General Visual & Performing Arts degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools to find the best for general visual & performing arts students.
What’s on this page:
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the general visual & performing arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Michigan State University the best school in the country for a degree in general visual & performing arts. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Roughly 81% of students complete a degree within six years here. Michigan State University awarded about 53 general visual & performing arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general visual & performing arts degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $54,166. Michigan State University graduates carry a median of $25,213 in student loans.
See the full general visual & performing arts program report for Michigan State University
Central Michigan University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best general visual & performing arts schools. This large public university is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Roughly 59% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 12 general visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general visual & performing arts program make about $50,688 in their early career. Central Michigan University graduates carry a median of $27,857 in student loans.
More information about a degree in general visual & performing arts from Central Michigan University
Washtenaw Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best general visual & performing arts schools. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Ann Arbor. About 18 general visual & performing arts degrees were awarded at Washtenaw Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their general visual & performing arts degree from Washtenaw Community College earn around $45,332 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $17,616 to complete this degree.
Read more about the general visual & performing arts program at Washtenaw Community College
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. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 14 schools evaluated.
- 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.
