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

505 Ranked Colleges
15,845 Degrees Awarded
$32,741 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 15,845 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 505 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

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

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

1
American Conservatory Theater crest
American Conservatory Theater
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Conservatory Theater. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at American Conservatory Theater

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY is a small private for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 69 masters’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 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY Visual & Performing Arts Report

1

Out of the 505 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Blue Lake, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s visual and performing arts 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre

4
American Film Institute crest
American Film Institute Conservatory
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Film Institute Conservatory. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 73 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at American Film Institute Conservatory

5
Carnbrook Academy crest
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cranbrook Academy of Art. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major. This small school is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 57 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carnbrook Academy Visual & Performing Arts Report

6
New York Academy of Art crest
New York Academy of Art
New York, New York

With a ranking of #6, New York Academy of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 46 masters’s visual and performing arts 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 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full New York Academy of Art Visual & Performing Arts Report

7
Longy crest
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Longy School of Music of Bard College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 67 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 3 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 Longy School of Music of Bard College

8
Maine Media College crest
Maine Media College
Rockport, Maine

Maine Media College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. Maine Media College is a small school located in Rockport, Maine that handed out 11 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Maine Media College

9

With a ranking of #9, The New England Conservatory of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. The New England Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 122 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 4 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 The New England Conservatory of Music

10
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Conservatory of Music ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Francisco Conservatory of Music

11
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Manhattan School of Music ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 132 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Manhattan School of Music Visual & Performing Arts Report

12
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

The Juilliard School ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. The Juilliard School is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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. 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Juilliard

13

Cleveland Institute of Music ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 40 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 96%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Cleveland Institute of Music

14
Seattle Film Institute crest
Seattle Film Institute
Seattle, Washington

Seattle Film Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 18 masters’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 Seattle Film Institute Visual & Performing Arts Report

15
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

16

With a ranking of #16, Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 225 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Maryland Institute College of Art

17
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

California Institute of the Arts came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 120 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at CalArts

18
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 200 masters’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Full New York Film Academy Visual & Performing Arts Report

19

With a ranking of #19, Pacific Northwest College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Pacific Northwest College of Art is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Full Pacific Northwest College of Art Visual & Performing Arts Report

20
VCFA crest
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Montpelier, Vermont

Vermont College of Fine Arts came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. This small school is located in Montpelier, Vermont, and it awarded 40 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at VCFA

21

New York School of Interior Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #21. New York School of Interior Design is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full NYSID Visual & Performing Arts Report

22
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #22, San Francisco Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. SFAI is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full SFAI Visual & Performing Arts Report

23

University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 UNCSA

24
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

Pratt Institute - Main ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major list. Pratt Institute is a medium-sized school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 281 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees 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 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%.

Full Pratt Institute - Main Visual & Performing Arts Report

25
Goddard College crest
Goddard College
Plainfield, Vermont

Goddard College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Plainfield, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Goddard College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

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
28
29
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine
30
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California
31
32
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York
33
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California
34
Pine Manor crest
Pine Manor College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
35
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California
36
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts
37
Hollins crest
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia
38
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California
39
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California
40
Stephens crest
Stephens College
Columbia, Missouri
41
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York
42
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
43
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
44
Mary Baldwin crest
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia
45
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California
46
47
48
RISD crest
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island
49
Warren Wilson crest
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Visual & Performing Arts Major

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

Rank College Location
51 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
52 Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music San Juan, PR
53 Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, PA
54 Yale University New Haven, CT
55 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
56 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
57 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
58 The Baptist College of Florida Graceville, FL
59 University of Valley Forge Phoenixville, PA
60 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
61 Fontbonne University Saint Louis, MO
62 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
63 Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA
64 Asbury University Wilmore, KY
65 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
Rank College Location
66 Chapman University Orange, CA
67 Wagner College Staten Island, NY
68 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, OK
69 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
70 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
71 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
72 New York University New York, NY
73 Purchase College Purchase, NY
74 Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY
75 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
76 Alfred University Alfred, NY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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