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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts

126 Ranked Colleges
1,669 Degrees Awarded
$37,940 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,669 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking analyzed 126 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. That schools that top this list have a program in visual and performing arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts

1
World Mission University crest
World Mission University
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 126 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, World Mission University landed the #1 spot on the list. World Mission University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s 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 World Mission University

2
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Juilliard School. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. The Juilliard School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 7 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full The Juilliard School Visual & Performing Arts Report

3
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Out of the 126 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattan School of Music landed the #3 spot on the list. Manhattan School of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Manhattan School of Music

4

Out of the 126 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The New England Conservatory of Music landed the #4 spot on the list. The New England Conservatory of Music is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 6 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full The New England Conservatory of Music Visual & Performing Arts Report

5
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 38 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Visual & Performing Arts Report

6
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

With a ranking of #6, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 University of Rochester

7

Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 1 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Cleveland Institute of Music

8
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. CUA is a medium-sized school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 17 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Catholic University of America

9
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in Winchester, Virginia, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Shenandoah

10
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #10. Annandale-On-Hudson, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Bard College

11
Five Towns College crest
Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

Five Towns College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Five Towns College is a small private for-profit school situated in Dix Hills, New York. It awarded 1 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Five Towns College

12
UHart crest
University of Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut

University of Hartford ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. University of Hartford is a medium-sized school located in West Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 14 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 University of Hartford

13
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #13, Claremont Graduate University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Claremont Graduate University Visual & Performing Arts Report

14
University of Mobile crest
University of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama

University of Mobile landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. University of Mobile is a small school located in Mobile, Alabama that handed out 2 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Mobile

15
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

California Institute of the Arts landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 2 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full California Institute of the Arts Visual & Performing Arts Report

16
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at SUNY Stony Brook

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 67 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Michigan State

18
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 12 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Rice

19
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

University of Miami landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. University of Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Coral Gables, Florida. It awarded 27 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Miami

20

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 52 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 88%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

21

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #21. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 47 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at UNT

22

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #22. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large school located in Greeley, Colorado that handed out 12 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Northern Colorado

23
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #23. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 8 doctorate’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Princeton University

24

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified doctorate’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Visual & Performing Arts Report

25
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 Indiana University - Bloomington Visual & Performing Arts Report

Notes and References

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