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2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan

18 Ranked Colleges
3,606 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking.

Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 149,215 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, visual & 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.

Across Michigan, there were 3,606 visual & performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,279 and $26,395 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in visual & performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual & 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 visual & 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 in Michigan” list to help you make the college 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 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 in Michigan

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan.

Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Michigan

1

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 540 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Visual & Performing Arts Report

2
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #2 spot on the list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 380 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Michigan State.

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 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Michigan State University

3
Macomb Community College crest
Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Macomb Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Warren, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our michigan visual & performing arts students list, Macomb Community College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $9,982 for michigan visual & performing arts students per year to attend Macomb Community College.

Full Macomb Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report

4
GVSU crest
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 174 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for Michigan 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Grand Valley State University

5
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 269 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $20,371 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full WMU Visual & Performing Arts Report

6
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 165 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Ferris also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $12,213 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Ferris

7
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan list. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our michigan visual & performing arts students list, Central Michigan has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Central Michigan.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan University Visual & Performing Arts Report

8
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 153 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $13,449 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Oakland University

9
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 168 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $13,962 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Wayne State.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Wayne State

10
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 190 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Eastern Michigan also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,127 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Eastern Michigan University

11
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Northern Michigan University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan list. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Northern Michigan University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $15,214 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Full Northern Michigan University Visual & Performing Arts Report

12

Kalamazoo Valley Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan list. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 14 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Kalamazoo Valley Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. The yearly cost to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College is $4,525 for michigan visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College

13
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking, coming in at #13. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual & performing arts degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saginaw Valley State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for michigan visual & performing arts students per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Saginaw Valley State University

14

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 39 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UM Flint also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Flint is $12,689 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students.

Full University of Michigan - Flint Visual & Performing Arts Report

15

With a ranking of #15, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan list. College for Creative Studies is a private not-for-profit institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCS, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. It costs about $34,767 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend CCS.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at CCS

16
Carnbrook Academy crest
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Cranbrook Academy of Art did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking, coming in at #16. Carnbrook Academy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It awarded 57 ’s visual & performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnbrook Academy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list.

The low undergrad 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Carnbrook Academy

17
Compass College of Cinematic Arts crest
Compass College of Cinematic Arts
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Compass College of Cinematic Arts came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Compass College of Cinematic Arts is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our michigan visual & performing arts students list, Compass College of Cinematic Arts has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Compass College of Cinematic Arts is $22,349 for michigan visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Compass College of Cinematic Arts

18
K College crest
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. K College is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s visual & performing arts degrees to qualified students.

K College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Michigan” list. It costs about $22,727 for Michigan Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend K College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at K College

Notes and References

References

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