[Visual & Performing Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for visual & performing arts students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in visual & performing arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in visual & performing arts, no school beat University Of Vermont this year. Set in the city of Burlington, University Of Vermont is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,058, while out-of-state students pay about $45,502. Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Visual & Performing Arts graduates of University Of Vermont earn a median of $24,497 early in their careers. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Community College Of Vermont one of the best values for visual & performing arts. Community College Of Vermont is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Montpelier. Students from in state pay about $6,920 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,640. Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $12,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients from Community College Of Vermont generally make around $34,182. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Vermont Technical College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value visual & performing arts schools. Set in the rural area of Randolph, Vermont Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,952 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,296. Typical student debt for visual & performing arts graduates is $24,208. Visual & Performing Arts graduates of Vermont Technical College earn a median of $28,820 early in their careers. Set against $24,208 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Middlebury College earned it the #4 place for visual & performing arts. Middlebury College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Middlebury. Students from in state pay about $67,600 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for visual & performing arts graduates is $15,948. Visual & Performing Arts graduates of Middlebury College earn a median of $54,713 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,948 median debt. Middlebury College admits about 11% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in visual & performing arts will find it at Saint Michaels College, which ranked #5. Located in the suburb of Colchester, Saint Michaels College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,450. Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $26,640 in student loans. Early-career visual & performing arts graduates make about $42,240. Set against $26,640 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Bennington College came in at #6 for value in visual & performing arts this year. Located in the town of Bennington, Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,262. Typical student debt for visual & performing arts graduates is $26,463. Visual & Performing Arts graduates of Bennington College earn a median of $16,701 early in their careers. Set against $26,463 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bennington College admits about 44% of applicants.
Champlain College landed the #7 spot for visual & performing arts value this year. Champlain College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Burlington. Students from in state pay about $47,850 in tuition and fees. Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $26,911 in student loans. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients from Champlain College generally make around $36,505. Set against $26,911 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 83%.
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings
View All Visual & Performing Arts Rankings >
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 · 10 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.
