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2024 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Texas

37 Colleges in Texas
8,274 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,923 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.

College Factual reviewed 37 schools in Texas to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of visual & performing arts. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,274 degrees in visual & performing arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Visual & Performing Arts School

Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Texas 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Texas list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Texas

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.

10 Top Texas Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts has to take a look at Rice University. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 129 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically earn around $28,275 in the first five years of their career.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
580 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 580 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $4,013 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Austin

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
373 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

The University of Texas at Dallas is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the midsize city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #216 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Dallas is a great university overall.

There were roughly 373 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Dallas 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 $29,116.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Dallas

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
171 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Texas Christian University if you wish to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 171 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make an average of $29,611 in the first couple years of working.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
203 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
4.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 203 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program state that they receive average early career income of $27,552.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
793 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,731 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Denton, UNT is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #280 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNT is a great university overall.

There were approximately 793 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn around $28,731 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of North Texas

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
199 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
31.7% Growth in Graduates

Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Waco. A Best Colleges rank of #123 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.

There were roughly 199 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn around $25,277 for their early career.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
385 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
10.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Houston, UH is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #211 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UH is a great university overall.

There were about 385 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of Houston get $4,084 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
526 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,121 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #397 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Texas State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 526 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make an average of $30,121 in their early careers.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
25.5% Growth in Graduates

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #168 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were approximately 294 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Texas Tech University earn $5,122 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southwest Region

Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southwest Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Arizona 38 2,287
New Mexico 38 489
Oklahoma 38 1,200

View All Rankings >

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Music 2,118
Fine & Studio Arts 1,955
Design & Applied Arts 1,889
Drama & Theater Arts 982
General Visual & Performing Arts 602
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 252
Dance 251
Arts & Media Management 225

View All Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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