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2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools

676 Ranked Colleges
149,215 Degrees Awarded
$10,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 149,215 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,700 and had an average of $25,051 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools” ranking looked at 676 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 visual and performing arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 & Performing Arts Schools” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for visual & performing arts students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 360 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,474 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at BYU

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Tyler Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Located in Chester, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 89 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

John Tyler Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,959 for Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend John Tyler Community College.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at John Tyler Community College

3

Out of the 676 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Collin County Community College District landed the #3 spot on the list. Collin County Community College District is located in McKinney, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,040 for Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Collin County Community College District.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Collin County Community College District

4

Out of the 676 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Madison Area Technical College landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison College is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Madison College is also in the top of our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” list. It costs about $10,053 for Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Madison Area Technical College.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Madison College

5

Out of the 676 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school handed out 110 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend MCC is $4,315 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full MCC Visual & Performing Arts Report

6

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 217 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $6,698 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at BYU - I

7
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 377 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $5,354 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Valencia College

8
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Century College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #8. White Bear Lake, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,397 for Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Century College.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Century College

9

Austin Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 274 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $7,224 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full Austin Community College District Visual & Performing Arts Report

10

Johnson County Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Overland Park, Kansas, and it awarded 91 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend JCCC is $13,371 for visual & performing arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Johnson County Community College

11

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 173 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Stout is in the top on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,589 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The low undergrad 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at UW - Stout

12

With a ranking of #12, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

13
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. This large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 185 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,739 for visual & performing arts students per year to attend El Centro College.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at El Centro College

14
Scottsdale Community College crest
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, Arizona

With a ranking of #14, Scottsdale Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 351 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,088 for visual & performing arts students per year to attend Scottsdale Community College.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Scottsdale Community College

15
LDS Business College crest
LDS Business College
Salt Lake City, Utah

LDS Business College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. LDS Business College is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend LDS Business College is $7,971 for visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at LDS Business College

16

Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #16. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 40 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,721 for visual & performing arts students per year to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Full MATC Visual & Performing Arts Report

17
Western Technical College crest
Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, Western Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Technical College is $10,279 for visual & performing arts students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Western Technical College Visual & Performing Arts Report

18
Central Piedmont Community College crest
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina

Central Piedmont Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 180 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Piedmont Community College is $5,710 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Central Piedmont Community College

19

Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 204 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for visual & performing arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Sinclair Community College

20

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #20. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 283 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $16,002 for Visual & Performing Arts students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State Visual & Performing Arts Report

21
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $12,301 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Truman State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

22
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

23
Gateway Technical College crest
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 54 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Gateway Technical College is $8,487 for visual & performing arts students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Gateway Technical College Visual & Performing Arts Report

24
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #24, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. This medium-sized school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 54 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USD is $19,389 for Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at USD

25
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. SRU is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $19,927 for Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan
28
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska
29
30
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Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri
38
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Gwinnett Technical College
Lawrenceville, Georgia
39
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
40
41
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Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
42
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana
43
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Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota
44
45
46
47
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri
48
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
49
50
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA
51University of Wisconsin - River FallsRiver Falls, WI
53Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC
54Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeMinneapolis, MN
55Edinboro University of PennsylvaniaEdinboro, PA
56University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS
57Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH
58University of Puerto Rico - Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR
59Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
60Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL
61Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC
61University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewater, WI
63Spokane Falls Community CollegeSpokane, WA
63University of MemphisMemphis, TN
65California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
67Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
67Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA
69Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
70Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, PA
71The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
72LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY
73Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
74University of HoustonHouston, TX
75Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts DevelopmentSanta Fe, NM
76Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL
77University of FloridaGainesville, FL
78University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
79Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
80Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH
81University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
82Harding UniversitySearcy, AR
83University of Akron Main CampusAkron, OH
84Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
85Arapahoe Community CollegeLittleton, CO
86University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
87Pima Community CollegeTucson, AZ
88San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
89Kent State University at KentKent, OH
90California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
92Lehigh Carbon Community CollegeSchnecksville, PA
93University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
94California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
95Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
96Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
97San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
98University of WyomingLaramie, WY
99Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNew York, NY
100Purchase CollegePurchase, NY
100University of Central ArkansasConway, AR
102Texas Woman’s UniversityDenton, TX

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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