31,077 students enrolled at Columbia, 797 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 528 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $20,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 361 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Request Information
University of Southern California landed the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Of the 47,310 students enrolled at USC, 1,323 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 908 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $21,271. On top of their other funding sources, 415 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. USC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Request Information
School of the Art Institute of Chicago earned the #4 spot in our 2021 rankings. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In addition to being on our best for vets list, School of the Art Institute of Chicago has also earned the #1 rank in our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States ranking.
Of the 3,639 students enrolled at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 44 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,375. In addition to receiving other benefits, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read full report on veterans at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Request Information
University of Houston landed the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. U of H is a fairly large public school located in the city of Houston. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, U of H also did well on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Our most recent data shows that 1,380 of the 46,324 students enrolled at U of H were GI Bill® students, of which 935 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,578. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Veterans at University of Houston Report
Request Information
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor comes in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U of Michigan is a public college with a fairly large student population. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, U of Michigan is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Among the 46,716 students enrolled at U of Michigan, 509 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 321 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $26,841. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Request Information
Cornell University landed the #7 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Cornell not only placed well in our veterans rankings. It is also #3 on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Our most recent data shows that 621 of the 23,600 students enrolled at Cornell were GI Bill® students, of which 519 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $10,152. During this same period, 150 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read full report on veterans at Cornell University
Request Information
University of Iowa earned the #8 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a fairly large student population. Iowa also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Of the 31,656 students enrolled at Iowa, 675 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 411 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,933. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read full report on veterans at University of Iowa
Request Information
Indiana University - Bloomington earned the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a very large student population. IU Bloomington excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Among the 43,503 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 626 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 389 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $12,606. To help with additional expenses, 23 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read full report on veterans at Indiana University - Bloomington
Request Information
The #10 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Located in the small city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public school with a fairly large student population. Rutgers New Brunswick also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Our most recent data shows that 442 of the 50,254 students enrolled at Rutgers New Brunswick were GI Bill® students, of which 256 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $12,136. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rutgers New Brunswick does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read full report on veterans at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Request Information
The University of Texas at Austin earned the #11 spot in our 2021 rankings. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, UT Austin also did well on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Our most recent data shows that 1,201 of the 51,832 students enrolled at UT Austin were GI Bill® students, of which 843 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,949. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Veterans at The University of Texas at Austin Report
Request Information
Southern Methodist University landed the #12 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. SMU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Dallas. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, SMU is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
According to our most recent data, SMU supports 11,649 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 258 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,005. In addition to receiving other benefits, 103 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Veterans at Southern Methodist University Report
Request Information
Our rankings recognize California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo as the #13 school in this year's rankings. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. In addition to being on our best for vets list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #8 rank in our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States ranking.
Of the 22,013 students enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 250 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 134 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,539. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read full report on veterans at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Request Information
The #14 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Wisconsin - Madison. Wisconsin is a fairly large public school located in the city of Madison. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, Wisconsin is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Of the 43,463 students enrolled at Wisconsin, 554 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 346 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,489. To help with additional expenses, 21 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wisconsin does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Veterans at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
Request Information
San Jose State University earned the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose. San Jose State excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Among the 35,400 students enrolled at San Jose State, 658 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 403 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $5,381. San Jose State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Veterans at San Jose State University Report
Request Information
Towson University earned the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the small city of Towson, Towson is a public school with a very large student population. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, Towson is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list.
Of the 22,923 students enrolled at Towson, 671 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 475 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,030. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Towson does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read full report on veterans at Towson University
Request Information
University of Washington - Seattle Campus comes in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public school with a fairly large student population. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, UW Seattle also did well on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Our most recent data shows that 1,278 of the 47,400 students enrolled at UW Seattle were GI Bill® students, of which 780 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,461. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Veterans at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report
Request Information
Our rankings recognize University of Nebraska at Kearney as the #18 school in this year's rankings. Located in the distant town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a medium-sized student population. UNK also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Among the 6,327 students enrolled at UNK, 195 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,082. On top of their other funding sources, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Request Information
Florida State University comes in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public school with a fairly large student population. Florida State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Among the 41,005 students enrolled at Florida State, 986 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 582 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,897. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Request Information
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. ASU - Tempe is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Tempe. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Tempe also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States ranking.
According to our most recent data, ASU - Tempe supports 51,585 students, and 7,047 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6,145 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,977. To help with additional expenses, 156 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. ASU - Tempe does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Veterans at Arizona State University - Tempe Report
Request Information
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #21 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. Ohio State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbus. Ohio State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Our most recent data shows that 1,851 of the 61,170 students enrolled at Ohio State were GI Bill® students, of which 1,158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,438. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read full report on veterans at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Request Information
Our rankings recognize Florida Atlantic University as the #22 school in this year's rankings. FAU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Boca Raton.
Our most recent data shows that 722 of the 29,772 students enrolled at FAU were GI Bill® students, of which 506 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $5,787. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read full report on veterans at Florida Atlantic University
Request Information
The #23 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Brown University. Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #6 rank in our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States ranking.
Of the 10,257 students enrolled at Brown, 96 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $26,273. During this same period, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read full report on veterans at Brown University
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value fine and studio arts schools. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a very large student population. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, UMN Twin Cities also did well on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Of the 50,734 students enrolled at UMN Twin Cities, 824 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 585 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $15,664. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read full report on veterans at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Request Information
University of California - Berkeley comes in at #25 in this year's ranking. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley. UC Berkeley also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Of the 42,501 students enrolled at UC Berkeley, 557 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 401 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,465. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full Veterans at University of California - Berkeley Report
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges for Veterans in the United States award.
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
50 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
51 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO |
52 | University of Missouri - St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
53 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
54 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
55 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL |
56 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
57 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
58 | Marist College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
59 | University of Houston - Clear Lake | Houston, TX |
60 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
61 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
62 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston, MA |
63 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell | Lowell, MA |
64 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
65 | Montserrat College of Art | Beverly, MA |
66 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
Fine & Studio Arts by Region
View the best for vets Fine & Studio Arts colleges in a specific region near you.
Region |
---|
Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Fine & Studio Arts Related Veterans Rankings by Major
Fine & Studio Arts is one of 9 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Fine Arts
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Design & Applied Arts | 19,137 |
Music | 15,747 |
Drama & Theater Arts | 12,791 |
Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 11,308 |
General Visual & Performing Arts | 3,315 |
View All Fine Arts Related Majors >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Cost is for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- 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 the rest 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Purdue University
Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, aculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology ... Learn More > |