College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region

86 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
4,583 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,359 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 86 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,583 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 in the Great Lakes Region 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 in the Great Lakes Region 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 Great Lakes Region

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.

12 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Fine Arts

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

It's difficult to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 154 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $8,379 more than the typical fine arts student.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In IN

Every student who is interested in fine & studio arts needs to take a look at University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,428 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 222 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison earn a boost of around $4,069 above the typical earnings of fine & studio arts graduates.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In IL

Any student who is interested in fine & studio arts has to check out Northwestern University. 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 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

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

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,537 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 128 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts major at Ohio State University - Main Campus get $4,178 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
52 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 52 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
708 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,538 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 708 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career income of $25,538.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
16.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 83 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn about $22,241 for their early career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Indiana University - Bloomington

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

Illinois State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 106 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Illinois State University receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,160 over the typical earnings of fine & studio arts majors.

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

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,513 Median Starting Salary
$31,000 Median Student Debt

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from Michigan State University receive $3,154 more than the average fine arts student.

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

11
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In IN

Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #167 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePauw is a great university overall.

There were approximately 12 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at DePauw in the most recent data year.

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

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,655 Median Starting Salary

UWM is a very large public university located in the city of Milwaukee. This university ranks 19th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 145 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UWM in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts program at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee make $5,296 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Fine & Studio Arts students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
13 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
14 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
15 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
16 Ball State University Muncie, IN
17 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
18 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
19 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
20 Bradley University Peoria, IL
21 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best fine & studio arts colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 729
Ohio 314 880
Illinois 304 1,571
Indiana 294 645
Wisconsin 273 584

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
Fine Arts 2,121
Art Studies 1,684
Art History 461
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 113
Drawing 52
Painting 49
Intermedia/Multimedia 37
Sculpture 22
Ceramic Arts & Ceramics 16
Printmaking 13

View All Fine Arts Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 5,375
Music 4,060
Drama & Theater Arts 2,364
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 1,727
Arts & Media Management 602
General Visual & Performing Arts 413
Dance 358
Other Visual Art 108
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 32

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options