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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

24 Ranked Colleges
647 Degrees Awarded
$23,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Visual & Performing Arts is the 125th most popular major in the country with 6,359 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $24,577 and had an average of $26,968 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,256 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,600 and $23,400 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 647 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in general visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general visual and performing arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general visual and performing arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Oneonta landed the #1 spot on the list. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized public school situated in Oneonta, New York. It awarded 42 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oneonta also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Oneonta is $17,470 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full SUNY Oneonta General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY New Paltz landed the #2 spot on the list. SUNY New Paltz is a public institution located in New Paltz, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY New Paltz, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY New Paltz is $17,171 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SUNY New Paltz General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#3

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 18 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $22,422 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students per year to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Full Kutztown University of Pennsylvania General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#4

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Fredonia landed the #4 spot on the list. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Fredonia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $14,824 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

The low 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%.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at SUNY Fredonia

#5

Stockton University

Galloway, New Jersey

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Stockton University landed the #5 spot on the list. Galloway, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Stockton State also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $19,678 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students per year to attend Stockton State.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Stockton State

#6

SUNY Potsdam

Potsdam, New York

SUNY Potsdam landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Potsdam, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students list, SUNY Potsdam has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Potsdam is $13,704 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at SUNY Potsdam

#7

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at East Stroudsburg University, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $19,855 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at East Stroudsburg University

#8

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#20 in overall quality

Lehman College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

Lehman also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $1,814 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend Lehman College.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Lehman College

#9

Purchase College

Purchase, New York

Purchase College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students list, Purchase College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,326 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend Purchase College.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Purchase College

#10

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey
#8 in overall quality

Ramapo College of New Jersey landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Ramapo College of New Jersey is located in Mahwah, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ramapo College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ramapo College is $21,729 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Ramapo College of New Jersey

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

IUP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $22,448 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend IUP.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

#12

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students list, Temple has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $23,521 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Temple University

#13

Bloomfield College

Bloomfield, New Jersey

Bloomfield College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Bloomfield College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomfield, New Jersey. It awarded 53 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bloomfield College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bloomfield College is $17,922 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Bloomfield College

#14

Siena College

Loudonville, New York

Siena College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Siena College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Loudonville, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Siena not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $27,479 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students per year to attend Siena.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Siena

#15

LIU Post

Brookville, New York

With a ranking of #15, LIU Post did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. LIU Post is located in Brookville, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

LIU Post also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $25,767 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend LIU Post.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full LIU Post General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#16

New York Institute of Technology

Old Westbury, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, New York Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York Institute of Technology is located in Old Westbury, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

NYIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $21,427 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students per year to attend New York Institute of Technology.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 NYIT General Visual & Performing Arts Report

With a ranking of #17, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus is located in Madison, New Jersey and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FDU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FDU is $22,809 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at FDU

#18

Moore College of Art and Design

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Moore College of Art and Design ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Moore College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Moore College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Moore College is $32,846 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Moore College of Art and Design

#19

Maryland Institute College of Art

Baltimore, Maryland
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. MICA is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MICA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MICA is $38,921 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at MICA

#20

Hussian College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Hussian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private for-profit school awarded 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

Hussian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hussian is $18,155 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

Full Hussian General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#1 in overall quality

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

RPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $35,464 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

#22

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Drexel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

Drexel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Drexel University is $34,914 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Drexel General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#23

Fordham University

Bronx, New York
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Fordham University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Fordham U is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

Fordham U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Fordham U is $36,761 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree visual arts students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fordham University General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at UPenn

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Notes and References

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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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