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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (With Aid)

73 Ranked Colleges
1,721 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 3,337 people earned their degree in visual and performing arts, making the major the 217th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,721 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 73 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual and performing arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (With Aid)

#1

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 14 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Lehman College

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Dallas. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Richardson, Texas, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas also took the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at The University of Texas at Dallas

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Visual & Performing Arts at The University of Texas at Austin

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 116 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSD Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Marcos. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 93 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

CSUSM also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at CSUSM

#20 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 26 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Arizona State University - Tempe

#7 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $19,057 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Texas A&M College Station

#8

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Rice University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 20 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $16,999 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Rice University

#9

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, this fairly large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,370 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend Marshall University.

Full Marshall University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#10

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York
#18 in overall quality

SUNY New Paltz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY New Paltz is a medium-sized public school situated in New Paltz, New York. It awarded 52 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY New Paltz, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,171 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend SUNY New Paltz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full SUNY New Paltz Visual & Performing Arts Report

#11

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Harvard Visual & Performing Arts Report

#12

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Duke University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $27,020 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Duke

The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UT Martin is a public institution located in Martin, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Martin is $10,955 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Full UT Martin Visual & Performing Arts Report

#14

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, Mississippi
#19 in overall quality

Mississippi State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid list, Mississippi State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,173 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend Mississippi State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Mississippi State

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,312 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend UIC.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago Visual & Performing Arts Report

#21 in overall quality

Iowa State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Iowa State University

#17

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid 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 Visual & Performing Arts at SUNY Fredonia

#18

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,571 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend Texas Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Texas Tech University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 10 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $14,446 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Visual & Performing Arts Report

University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,487 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

University of Houston - Downtown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. UH Downtown is located in Houston, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UH Downtown is $6,848 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UH Downtown

#22

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State

#23

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

George Mason University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

GMU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,048 for bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend GMU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 George Mason University Visual & Performing Arts Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 17 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Visual & Performing Arts Report

#25

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #25, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It awarded 37 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University

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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