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2024 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

667 Colleges in the United States
149,215 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,700 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 2024, College Factual analyzed 667 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 149,215 degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.

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 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,557 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 378 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Northwestern University earn $4,857 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$48,216 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. 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 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 141 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at University of Notre Dame earn $21,516 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,000 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,798 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1000 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of Southern California get $5,098 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
358 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 358 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York get an earnings boost of around $8,428 over the average income of visual & performing arts majors.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,494 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,046 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 1494 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at New York University make $4,346 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 schools 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 make an average of $28,275 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$38,636 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 72 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Duke University earn $11,936 more than the average visual & performing arts grad.

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

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 99 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Emory University get $10,008 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
279 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,927 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were roughly 279 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $26,927 in their early careers.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
540 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 540 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make an average of $25,673 in their early career salary.

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

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

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 #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 326 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 $21,831 above the typical income of visual & performing arts majors.

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

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

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 #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 172 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis earn a boost of about $3,075 over the typical earnings of visual & performing arts graduates.

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

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,952 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 285 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of California - Berkeley get $3,252 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
580 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 580 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $6,236 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.

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

15
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,534 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were about 251 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at The Juilliard School earn $4,835 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The Juilliard School

16
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,686 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 114 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career wages of $24,686.

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

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
352 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 352 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus get $5,956 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

18
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,788 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 84.00000000000001 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt 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 wages of $26,788.

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

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
581 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
6.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 581 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn about $26,313 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Los Angeles

20
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$36,441 Median Starting Salary

Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were roughly 58 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at Dartmouth College get $9,741 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
457 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 457 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $8,543 more than the standard visual & performing arts grad.

More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
389 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,071 Median Starting Salary

Chapman is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. This university ranks 32nd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 389 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman 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 wages of $28,071.

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

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
481 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$18,417 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 481 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make around $18,417 in the first five years of their career.

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

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
515 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
17.7% Growth in Graduates

UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 515 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine 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 $24,888.

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

25
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
380 Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 380 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Michigan State University earn $9,464 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

Rest of the Top 50 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

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Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
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UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
32
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN

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Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
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Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 667 different United States visual & performing arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Brown University Providence, RI
52 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
53 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
54 The New School New York, NY
55 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
56 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
57 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
58 Lafayette College Easton, PA
59 Pratt Institute - Main Brooklyn, NY
60 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
61 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
62 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
63 American Film Institute Conservatory Los Angeles, CA
64 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
65 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
66 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
67 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
68 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
69 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
70 Emerson College Boston, MA
71 George Washington University Washington, DC
72 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
73 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
74 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
75 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
76 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
77 Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI
78 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA
79 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
80 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
81 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
82 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
83 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
84 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
85 American University Washington, DC
86 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
87 San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA
88 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
89 Berklee College of Music Boston, MA
90 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
91 American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York New York, NY
92 The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA
93 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
94 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
95 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
96 Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
97 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
98 University of Delaware Newark, DE
99 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
100 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC

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
101 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
102 Williams College Williamstown, MA
103 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
104 Manhattan School of Music New York, NY
105 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
106 Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH
107 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
108 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
109 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
110 University of North Texas Denton, TX
111 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
112 Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA
113 Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA
114 Drake University Des Moines, IA
115 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
116 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC
117 Towson University Towson, MD
118 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
119 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
120 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
121 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
122 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
123 Luther College Decorah, IA
124 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
125 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
126 Auburn University Auburn, AL
127 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
128 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
129 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
130 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
131 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
132 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
133 DePaul University Chicago, IL
134 Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA

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

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Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119

View All Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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