[General Visual & Performing Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/general-visual-performing-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general visual & performing arts students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general visual & performing arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked Bennington College the best value for a degree in general visual & performing arts in Vermont. Set in the town of Bennington, Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,262. General Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general visual & performing arts degree recipients from Bennington College generally make around $20,809. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bennington College admits about 44% of applicants.
Champlain College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general visual & performing arts schools. Set in the city of Burlington, Champlain College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $47,850 in tuition and fees. General Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Visual & Performing Arts graduates of Champlain College earn a median of $30,138 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
More General Visual & Performing Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
