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2025 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

641 Colleges in the United States
150,273 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,860 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in visual & performing arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #10 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 641 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 150,273 degrees in visual & performing arts during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Visual & Performing Arts School

Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools Your choice of visual & performing arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Visual & Performing Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Visual & Performing Arts Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Master's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Visual & Performing Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Visual & Performing Arts in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the visual & performing arts degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,834 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
18.5% Growth in Graduates

New York University is a great option for students interested in a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1834 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make an average of $26,826 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from New York University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
298 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,724 Median Starting Salary

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. FIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

There were roughly 298 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at FIDM Los Angeles in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make about $24,724 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,073 Median Starting Salary

Cornell University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 87 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Cornell University receive $3,213 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Cornell University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,475 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,973 Median Starting Salary

Fashion Institute of Technology is a great decision for students interested in a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 4th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 1475 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,973.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Fashion Institute of Technology

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,089 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
8.2% Growth in Graduates

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1089 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career income of $29,335.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Southern California

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
545 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 545 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn around $24,194 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
422 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
10.4% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 422 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically earn an average of $28,104 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Northwestern University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
314 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$48,000 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were about 314 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of about $20,141 above the average income of visual & performing arts graduates.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Carnegie Mellon University

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In TN
84 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 84 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Vanderbilt University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
272 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$37,528 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 272 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Iowa State University earn $9,668 more than the average visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Iowa State University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
548 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
29.0% Growth in Graduates

Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. This university ranks 24th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 548 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Chapman University receive $2,962 more than the average visual & performing arts grad.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Chapman University

12
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
656 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,332 Median Starting Salary

Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This university ranks 3rd out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 656 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make about $29,332 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Belmont University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$40,542 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 119 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame make $12,682 more than the standard visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Notre Dame

14
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
18.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were about 115 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $23,180 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Brown University

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
781 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
38.4% Growth in Graduates

American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

There were about 781 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn about $17,382 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
164 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$33,615 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 164 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis receive $5,755 more than the typical visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Washington University in St Louis

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
372 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
5.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 50 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 372 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive $4,194 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
507 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,203 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 507.00000000000006 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn an average of $27,203 for their early career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Maryland Institute College of Art

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
643 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$33,516 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

There were roughly 643 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Pratt Institute - Main receive $5,656 more than the average visual & performing arts student.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Pratt Institute - Main

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
277 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
13.4% Growth in Graduates

RISD is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence.

There were roughly 277 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at RISD in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally earn around $24,603 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Rhode Island School of Design

21
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
364 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,366 Median Starting Salary

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. This university ranks 4th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 364 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Boston University earn $3,506 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Boston University

22
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
507 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
1.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 16th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 507 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Emerson in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career income of $25,382.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Emerson College

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,728 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,739 Median Starting Salary

SCAD is a large private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Savannah.

There were roughly 1728 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at SCAD in the most recent data year. After graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically earn around $25,739 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Savannah College of Art and Design

24
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$12,456 Median Starting Salary

American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

There were approximately 99 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career earnings of $12,456.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
332 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,930 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public college with a small student population.

There were roughly 332 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make about $24,930 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Rest of the Top 50 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

26
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
27
28
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
29
30
31
32

33

34
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
35
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
36
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
37
38
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
39
40
41
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY

42

43
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
44
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
45
46
47
48
49
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
50

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 641 different United States visual & performing arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA
52 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
53 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
54 American University Washington, DC
55 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
56 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
57 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
58 Emory University Atlanta, GA
59 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
60 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
61 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
62 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
63 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
64 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
65 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
66 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
67 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
68 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
69 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
70 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
71 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
72 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
73 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
74 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
75 Williams College Williamstown, MA
76 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
77 Berklee College of Music Boston, MA
78 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
79 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
80 DePaul University Chicago, IL
81 University of North Texas Denton, TX
82 Manhattan School of Music New York, NY
82 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
84 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
85 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
86 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
87 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
88 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
89 The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA
90 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
91 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
92 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
93 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
94 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
95 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
96 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
97 Barnard College New York, NY
98 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
99 Towson University Towson, MD
100 Auburn University Auburn, AL
101 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI
102 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
103 Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY
104 Elon University Elon, NC
105 Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA
106 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
107 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
108 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
109 Purchase College Purchase, NY
110 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
111 Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO
112 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
113 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
114 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
115 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
116 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
117 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
118 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
119 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
120 University of Delaware Newark, DE
121 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
122 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
123 Connecticut College New London, CT
124 Luther College Decorah, IA
125 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC
126 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
127 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
128 St Olaf College Northfield, MN

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Visual & Performing Arts students that almost earned our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
129 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA

Visual & Performing Arts by Region

View the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,604
Design & Applied Arts 36,323
Music 25,860
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 17,626
Drama & Theater Arts 17,039
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,776
Arts & Media Management 4,667
Dance 3,301
Other Visual Art 999
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 73

View All Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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Degree Guides by Major
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