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2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools

535 Colleges in the United States
37,413 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,051 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity, fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 535 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of fine & studio arts. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 37,413 degrees in fine & studio arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School

Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools The fine arts program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Fine & Studio Arts Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Fine Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Fine Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$32,738 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 154 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive an earnings boost of about $7,687 over the average earnings of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,913 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts has to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 82 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of around $3,862 over the average income of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Southern California

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In NC
29.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Duke University

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,661 Median Starting Salary

Yale University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 68 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, fine arts degree recipients generally earn about $26,661 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Yale University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In IN

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 19 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Notre Dame

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 145 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive $5,243 more than the average fine arts grad.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$36,885 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 98 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of around $11,834 above the average income of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In GA
31 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 31 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Emory University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,475 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 107 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts major at University of California - Berkeley earn $2,424 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Berkeley

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,428 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 222 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,377 over the typical earnings of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison

11
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,686 Median Starting Salary

UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 53 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. After graduating, fine arts degree recipients typically make around $24,686 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Pennsylvania

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$17,973 Median Starting Salary

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 43 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, fine arts degree recipients generally earn about $17,973 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Washington University in St Louis

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In IL

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northwestern University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$19,792 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program make around $19,792 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Los Angeles

15
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 160 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from New York University get an earnings boost of about $5,196 above the average income of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from New York University

16
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH

Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were approximately 28 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from Dartmouth College receive $10,184 more than the typical fine arts student.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Dartmouth College

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
16.8% Growth in Graduates

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 131 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients typically make around $25,656 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from The University of Texas at Austin

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$35,028 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 82 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park receive $9,977 more than the standard fine arts student.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Maryland - College Park

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,608 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 78 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $5,557 more than the standard fine arts student.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

UGA is a very large public university located in the city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 157 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Georgia earn a boost of around $5,408 above the average earnings of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Georgia

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,698 Median Starting Salary

SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. This university ranks 4th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 30 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Southern Methodist University get an earnings boost of around $12,647 over the typical income of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Southern Methodist University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,537 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 128 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus make $3,486 more than the average fine arts student.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Ohio State University - Main Campus

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$21,605 Median Starting Salary

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. This university ranks 10th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 119 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $21,605.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Santa Barbara

24
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
23.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 76 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts degree program at Tufts University get $3,274 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Tufts University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,650 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, RISD is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 125 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at RISD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients generally earn an average of $25,650 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Rhode Island School of Design

Rest of the Top 50 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools

26
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
27
28
29
30
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
31
32
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

33

34
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
35
36
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
37
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
38
39
40
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
41
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

42
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

43
44
45
46
47
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
48
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 535 different United States fine & studio arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
52 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
53 Pratt Institute - Main Brooklyn, NY
54 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
55 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
56 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
57 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
58 Towson University Towson, MD
59 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
60 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
61 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
62 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
63 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY
64 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
65 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
66 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
67 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
68 Williams College Williamstown, MA
69 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
70 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
71 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
72 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
73 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
74 Illinois State University Normal, IL
75 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
76 University of Houston Houston, TX
77 LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY
78 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
79 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
80 St Olaf College Northfield, MN

Honorable 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 Schools award.

Rank College Location
81 University of Delaware Newark, DE
82 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
83 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
84 University of North Texas Denton, TX
85 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
86 American University Washington, DC
87 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
88 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
89 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
90 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
91 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
92 Baylor University Waco, TX
93 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
94 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
95 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
96 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
97 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
98 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
99 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
100 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
101 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
102 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
103 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
104 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
105 Smith College Northampton, MA
106 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
107 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC

Fine & Studio Arts by Region

View the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Fine & Studio Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Fine Arts Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Art Studies 18,323
Fine Arts 11,922
Art History 3,512
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 837
Intermedia/Multimedia 805
Painting 646
Drawing 347
Jewelry Arts 321
Sculpture 236
Fiber, Textile & Weaving Arts 168

View All Fine Arts Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 10

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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