by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 149,215 visual and performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 94,717 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 1,443 colleges that offer a degree in visual and performing arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their visual and performing arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest College of Art & Design. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Northwest College of Art & Design is a small school located in Poulsbo, Washington that handed out 14 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hussian College-Relativity Campus California. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Hussian College-Relativity Campus California is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Hussian College-Relativity Campus California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornish College of the Arts. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. Cornish College of the Arts is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 128 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Cornish College of the Arts Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Design Institute of San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. Design Institute of San Diego is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 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.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Design Institute of San Diego
American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #6. American Academy of Art is a private for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at American Academy of Art
With a ranking of #7, Nossi College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Nossi College of Art is located in Madison, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 75 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. MIAD is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 144 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Compass College of Cinematic Arts landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Compass College of Cinematic Arts is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 18 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Compass College of Cinematic Arts
Moore College of Art and Design ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Moore College of Art and Design Visual & Performing Arts Report
Otis College of Art and Design ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Otis College of Art and Design is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 187 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
Cleveland Institute of Art landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. CIA is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 113 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 390 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Visual & Performing Arts Report
San Francisco Art Institute ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. San Francisco Art Institute is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 45 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #16. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Art Academy of Cincinnati
Columbus College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
With a ranking of #18, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Kansas City Art Institute
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #19. Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music
Laguna College of Art and Design ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Laguna Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Laguna College of Art and Design
With a ranking of #21, Montserrat College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Montserrat College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beverly, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Montserrat College of Art
University of North Carolina School of the Arts ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 179 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
The University of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #23. UArts is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 320 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
College for Creative Studies came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.
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.
Los Angeles College of Music came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. LACM is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | The Juilliard School | New York, NY |
| 53 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 54 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy | New York, NY |
| 55 | Gnomon | Hollywood, CA |
| 56 | AI Miami International University of Art and Design | Miami, FL |
| 57 | California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, CA |
| 58 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA |
| 59 | Five Towns College | Dix Hills, NY |
| 60 | Maine College of Art | Portland, ME |
| 61 | The New England Conservatory of Music | Boston, MA |
| 62 | Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY |
| 63 | Pratt Institute - Main | Brooklyn, NY |
| 64 | Los Angeles Film School | Hollywood, CA |
| 65 | School of Visual Arts | New York, NY |
| 66 | New York Film Academy | Burbank, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 217 | Oklahoma Christian University | Edmond, OK |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
