by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study visual and performing arts at the Associate’s Degree level, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 111 programs that serve veteran visual and performing arts students especially well, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Learn more about these veteran-friendly visual and performing arts colleges below:
Leading the list is Salt Lake Community College, our #1 visual and performing arts college for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at Salt Lake Community College
A rank of #2 makes Southern New Hampshire University one of the top visual and performing arts colleges for veteran students. The school's overall veterans score is 83.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at Southern New Hampshire University
Veteran students seeking a strong visual and performing arts program will find one at Collin County Community College District, which ranked #3. It scores 83.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at Collin County Community College District
Veteran students seeking a strong visual and performing arts program will find one at Nassau Community College, which ranked #4. The school's overall veterans score is 82.9 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full visual and performing arts report for Nassau Community College
Miami Dade College is a great choice for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts, landing the #5 spot this year. The school's overall veterans score is 82.8 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at Miami Dade College
Front Range Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. Front Range Community College scores 82.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full visual and performing arts report for Front Range Community College
Valencia College landed the #7 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. The school's overall veterans score is 81.9 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at Valencia College
Wake Technical Community College placed #8 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. Wake Technical Community College scores 81.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full visual and performing arts report for Wake Technical Community College
Seminole State College of Florida placed #9 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. It scores 80.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at Seminole State College of Florida
Palm Beach State College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. Palm Beach State College scores 80.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Palm Beach State College
Gateway Technical College landed the #11 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. It scores 80.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Gateway Technical College
Pima Community College landed the #12 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. The school's overall veterans score is 80.2 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at Pima Community College
Dallas College placed #13 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. It scores 80.2 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at Dallas College
Austin Community College District ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 79.9 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the visual and performing arts program at Austin Community College District
Johnson County Community College came in at #15 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. Johnson County Community College scores 78.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Johnson County Community College
Daytona State College came in at #16 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. Daytona State College scores 78.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at Daytona State College
Community College of Baltimore County ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. It scores 78.5 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about visual and performing arts at Community College of Baltimore County
Oklahoma City Community College landed the #18 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. Oklahoma City Community College scores 77.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at Oklahoma City Community College
Fox Valley Technical College came in at #19 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. Fox Valley Technical College scores 77.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the visual and performing arts program at Fox Valley Technical College
Academy of Art University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. Academy of Art University scores 76.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 96.8, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Academy of Art University
Bismarck State College came in at #21 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 76.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 33.3 veteran-support score. Read more about visual and performing arts at Bismarck State College
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #22 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. The school's overall veterans score is 76.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the visual and performing arts program at Ivy Tech Community College
Community College of Rhode Island came in at #23 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. Community College of Rhode Island scores 75.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full visual and performing arts report for Community College of Rhode Island
Gwinnett Technical College landed the #24 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. Gwinnett Technical College scores 75.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at Gwinnett Technical College
Phoenix College landed the #25 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. It scores 75.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Phoenix College
Not far behind, these visual and performing arts colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying visual and performing arts: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
