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2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Plains States Region

41 Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,752 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,317 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 41 schools in the Plains States Region 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 1,752 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 Plains States 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 Plains States 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 Plains States 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.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Fine Arts

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$17,973 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Washington University in St Louis if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the 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 about 43 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. After graduating, fine arts degree recipients usually make about $17,973 at the beginning of their careers.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,608 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in fine & studio arts. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 78 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts degree program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $3,291 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 157 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of Iowa make $3,533 more than the average fine arts graduate.

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

4
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,927 Median Starting Salary

St Olaf College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were approximately 35 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients generally earn about $23,927 in the first five years of their career.

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

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,537 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 51 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients usually earn an average of $23,537 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$34,933 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 37 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts major at University of Missouri - Columbia earn $7,616 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Missouri - Columbia

7
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO

Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 15th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 30 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients generally make around $24,620 in their early careers.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
16.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were about 43 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. After graduation, fine arts degree recipients usually make an average of $27,060 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$19,245 Median Starting Salary

Kansas City Art Institute is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Kansas City.

There were approximately 58.00000000000001 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Kansas City Art Institute in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program make about $19,245 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Kansas City Art Institute

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,546 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, MCAD is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were roughly 31 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at MCAD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program make about $24,546 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best fine & studio arts colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 413
Missouri 283 485
Kansas 266 238
Iowa 264 286
Nebraska 238 220
North Dakota 210 35
South Dakota 204 52

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 764
Fine Arts 660
Art History 207
Painting 43
Intermedia/Multimedia 27
Ceramic Arts & Ceramics 16
Fiber, Textile & Weaving Arts 11
Sculpture 10
Printmaking 10
Drawing 2

View All Fine Arts Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 2,327
Music 1,308
Drama & Theater Arts 951
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 540
General Visual & Performing Arts 302
Dance 112
Arts & Media Management 68
Other Visual Art 21

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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